The Pekin boys basketball team put on a dominant performance on both ends of the floor Monday night, February 16th, routing Seymour 79-43 in the first round of the Class 1A Region 5 Substate Tournament.
Pekin controlled the game from start to finish, jumping out to a 21-8 lead after the first quarter and never looking back. The Panthers’ dominant offense and defense carried them to a 41-13 halftime advantage before extending the lead to 56-30 after three quarters.
Pekin Individual Statistics
Cole Millikin led the way with 25 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Nolan Glick was highly efficient, shooting 9-of-13 from the field for 21 points while adding four rebounds and three steals.
Carson Comstock stepped into the starting lineup with Riley Smith sidelined due to illness and delivered a solid performance with eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Henry Adam controlled the floor with seven points, three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, while Alijah Brock contributed six points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Off the bench, Henry Eubanks added productive minutes with six points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Cal Miller chipped in two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal. Brogan Spray and Jaxon Mefford each scored two points, with Mefford adding one rebound and one steal. Mason Dahlstrom contributed two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Clayton Harvey grabbed two rebounds.
Pekin Team Statistics
Pekin shot 35-of-68 from the field, 6-of-27 from three-point range, and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. The Panthers grabbed 34 rebounds, dished out 22 assists, recorded 17 steals, and two blocks while committing 10 fouls and 10 turnovers.
Coach’s Comments
Pekin head coach John Swanson praised his team’s performance and looked ahead to the next challenge.
“Great performances by Cole Millikin and Nolan Glick. Were able to get out in transition early and often to get easy buckets. Great team win,” Swanson said. “Looking forward to the Thursday matchup with HTC.”
Looking Ahead
With the victory, Pekin improves to 19-4 on the season, matching their best win total since the 2019-20 season when the Panthers also won 19 games. Seymour finishes their season at 9-11.
The Panthers will now host Holy Trinity Catholic (15-7) in an interdivisional district semifinal matchup on Thursday, February 19th at 7 p.m.
Edited with more information.
