Published on December 30, 2025 7:45 am
Last Updated on December 30, 2025 7:45 am
BY DUSTIN WHITE
Effingham High School led Belvidere by as many as 10 points during the second quarter at EHS during the Effingham/Teutopolis Christmas Classic Monday, but the Bucs answered with an 8-0 run and went into the half trailing the Hearts by just four. That was still the margin after three quarters and Belvidere took care of business in the final period to escape, 55-54.
Belvidere (9-3) led by four early but was down 17-14 after a quarter and didn’t lead again until the fourth. Demetrious Taborn led three Bucs in double figures with his 18 points. Effingham (3-9) got 14 from Cole Phillips and nine each from Cannon Bockhorn, Jenner Pals and Max Buzzard.
The game came down to literally the final possession as Effingham had one last chance to pull it out but needed to go the length of the floor in just 0.7 seconds. Ultimately EHS could not engineer the miracle; moments before, Effingham had missed out on tying the game at the foul line when Pals was fouled in the act of shooting a three with his team down by three. Two of the three charity shots went down.
EHS falls to the consolation side of the tournament bracket and will play Central A&M in a consolation quarterfinal Tuesday before taking on either Mattoon or Dixon in its second game of the game.
At Effingham
BELVIDERE (55)
Armstrong 0-1 — 1, Taborn 8-2 — 18, Villarreal 3-0 — 7, Alvarado 6-1 — 15, Lasiowski 5-4 — 14. TOTALS 22 FG, 8 FT.
EFFINGHAM (54)
Fearday 0-1 — 1, Niebrugge 1-0 — 2, Bockhorn 3-2 — 9, Pals 3-2 — 9, Thompson 0-0 — 0, Buzzard 4-0 — 9, Traub 2-2 — 8, Phillips 6-0 — 14, Love 0-0 — 0, Warner 1-0 — 2. TOTALS 20 FG, 7 FT.
Belvidere 14 10 11 20 — 55
Effingham 17 11 11 15 — 54
3-point FG — Belvidere 3 (Alvarado 2, Villarreal 1), Effingham 7 (Traub 2, Phillips 2, Buzzard 1, Pals 1, Bockhorn 1).