2023 Tournament Tidbits: Day 2

Tidbits from Day 2 action at the 2023 State Farm Holiday Classic

Honoring the Home Team

Classic Tournament, Inc. the all-volunteer organizing committee which runs the State Farm Holiday Classic, honored one of their own Thursday night when David “Spoon” Mizer was recognized for 25 years of service on the committee. Only six individuals have achieved this milestone previously.

Assist, U-High

When both teams showed up for a consolation bracket play with the same color uniform, University High School girls coach Laura Sellers asked her team to change into their reversible practice jerseys so the game could start.

Selden Marquart Volunteer of the Year

Vinny Mangina was selected as the Volunteer of the Year for 2023. The State Farm Holiday Classic is 100% volunteer-run, and Vinny has been a permanent fixture at the Shirk Center, many times working all eight games for three or four days straight. His knowledge and experience of the scoreboard is unprecedented, and he has become someone the committee has relied on consistently over the years. Congratulations Vinny and thank you for all your hard work!

Double Double

Each of the final two games of the evening in the Large School Boys bracket at Normal West went into double overtime before a winner was determined. Bradley-Bourbonnais downed #2-seed Rock Island 65-64 before Aurora Metea Valley outlasted #3-seed Joliet Central 61-59. In addition, the Oswego-Dunlap game went into overtime earlier in the day, which made it a long day at West with games not getting over until well past 10:30pm. Kudos to our venue staff and volunteers for their dedication and commitment to our event!

Deuces

Every #2 seed lost in Day 2 action. In addition to Rock Island in the Large School Boys Bracket, Chicago Hyde Park fell to Morton in the Large School Girls Bracket, Paris fell in the Small School Girls Bracket, and Normal University High was a casualty in Small School Boys action.

Rematch

In the Large School Girls bracket, top-seeded Normal Community will battle Washington in a rematch of the 2022 State Farm Holiday Classic LSG championship game.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Each bracket’s Final Four features one team who is brand new to the State Farm Holiday Classic this year: Galena in Small School Girls, Pecatonica in Small School Boys, Quincy in Large School Girls and Aurora Metea Valley in Large School Boys.

Filling the Trophy Case

This is the Morton girls’ 17th State Farm Holiday Classic, and they are guaranteed to take home a tournament trophy for the 13th year. This total will surpass Rochester who has 12 trophies, and is second only to Bloomington Central Catholic’s 16 trophies. On the boys’ side, Normal Community is guaranteed to take home their 15th tournament trophy, which puts them third all-time behind Bloomington Central Catholic’s 18 and Normal U-High’s 17. Central Catholic has a chance to add to that total if they advance and win tonight’s Small School Boys Consolation Championship.

Return To Glory

The Kankakee Bishop McNamara girls have only earned one tournament trophy since 2014. That year the Lady Irish were lead by Khadaizha Sanders who was selected to her third all-tournament team (2011, 2013, 2014) and was featured on the tournament’s program cover. Sanders is now the head coach as Bishop McNamara heads into tonight’s championship semifinal game.

Familiar Territory

Three of last year’s four tournament champions are still alive to repeat this year: Camp Pt. Central/Augusta Southeastern in Small School Girls, St. Joseph-Ogden in Small School Boys and Normal Community in Large School Girls. In addition, Romeoville has the opportunity to return to the Large School Boys bracket championship game for the second straight year.

Quick Trip Home

According to Twitter/X, Kankakee’s two-sport athlete TaLeah Turner returned home last night after the Lady Kays’ second round game to accept a State Championship ring. The ceremony was held in part during the boys’ Kankakee Holiday Tournament to recognize the Lady Kays’ track & field team on their accomplishment last spring. No worries though, as TaLeah rejoined her basketball teammates and will be in action today as Kankakee faces Geneseo in the Consolation semifinals.

Who Loves Basketball? We Mean REALLY Loves Basketball??

Today marks the busiest day of the State Farm Holiday Classic with eight games tipping off on each of our six courts for a total of 48 games in one day. If you are out and about watching today, tweet us a photo @sfclassic and tell us who you are rooting for.

Top Scorers – Day 2 (20 points minimum)

Large School Boys

Desean Patton – Oswego 27
Luke Smith – Addison Trail 23
Will Ashford – Aurora Metea Valley 22
KJ Lamonte – Rock Island 22
Jackson Bohm – Mahomet-Seymour 20
TJ Lee – Romeoville 20
Gabe Munoz – Dunlap 20
Jay Lin Murphy – Joliet Central 20

Large School Girls

Taylor Foley – Quincy 26
Mazzy O’Brien – Washington 22
Hannah Struebing – Wheaton Warrenville South 21

Small School Boys

Brody Larson – Winnebago 28
Jonah Funk – El Paso-Gridley 26
Miles Kirin – Normal University High 22
Vontez Dent – Rockford Lutheran 20

Small School Girls

Gracie Furlong – Galena 27
Trinity Davis – Kankakee Bishop McNamara 24
Lauren Miller – Camp Pt Central/Augusta SE 23
Anna Palmer – Winnebago 21
Myli Ehrhardt – El Paso-Gridley 20
Katei Ericksen – St. Joseph-Ogden 20