MOUNT PULASKI, IL – With the game slipping away and an upset bid looming, Jace Easley refused to let O.S. Springfield go down without a fight. Trailing by five with under four minutes to play, Easley took over, scoring the final 10 points of regulation and the first five in overtime, leading Springfield to a 67-62 come-from-behind victory over Mount Pulaski on Wednesday night.
The star guard had a moment of self-reflection after missing a key free throw that allowed Pulaski to extend its lead.
“I told myself it was time to lock in,” Easley said after the game. “Trust in yourself. Believe your instincts. You got this. Let’s try to will my team to victory.”
And with that mindset, Easley put on a performance for the ages.
His offensive onslaught in the final moments single-handedly erased Mount Pulaski’s upset hopes. The Eagles, who were 14-point favorites, looked sluggish for most of the game before Easley’s late heroics flipped the momentum entirely.
While Easley stole the spotlight with his clutch gene, Conor McCaffrey continued his season-long dominance, recording yet another double-double—his 30th of the year—finishing with 21 points and 13 assists. McCaffrey, known for his ability to control the game’s pace, kept Springfield within striking distance throughout the contest, feeding Easley down the stretch while also making key defensive plays.
Springfield, now 25-5 overall and 10-3 in LSA play, remains firmly in contention as one of the top teams in the state.
Despite entering the game as heavy underdogs, Mount Pulaski (14-12, 0-9 LSA) refused to back down. Behind Lad Mayen’s 16 points and Teddy Allen’s 15, the Hilltoppers executed their game plan to near perfection, slowing down Springfield’s transition game while capitalizing on timely three-point shooting.
Their efforts nearly resulted in a signature victory, as they held a 54-48 lead with just under three minutes to play. But in the most crucial moments, they had no answer for Easley’s explosiveness.
Springfield’s coaching staff wasn’t prepared for Mount Pulaski—because they weren’t supposed to play them.
Originally, the Eagles were set to face off against third-ranked Christ Lutheran in what was supposed to be a highly anticipated top-10 showdown. However, when Christ Lutheran was forced to postpone due to an influenza outbreak, Mount Pulaski was added to Springfield’s schedule just a week before the game.
That last-minute change, according to head coach Phillip Heppe, may have played a role in Springfield’s lackluster energy early on.
“We thought we were preparing for Christ Lutheran,” Heppe admitted. “Then all of a sudden, it’s not them. It’s not a top-three team—it’s a team that’s really struggling. And just like that, this turns into a trap game.”
Mount Pulaski—a team that hasn’t beaten a top-10 LSA opponent since March 2012—nearly pulled it off. But Easley had other plans.
Springfield’s winning streak has now reached 11 games, and with their ability to overcome adversity on full display, the Eagles appear to be rounding into postseason form at the perfect time.
With another conference matchup looming, Easley and McCaffrey will once again be relied upon to lead Springfield’s charge. If this game was any indication, the duo has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.