Washington beats Brooks in Pekin opener

Alec Peters got plenty of help Dec. 21 as the Washington boys basketball team staved off Limestone.

The Panthers denied the Rockets' bid to gain a share of first place in the Mid-Illini Conference with a 57-50 home victory at Torry Gymnasium.

Washington advanced to 5-0 in the league. It resumes M-I play Jan. 11 with a contest at 4-1 Metamora.

Peters was 12-of-12 on free throws to top all participants with 20 points.

Mason McCoy had the Panthers' only two 3-pointers as part of a 16-point night. Troy Adams added 10.

Terence Shelby guided Limestone with 14 points.

Pekin Insurance Holiday Tournament

The top-seeded Panthers had no trouble with Chicago Brooks Thursday in the first round.

Washington (10-0), sporting its rarely used gray uniforms, scored the game's first 12 points at Dawson Hawkins Gymnasium to advance to a Friday morning quarterfinal matchup with Evanston.

Peters had 19 of his game-best 23 points in the first half. McCoy added 18 points in a 66-41 win.

The Panthers were up 34-16 at the break.

"I thought we did a very good job on our slides and help defense," said WCHS head coach Kevin Brown of a first half in which Washington contended with a lot of Brooks dribbling.

Adams gave Washington a lead it would not relinquish at the 6:58 mark of the first quarter.

Peters then strung together seven straight points before a Tucker Harlan 3-pointer.

McCoy, who has developed into a consistent outside threat, buried a trey to put the Panthers on top, 17-6, after

one period.

Peters had another scoring binge in the second quarter, when he racked up 12 points in short order. A dunk and two 3s were part of the flurry.

With Washington recording eight of the first 10 points in the third period, the rout was on and the team got a chance to work on trying to deepen its bench.

Devon Sentz was one of the players who made the most of his second-half minutes. The sophomore made a trio of 3s to tally nine points.

"He did a nice job for us," Brown said of the recent addition Sentz, who could play at both guard spots. "He really showed some things in practice."

Harlan and McCoy had five points each in the third.

McCoy had a sequence that characterizes his hustle and determination. After committing a turnover, he raced down the floor and took the ball back from the Eagles seconds later.

"He just plays like that all the time," said Brown of McCoy, who brings a competitive edge.

Harlan's all-around play, which included five assists, also was noted by Brown.

Although Brooks won the fourth quarter, 13-12, there were more Panther highlights.

Dominic Carrol had a nice finish at the hoop for a three-point opportunity on a Connor Schone assist.

Washington's Chris Stephens set the final with a basket with 11 seconds to go.

Dallas Haywood topped the Eagles with nine points.

The Mid-Illini went 3-1 on day one as fourth-seeded Limestone's upset loss to Springfield Lanphier was offset by Morton's victory over No. 2-seed Rockford Boylan.

More tournament action: With a semifinal loss to Springfield Lanphier sandwiched between victories over Evanston and Chicago Mt. Carmel, Washington finished third at Pekin.

Check back at this website and see the Jan. 9 edition of the Washington Times-Reporter for a tournament recap.