The Community boys basketball team secured a resounding 53-29 victory over the Downers Grove North Trojans Monday, propelling them into Friday’s 4A IHSA State Semifinals at Illinois’ State Farm Center.

The 31-5 Ironmen tipoff against the 28-8 Palatine Pirates at 2 p.m. after the Pirates narrowly clinched a 55-53 win over Gurnee’s Warren Township.

The Pirates’ win came courtesy of a last-second layup by Connor May, a first IBCA first-team All-Stater, who finished with an impressive double-double.
The 6-foot-7 May racked up 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Dekalb Super-Sectional.
May, a Washington University (St. Louis) commit, has been a dominant force this season, averaging 19.3 points per game and accumulating 693 points.

May is the Pirates’ standout; he leads the team in scoring; three-point shooting, converting at a clip of 35%; and rebounding.

Look for Tommy Elter, the 6-foot-3 senior, to set up May’s scoring chances. Elter, the quarterback of the Pirates football team, seemingly quarterbacks the offense on the hardwood if IHSA statistics are to be believed.

Elter, according to numbers submitted to the IHSA, enters the contest with an outstanding 230 assists on the season. By comparison, Winnetka’s Logan Feller is second among 4A teams in the tournament with 158.

6-foot-3 sophomore Tony Balanganayi is the Pirates’ second-leading scorer this season for Palatine, averaging a shade under eight a game. Balanganayi contributed 19 in the win over Warren Township.

Ironmen assistant Mr. Laconte Nix revealed that 6-foot-6 Niko Newsome will guard May, aiming to contain his impact on the game.

It’ll be Newsome’s job, Nix said, to shut down the Pirates’ most dangerous offensive weapon.
That is something Nix acknowledges is easier said than done.
“It’ll be a tough test for us,” Nix said.

Palatine, Nix said, is a team that likes to control the pace of play.
“They’re a team that wants to slow it down,” the assistant said.
The Iron, by comparison, have been at their best in up-tempo contests.

Palatine is amid a historic season, as the Pirates secured their first State Tournament berth since 1982. That accomplishment was partly achieved as May solidified his place in school history- as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Community’s girls head, Mr. Dave Feeney, had the opportunity to scout some Palatine teams over the years when he was an assistant for Illinois Wesleyan’s mens basketball program.
Palatine coach Eric Millstone (238-230), Feeney said, has put some “hard-nosed,” “gritty and tough,” “really competitive” teams on the floor.

That toughness might be best exemplified by the fact that three of the five projected starters, May, Elter and the 260-pound Balanganayi, also wore the Pirates’ uniform on the gridiron this season.

The winner of Friday’s match will advance to the State Finals, facing off against the winner of the Homewood-Flossmoor vs. New Trier matchup.
Homewood-Flossmoor secured a narrow 60-58 victory over Chicago Curie, while New Trier emerged victorious with a 65-41 win against Glenbard North to advance to the State Semis.