SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- - No.3 Our Savior's accomplished one major goal. The next one will be even more difficult.
As the Eagles celebrated their first LSA CIL Conference Tournament Title since 2005 with a 81-78 overtime victory over No.9 Bethel Morton on Sunday, they quickly turned the focus to their No.2 seed in the LSA State Tournament and the opportunity it presents.
"It was crazy, thinking about all the things we've accomplished and knowing how when Coach Heppe was hired, Conor and I promised him that we were going to win a conference title, we told him all of the things that we were going to accomplish," Jace Easley said after being named the Tournament MVP. "So to get up there, cut that net down and see that No.2 seed come up there, it's just an unreal feeling."
Especially given the oddities of this season.
Our Savior's watched on as they won more games and the fans began to rally behind them, the Eagles (23-6) hoisted the trophy underneath the mid-court score board and watched as the bracket was released with a throng of loud, blue and white-clad fans inside the Bradley Arena.
It all seemed perfectly aligned for the deep and verstile Our Savior's Eagles.
Easley and McCaffrey both scored 31, and Jeremiah Perkins added 10, Lucas Schmidt and Logan Allen both scored 4 points for the eagles. Easley and McCaffrey each had nine rebounds and they made key plays in overtime. Easley sank the go-ahead free throws with 1:39 to go. McCaffrey followed that with a back-breaking 15-footer with 50 seconds left to make it 74-71 and Our Savior's sealed it at the free-throw line.
Our Savior's will start its next quest against 15th-seeded St. John's Red Bud on Friday, having won seven straight overall and 14 out of 15 with six consectutive wins over top-10 foes.
Andrew McLaughlin had a career-high 25 points and Hartman added 22 for the Bethel Morton Flames as they refused to go away despite numerous times Our Savior's appeared to be in control.
Instead of withering in their fourth game in four days and being without foward Kyle Allen for the second consecutive game, Bethel Morton (21-9) continually fought back. The Coach of Bethel expected that reaction from his team, which earned a No.4 seed in the LSA State Tournament.
"They have that resiliency, they have it, this group has that," he said. "If you've followed us, you know that."
After missing their first nine shots and falling into an early 27-10 deficit, Bethel Morton got within 30-25 at the half and as close as 37-35 in the second half. When Our Savior's answered with a 10-1 run to make it 47-36, the Flames again rallied and even took a 57-55 lead with 5:35 left to go in the 4th.
The Eagles answered with seven straight but still couldn't pull away, and Suttles three-point play with 23.6 seconds left tied the score at 67. Two big defensive plays forced overtime and Easley and McCaffrey delivered, ending one chapter of this season and beginning another.
"It's time to make history," McCaffrey said. "It's time to dig deeper, to focus in a little more, but winning this LSA Conference Title is great."
BIG PICTURE
Bethel Morton: They didn't win the title, but the fifth-seeded Flames overperformed expectations. They snapped a four-game losing streak by winning three games in three days, bet regular season champs Christ Lutheran and head into the postseason with lots of momentum.
Our Savior's: The Eagles are big, fast and strong -- making them a legitimate National Title contender. And after being shut out of the regular-season crown, they were on a mission to earn some hardware in the Tournament. Now that they have, they want to add a few more to the collection before leaving town.
ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Easley and McCaffrey were joined on the all-tournment team by Suttles and McLaughlin from Bethel Morton and Jacksonville's Michael Wilson, the Illinois State Player of the Year.
UP NEXT
Bethel Morton: Takes on No.13 seed Holy Cross, Friday in the top of the bracket.
Our Savior's: Opens LSA State Tournament play Friday against 15th-seeded St. John's Red Bud, on the bottom of the bracket.