MASCOUTAH — The Marion Wildcats went toe to toe with one of the heavyweights in 3A, eventually falling to East St. Louis 65-53 in the championship game of the Mascoutah Regional.
The game was tied 15-15 after one quarter, before the Flyer opened the second with a 12-0 run on the way to a 31-20 lead at the half. That lead remained 11 after three quarters (51-40), but the Wildcats made things interesting late.
After cutting the deficit to five with thee minutes to play, Marion was unable to convert any of three shots during a possession which would’ve made it a one-possession game. East St. Louis then stretched the lead back to double figures, eventually winning by 12.
The Wildcats were led by Cam Curry’s 20 points. Makhi House followed up Wednesday’s career high 40 in the semifinal win over Mascoutah with 18 against the Flyers. Phillip Jones lead East St. Louis with 20. Jamison White added 18.
The Flyers improve to 28-4 and advance to the Waterloo Sectional where they will face Jacksonville Wednesday. The Wildcats’ season ends at 18-12.
