{
"$type": "site.standard.document",
"bskyPostRef": {
"cid": "bafyreiazuwuoeas3syep6p63uvgxbksuh3uyqjeolxtktnse4a3wchgchm",
"uri": "at://did:plc:ha7wpngv4f2qwrk5hta4ktbb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgvfxmiffi62"
},
"coverImage": {
"$type": "blob",
"ref": {
"$link": "bafkreierniwqim63pzvwjijdpjmywmae2yeqlfu3isx36qgn2or2sdbx3q"
},
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"size": 182390
},
"path": "/high-school-basketball/2026/03/12/goreville-basketball-lawrenceville-ihsa-state-finals",
"publishedAt": "2026-03-12T20:29:56.595Z",
"site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
"textContent": "<p>CHAMPAIGN—Goreville can shoot. The Blackcats arrived at the state finals as one of the most prolific three-point threats in state history. They made 326 threes this season, good enough for a top 20 spot on the all-time list.</p><p>But many great shooting high school teams have found State Farm Center a difficult place adjust to, especially in the first half of the first game. And especially if you are used to playing in small Class 1A gyms.</p><p>“Man, it is a whole lot different playing in this big of a place,” Goreville senior Garrett Church said. “There is no backdrop, so you really have to focus on the rim and not what is behind it. Once I got into the flow of the game it definitely helped me.”</p><p>Church made eight threes in the Blackcats’ supersectional win, and he hit three in the 55-47 win against Lawrenceville in the Class 1A semifinals on <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-basketball/scores/2026/03/09/ihsa-boys-basketball-state-finals-scores-illinois\" >Thursday</a>. The Blackcats were 6-for-14 from three-point range.</p><p>Goreville (35-4) will face <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-basketball/2026/03/12/marshall-basketball-chicago-ihsa-state-hoop-dreams\" >Marshall</a> in the championship game on Saturday. </p><p>“Our confidence is through the roof,” Blackcats junior Nick King said. “We all trust each other, off the court as well. We trust each other with all our hearts.”</p><p>King led Goreville with 20 points and five rebounds. Church scored nine and Tommy King and Braden Compton each added eight points.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-010000\" name=\"image-010000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6ea51fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b7946e2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d52af2e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Goreville players celebrate as the Blackcats take a first half lead against Lawrenceville.\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d52af2e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa56227/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d52af2e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1122+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2F9a%2Fdafe1b9d4b6293d04a2175b7bf13%2Fob-cst-031326-7001.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>Goreville players celebrate as the Blackcats take a first half lead against Lawrenceville.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>“This team is so athletic,” Blackcats coach Todd Tripp said. “And the guys that aren’t as quick, like [Garrett Church], are really smart. When you mix the quickness, the smarts, the guts and the heart it all comes together.”</p><p>Goreville held Lawrenceville (34-3) to just five points in the third quarter and led 36-24 heading into the fourth.</p><p>“They play really good man-to-man defense, and they make you feel uncomfortable with how hard they play and how they get up in you,” Lawrenceville coach Tad Shick said.</p><p>Jayden Goff led Lawrenceville with 16 points and six rebounds and Noah Wilson scored 11.</p><p>“We were a little rattled at the beginning,” Shick said. “That’s expected coming up here for the first time. I really liked how we played late in the fourth quarter. We showed a lot of heart. The game was out of hand but these guys didn’t quit playing.”</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"HtmlModule\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"html-embed-module-750000\" name=\"html-embed-module-750000\"></a><iframe title=\"No Shot Clock, Ep. 205: Previewing the 2026 IHSA state finals\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=my6cv-1a6a650-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a\" loading=\"lazy\"></iframe> </div> </div><p></p>",
"title": "Sweet-shooting Goreville knocks off Lawrenceville in 1A semis",
"updatedAt": "2026-03-12T20:38:05.171Z"
}