Flyers Ground Warriors in Physical 3A Battle

  

Flyers Ground Warriors in Physical 3A Battle

CHAMPAIGN — In a contest defined by grit and second-chance opportunities, the East St. Louis Flyers outlasted the Deerfield Warriors, 52-46, on the hallowed hardwood of the State Farm Center. It was a blue-collar performance for the Flyers, who used a relentless assault on the offensive glass to secure the victory in this IHSA 3A matchup.

Photos by Alan Look Photography

The Flyers took control early, establishing a 17-13 lead by the end of the first period. While Deerfield found success with efficient shooting—hitting 50% of their field goals for the game—they simply could not keep the Flyers off the boards. East St. Louis hauled in 18 offensive rebounds, a staggering figure that translated into 19 second-chance points, nearly quadruple the production of their opponents in that category.

Jamison White proved to be the engine for the East St. Louis offense, leading all scorers with 19 points and dominating the glass with 17 rebounds. Alex Johnson added 14 points to the Flyers' tally, providing the necessary secondary scoring to keep the Warriors at arm's length.

Deerfield refused to fade quietly. Behind a 15-point effort from Jake Pollack and 13 points from Evan Nagler, the Warriors kept the pressure on until the final whistle. Despite their superior shooting percentage, the math favored the Flyers; East St. Louis simply took 15 more shots than Deerfield, a direct result of their rebounding prowess and defensive pressure that forced 10 turnovers.

The Warriors held a brief lead for just over two minutes, but the Flyers' 9-0 scoring run and their 10 fast-break points proved insurmountable. When the dust settled on Lou Henson Court, the Flyers had grounded the Warriors, proving once again that in the postseason, the team that controls the glass usually controls the game.

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