The Pekin boys basketball team pulled off a dramatic 46-44 victory over Winfield-Mt. Union on Tuesday, February 10th, ending their regular season with a thrilling buzzer-beater that avenged an earlier loss and secured a share of second place in the conference.
Strong Start, Tense Finish
Pekin dominated early, building a 13-4 lead after the first quarter with stellar defense that held Winfield to just two field goals—at the 5:02 and 3:06 marks—creating nearly six minutes of scoreless basketball for the Wolves.
The Panthers maintained a 27-18 halftime advantage, though Winfield closed to within four points at 22-18 before Pekin extended the cushion. Pekin made a strategic adjustment, working to get Brock to the free-throw line to counter the 2-3 zone defense that had troubled them in previous matchups.
By the third quarter, Pekin’s lead had shrunk to 34-28, setting up the thrilling final period.
Back-and-Forth Battle
The game was a nail-biter throughout, especially in the fourth quarter. After Winfield cut the lead to 34-30, Pekin responded with a crucial 5-0 run fueled by an Alijah Brock layup and an Adam three-pointer to extend the lead to 39-30.
The Wolves battled back, closing the gap to just one point at 41-40 with 3:08 remaining. Winfield even took a brief 42-41 lead with 1:34 left before Cole Millikin reclaimed the advantage with a three-pointer, making it 44-42 with 1:04 on the clock. Millikin’s clutch shot came after he missed his initial attempt, but Riley Smith grabbed the offensive rebound and found him open on the wing.
Winfield tied the game at 44-44 with 40 seconds left following a Pekin turnover, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Game-Winning Heroics
With just 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock, Nolan Glick converted a game-winning layup off an inbound play that caught the Wolves completely off guard. Henry Adam delivered the perfect pass from the baseline on the right side of the basket, finding Glick on the left side for the clutch finish.
The dramatic ending came after a controversial sequence. Adam had attempted a final shot with less than a second remaining when Winfield fouled him. Officials initially called it a shooting foul but reversed the decision to a common foul on the floor—only the Wolves’ second team foul of the quarter. The Panthers then executed their inbound play to perfection.
“Great team defensive effort. Got big shots when we needed them. Great execution on the last play of the game on buzzer beater by Nolan Glick with the pass from Henry Adam,” said Pekin head coach John Swanson.
Pekin Stats
Cole Millikin paced the Panthers with 17 points, including 10 in the first half, along with five rebounds and four assists. Alijah Brock was highly efficient with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, adding nine rebounds and four assists. Henry Adam contributed nine points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
Nolan Glick finished with four points, four rebounds, and two assists—though his final basket was worth far more than the stat sheet shows. Cal Miller added three points, two rebounds, and two blocks off the bench.
As a team, Pekin shot 17-of-46 from the field, 4-of-19 from three-point range, and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. The Panthers grabbed 27 rebounds, dished out 13 assists, and blocked four shots while committing nine fouls and 12 turnovers.
Season Implications
The victory was especially sweet as it avenged a 50-45 loss to Winfield-Mt. Union on January 6th. Pekin finished the regular season with an impressive 18-4 overall record and 13-3 in conference play, tying for second place with Winfield behind North division champion Hillcrest Academy. It marks the Panthers’ best season since 2019.
Winfield-Mt. Union drops to 13-7 overall and 13-3 in conference.
Looking Ahead
The Panthers now turn their attention to substate play, hosting Seymour on Monday, February 16th, as they attempt to make a deep playoff run and advance to the state tournament.
