Tournament newcomer Peoria Christian came out absolutely firing in this quarterfinal matchup. In the first half alone, the Chargers attempted 19 three-point field goals, making nine. This game appeared to be getting quite early as Peoria Christian led 23-10 after the first quarter and 42-24 at the half. Monmouth-Roseville’s Titans clamped down and slowed the pace of play in the second half and even outscored the Chargers during the combined final two quarters. The #2 seeded Peoria Christian were just too strong as they take the victory by a score of 69-55 over the Titans. The game was relatively clean, with a combined 22 turnovers and each team shooting north of 45% from the floor.
Peoria Christian received a MVP-watch list worthy performance from Malachi Persinger, who finished with 23 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and the game’s only two blocks. Persinger was just one of *four* double-digit scorers on the Chargers, as they received 17 points from Trae Brickner, 12 points from Myles Zimmerman, and 10 points from Josh Walton. Walton put up an impressive double-double by grabbing 14 rebounds, a game-high. Gavin Walder also filled up the stat sheet, by logging five points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The Titans had a pair of double-digit scorers in Nick Huston and Lars Bergren, both scoring 12 points. Calogero Sarcomo had a similar stat-filling performance to PC’s Walder. Sarcomo finished with nine points, a team-high six rebounds, a team-high five assists, and even drew seven fouls. Monmouth-Roseville marched back in the fourth quarter and even scored 11 points in a row, but it was not enough.
The Chargers advance to the semifinals to face an extremely tough Rockridge team. That contest will be Game 21, set to tip-off Saturday at Noon. The Titans of Monmouth-Roseville will continue play in the 5th place bracket. They will face Illini West in Game 19, Saturday morning at 9am in Western Hall.
Box Score
Peoria Christian Info
Monmouth-Roseville Info
Chris Derry
December 27, 2024