In a season filled with thrilling games, few could match the drama of Friday night’s Class 2A Sectional Championship showdown between No. 1 seeds Tolono Unity (32–2) and Teutopolis (30–3).
The two teams were already familiar with one another. Unity had handed Teutopolis its only two losses of the season, but both matchups were tightly contested. Their first meeting on December 6 ended in a 56–50 Teutopolis victory, while the rematch on New Year’s Eve came down to the final possession with the Wooden Shoes escaping 37–36.
Friday night’s battle at Sievers Center followed the same script.
Unity struck first, taking a 16–11 lead after the opening quarter. Teutopolis answered in the second, outscoring the Rockets 14–7 to take a 35–33 advantage into halftime. The back-and-forth continued in the third quarter as Unity slowly regained momentum, capped by a transition layup from Tyler Henry at the buzzer to give the Rockets a 41–36 lead heading into the fourth.
The final quarter quickly turned electric. Unity extended its lead to nine points early, but Teutopolis refused to go away. The Wooden Shoes responded with a quick run and eventually grabbed the lead after a clutch three-pointer brought the packed crowd to its feet.
With just over a minute remaining, Unity regained control when Dane Eisenmenger converted an and-one to put the Rockets ahead 55–53. Free throws pushed the lead to 57–53 with 21.4 seconds left, but the drama was far from over.
Teutopolis struck quickly as Isaac McWhorter drilled a three-pointer with 12.5 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. Moments later, the Wooden Shoes forced a turnover and McWhorter drove to the basket for a go-ahead layup, giving Teutopolis a 58–57 lead with just over five seconds left.
After a timeout and an inbound near half court, Brayden Henry took matters into his own hands. The Unity senior drove the length of the floor and finished a layup as time expired, sealing a stunning 59–58 victory and giving the Rockets their first sectional championship since 2002.
Brayden Henry led Unity with 20 points, while Tyler Henry and Dane Eisenmenger each added 10. Tre Hoggard played a key defensive role with four of Unity’s nine steals, and he and Colton Langendorf each grabbed eight rebounds as the Rockets outrebounded Teutopolis 33–25.
McWhorter led all scorers with 23 points for the Wooden Shoes.
With the win, Unity advances to the Super-Sectional round, where the Rockets will face Bishop McNamara (29–5) on Monday at Pontiac High School. A victory would send Unity to its first state finals appearance since the 2001–02 season, when the Rockets finished fourth in Class 2A.
Brayden Henry with the Game Wining Shot for Tolono Unity
Tre Hoggard with the Steal and Lay-Up for Tolono Unity
Tyler Henry with the Lay-Up for Tolono Unity
