PEORIA -- Young senior Marcus Jordan got some advice from his famous father, former Bull Michael Jordan, at halftime of the Dolphins Class 4A state semifinal game.
“He talked to me at halftime and told me to attack the paint,” Jordan said.
Jordan did exactly that Friday at Carver Arena, repeatedly getting to the basket and drawing fouls to lead Young to a 59-54 win over Thornton and a berth in the state championship game.
“It’s nice to finally have my own moment,” Jordan said. “My father had a lot.”
Jordan scored a game-high 22 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. He was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final quarter.
Perhaps just as important was his defense on Thornton star Reggie Smith down the stretch. Smith has hit numerous game-winning shots for the Wildcats this season, and he had the ball with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds.
“I figured that he would try and draw the foul [while shooting the three],” Jordan said. “I didn’t want that to happen, so I stayed back. I wanted to make it difficult for him to get a good look, though.”
Jordan did just that and Smith ended up attempting a diving, circus-like three.
“I was just looking for some way to tie it,” Smith said. “They played me hard, especially after the first quarter. Their defense really cut down on my shots.”
Smith scored eight of his 10 points in the first quarter as the Wildcats jumped out to a 16-2 lead.
“I thought our guys played tremendously hard,” Thornton coach Troy Jackson said. “In the second quarter our shots just stopped falling and we let them back in.”
Young (25-9) got back in the game with defense, holding Thornton to only one field goal during a 9:20 stretch in the first half.
“This was a testament to the hard work these guys have put in throughout the season,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “All the travels and all the ups and downs.”
Dolphins point guard Chris Colvin scored 12, dished out five assists and had four steals. Stan Brown added eight points and Anthony Johnson scored seven off the bench.
Senior forward Franklin Griffin’s strong physical presence in the post kept Thornton’s number two option, Trevell Rivers, in check.
“[Rivers] is a tremendous athlete,” Griffin said. “I had my hands full with him down there, but I knew I just had to take care of my part.”
Rivers scored nine points in the first half, but was limited to just two in the second.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to finally get to state after falling short the past two years,” Colvin said. “We knew a basketball game was four quarters, so we would have a chance to climb back into it.”
Sophomore guard Jay Parker led the Wildcats (29-2) with 12 points and four assists. Rivers finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Thornton had won 29 consecutive games.
“We don’t mind playing the game fast or playing slow,” Slaughter said. “We showed patience and dedication out there.”
Young will face Waukegan and Sun-Times Player of the Year Jereme Richmond in the state championship game Saturday night.
“We haven’t seen a lot of them in person,” Slaughter said. “We know they have a couple all-area players and will definitely be ready to go.”
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