Day Two Delivers Definition at the 50th State Farm Holiday Classic
Day Two Delivers Definition at the 50th State Farm Holiday Classic Day two of the 2025 State Farm Holiday Classic leaned into what five decades of December basketball in Bloomington-Normal have taught us: by now, the pretenders start to fade, and the programs built for March begin to look very comfortable in late December. On the tournament’s 50th anniversary , the large-school boys bracket provided clarity, contrast, and a reminder that this event still knows how to separate teams with purpose from teams still searching for it. Machesney Park Harlem and Chicago Prosser set the tone with a game that demanded patience. Harlem absorbed pressure, handled stretches of half-court basketball, and made the possessions count when they mattered most. The result was a 58–49 Harlem victory , a scoreline that reflected control rather than chaos. Prosser kept it within reach, but Harlem’s ability to finish plays late proved decisive inside a gym that has seen thi...