Morton junior power forward Chas Ontiveros is part of a deep but talented rotation, some 12 deep, that has the Mustangs on track for their first winning season in four years. That, IC Catholic's crazy ending in five-overtime ending and Benet on a roll in boys basketball notes.

Bud Shanahan drained two 3-pointers during a 16-2 run in the second quarter, and Crystal Lake Central went on to beat visiting Woodstock 66-50 Monday night in a nonconference boys basketball game between 10-3 teams.

Beecher doubled up Grace Christian and then some, Grant Park dropped Illinois Lutheran by more than 70 points, Gardner-South Wilmington bested Momence and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Woodstock faces Crystal Lake Central in a nonconference boys basketball game on Monday Jan. 5, 2026, at Crystal Lake Central School.

A look at the top basketball performers in the NewsTribune area for the holiday tournaments.

During the holiday tournaments at Seneca and Plano, many Times-area boys basketball players put together tremendous efforts. A look at their accomplishments and what their coaches had to say about them in Brian Hoxsey's boys basketball notebook.

We take a look back at some of the biggest things from this weekend you may have missed, including Indian Creek's surge since a heartbreaking loss; Michael Olson's 100th win and more

OJ Powell scored 25 points and became Willowbrook's career scoring leader, passing Everett Stubblefield III, in the Warriors' win over Wheeling, Downers Grove North also won at the WSC/MSL Showdown and Nazareth girls basketball rolled to a win in Wisconsin in Saturday's roundup.

EJ Hazelett and Lincoln Williams both eclipsed the 20-point mark in a runaway win for Kankakee in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Josh Abushanab scored 17 points, including a game-winning layup with time expiring, as Glenbard West defeated Schaumburg 43-41 as part of the Mid-Suburban League vs. West Suburban Conference Challenge in Glen Ellyn on Saturday afternoon.

Rochelle beat Sterling 70-57 after the Golden Warriors' run made it a one-point game. Van Gerber scored a game-high 24 points to help the Hubs respond.

After rolling his ankle in the first half, Luke Gouty returned and helped Lincoln-Way West hold off Plainfield Central, 58-51.

Indian Creek kept passing the ball until it found the open shot at Genoa-Kingston on Friday, and the Timberwolves found plenty of them during a 61-44 win over the Cogs.

The boys basketball teams for Iroquois West and Milford each dropped a Vermilion Valley Conference game to open the 2026 portion of the schedule in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Indian Creek boys basketball team traveled to Genoa Friday to take on the Cogs of Genoa-Kingston High School.

Cary-Grove basketball twins Adam and Brady Bauer have been joined by their younger brother Evan this season. The Bauer trio has helped the Trojans put together an 11-2 record, including 4-0 in the Fox Valley Conference. Plus, more in the Northwest Herald boys basketball notebook.

After being denied in three previous trips to the Pontiac Holiday Tournament's title game, Benet finally got their elusive crown on Wednesday night with a 52-43 win over DePaul Prep.

Jacob Marynowski poured in 29 points to lead Glenbard East past Perspectives in the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic third-place game, York won the Tosh consolation championship and OJ Powell's 20 points and 10 rebounds powered Willowbrook to the title at the ICCP/Westmont tournament.

Plainfield East's KJ Miller and Alijah Little led the Bengals to a 2-2 record at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic

From wrestling and football state championships to a 31-game winning streak and first sectional title in 43 years on the basketball court and heroics at state swimming, here are the top sports stories of 2025 in the Kane County Chronicle coverage area.

Led by the defense of Jalen Carter and Jeffrey Hassan, Kaneland forced Yorkville Christian to miss its first 13 shots and scored the game's first 14 points, and rode that devastating start to a 78-47 win in the 62nd Plano Classic final for the Knights' third straight title.

Mendota’s Oliver Munoz scored the Trojans' final six points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:30 remaining, to capture fifth place with a 46-45 win over Ottawa in the Plano Christmas Classic on Tuesday.

Bryan Miller finished with 13 points and five assists while Aaron Ziga had a game-high 20 points as DeKalb held off United Township to take third at the Chuck Dayton Classic on Tuesday.

A six-minute scoring drought led to a loss for Lockport in the quarterfinals of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Tuesday night.

