PEORIA — Nick Rakocevic took the torch and carried the 2015 state champions back to Carver Arena.
His young teammates stepped up along the way, making the notion of a third straight Downstate appearance next year at least in the realm of possibility.
As for Jordan Goodwin, it’s hard to believe he won’t be back after the show he put on Friday afternoon.
Goodwin, a powerful 6-foot-4 junior who defies traditional positioning, had 25 points and 15 rebounds (nine offensive) to lead Belleville Althoff to a hard-fought 66-62 victory over St. Joseph in a Class 3A semifinal.
St. Joseph beat Althoff twice last season, including a 67-63 victory in the 3A final.
Althoff will play Lincoln-Way West in the 3A final at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“We knew they were big, we knew they had good size and we knew Goodwin was going to be aggressive,” said Rakocevic, a 6-11 senior who finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. “We just didn’t have a way to keep him off the boards.
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“I feel like I let my team down. This is a young team, and to lead these guys down here, being the only senior, it is a great feeling. I shouldn’t be ashamed of anything, I shouldn’t hang my head, but today I felt I let them down.”
While Althoff (31-2) surrounded and harassed Rakocevic into 6-for-15 shooting from the field, freshman point guard Marquise Walker led the Chargers with 18 points and junior guard Jason Towers added 12.
The game was tied at 37, 39, 41, 43 and then 45 on a jumper by Walker with 7 minutes, 3 seconds left, but the Crusaders took off from there.
Goodwin scored the next four points to ignite a 12-4 run, and the final score was as close as St. Joseph (25-9) got in the final 4 minutes, 28 seconds.
“I think we did pretty well,” Walker said. “I think we fought as hard as we could. Everybody was saying we couldn’t do it, it would be a blowout game. I think we came down here and proved a point. We wanted to win, but we proved we could hang with the best.”
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Jordan Goodwin, Belleville Althoff, 25 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals.
Key performers: St. Joseph – Nick Rakocevic, 17 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Marquise Walker, 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists. Althoff – Tarkus Ferguson, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks.