CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Alex Johnson led with 19 points, while Philip Jones came up with 17 points, and Jameson White added 12 points as East St. Louis pulled away in the fourth quarter and defeated Chicago Leo Catholic 59-40 in the second semifinal of the IHSA Class 3A boys basketball finals Friday afternoon at State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.
The Flyers advance to Saturday's state final for the first time since 2018, when they won the state championship at Peoria's Carver Arena.
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East Side and the Lions were tied after the first quarter 12-12, with the Flyers going ahead at halftime, 24-20, then taking a 37-31 lead at three-quarter time. East Side then pulled away in the fourth, outscoring Leo 22-9 in the final quarter to take their 59-40 win and advance to the grand final.
To go along with Johnson's 19 points, Jones' 17 points, and White's 12 points, Emaurion Jackson scored nine points for the Flyers, while Terri'yon Webster completed the game with a breakaway dunk for his only two points of the game.
Brian Kizer led the Lions with 11 points, while Elon Henderson and Jeremiah Echols both had eight points each. Asa Harris scored six points, Brandal Orr hit for three points, and both Karon Shavers and Nate Stephens had two points apiece.
The Flyers are now 32-4, and play Deerfield, who won the first semifinal over Maple Park Kaneland 49-46 in overtime, in the state championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. Leo is now 28-7, while the Warriors are 25-11, and the Knights go to 33-1.
