Park Tudor has been heavy favorites in sectionals past – that wasn't the case on Saturday night as the Panthers took on Danville. On paper, it looked like Danville would give Park Tudor a tough challenge for the sectional title.
That didn't turn out to be the case. Freshman guard Isiah Moore was a major reason for that. Behind the first quarter shooting of Moore, Park Tudor jumped out to a 16-0 lead. Moore was able to connect on four three-pointers in the first period. It looked like Moore's shooting put Danville in a state of shock.
“I gained confidence from my teammates,” said 2019 guard Isiah Moore. “They told me to keep shooting the ball and I kept shooting.”
Moore did exactly that. He finished with 20 points to lead all scorers in the game. Moore hit six three-pointers in the game.
It wasn't a one-man show for Park Tudor. Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. started things off for Park Tudor with a three-pointer. He also had a thunderous, baseline dunk in the first period. He was slowed when he picked up his second foul late in the first quarter.
With a big lead, Park Tudor coach Jim Melton decided to play it safe and keep Jackson on the bench for the second quarter. Without Jackson patrolling the paint, Danville was able to crash the offensive boards. It let to multiple shot possessions for the Warriors, and it helped get them moving in the right direction.
Even though Jackson was on the bench and Danville was playing better, Park Tudor still held a 14 point lead at halftime. The Panthers were ahead by 19 after one period. Park Tudor used a balanced attack of Moore, Isaiah Rice and Kobe Webster in the period.
It looked like Danville might have had a chance when Jackson picked up his third foul early in the third quarter. This time, Coach Melton kept Jackson in the game. It paid off as Jackson didn't pick up his fourth, and Danville never made a serious run in the second half. Park Tudor led by double digits the rest of the way.
Park Tudor beat Danville 65-41. Park Tudor has now won six sectionals in seven years. It looks like moving up to 3A has not slowed them down.
Moore led PT with 20 points. Isaiah Rice added 17. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 12 points and Kobe Webster had 10.
Danville was led by Jake Elliott and Jake Davis with nine points each. Alec Burton had seven and Ryan Cloncs had six.
Park Tudor will play Brebeuf in the first game of Regionals next Saturday.