Coal City's boys wrestling team dominated its way to a first-place finish at Abe's Rumble in Springfield, a pair of local girls wrestlers finished second at the Ottawa Holiday Hootenanny and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Glenbard East senior Danny Snyder is doing a good job of turning heads at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic. On Tuesday, Snyder showed his growth as a ball handler, but the Rams came up short in a 62-52 loss to St. Ignatius in the semifinals.

Joliet Catholic hung tough with Quincy Notre Dame much of the State Farm Holiday Classic Small Schools title match, but had to settle for the runner-up trophy.

High percentage shot selection paid dividends for Benet in the second half of its 61-38 win over Peoria Manual at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

When pushed, DePaul Prep showed exactly what it can do by putting together quick bursts of scoring at the end of the first half and in the third quarter to turn a close game into a runaway at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

Newark senior center Cody Kulbartz's block in the final seconds helped secure the Norsemen's 59-58 victory over Streator in the 15th-place game of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic on Tuesday morning.

The Kankakee Holiday Tournament celebrated its 75th anniversary with a 75-player All-Tournament Team.

Jacobs' Hinkle Holiday Classic used a 35-second shot clock this year for the first time in the tournament's long history, and it made an impact. The shot clock will be mandatory next season for IHSA teams.

Jayden Riley scored 26 points and made a handful of key plays over a minute's time late in the fourth quarter, as Yorkville Christian turned away a tough challenge from Plano for a 69-59 win in the semifinals of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

Newman faces off against Riverdale Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, for the title at the Cliff Warkins Memorial boys basketball tournament at Erie High School. Newman took the win 79-73.

Despite keeping Hononegah in check most of the game and never trailing in regulation, DeKalb allowed Jameson Gilbertson to bank home a 3 to force overtime and the Indians won in overtime, 56-52, in the semifinals of the 98th annual Chuck Dayton Classic.

The top-seeded Kaneland boys basketball team used a game-changing 14-0 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters in a 67-50 victory over No. 4-seeded La Salle-Peru in Monday's semifinals of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

Trinitee Thompson scored 23 points to lead Bishop McNamara to a 54-40 win at the State Farm Classic, snapping a six-game losing streak for the Fightin' Irish, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Despite 13-point efforts from Joe Reid and Evan Blankenship, Batavia couldn't keep stride with St. Patrick in the quarterfinals of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic on Monday.

Lockport found its groove in the middle quarters allowing it to collect a 65-44 win over the host school at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Monday.

A stifling defense set the tone for Benet as it breezed into the Pontiac Holiday Tournament's quarterfinal round with a 64-28 win over Plainfield North on Monday.

Despite two starters fouling out, Glenbard East got double-digit scoring from four different players to topple Palatine in the quarterfinals of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic on Monday.

The DeKalb defense helped the Barbs stay in the game despite a cold-shooting first-half against Galesburg. The Barbs picked up the win and reached the semifinals of the Chuck Dayton Classic as they seek their third straight title.

Most teams don't relish playing the early-morning opening-round game at their respective tournament. Joliet West boys basketball, however, decided to embrace that challenge in a win over Oak Park-River Forest on Monday.

The Kankakee Kays secured the maroon bracket title in a 54-50 victory over Lincoln-Way Central at the 75th Kankakee Holiday Tournament championships on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, as Manteno fell 65-52 to Christ the King in the blue bracket final.

In a back-and-forth battle that also saw Lincoln Williams set the Kankakee career scoring record, Cedric Terrell III's go-ahead 3-pointer and free throws at the end closed out a Kays win over Lincoln-Way Central in the Kankakee Holiday Tournament maroon championship.

Manteno had its hopes of a Kankakee Holiday Tournament blue division three-peat dashed with a 65-52 loss to Christ the King in Sunday's championship game.

Joe Reid scored 23 points and Evan Blankenship 15 as Batavia rolled past Riverside-Brookfield to advance to the quarterfinals of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, and Audrey LaFleur's career-high 25 points led Burlington Central to a win at the Dixon Holiday Tournament.

Michael Nee scored 21 points to lead Glenbard East blowout win as the Rams rolled into the Jack Tosh quarterfinals, Josh Abushanab scored 28 in Glenbard West's overtime loss and IC Catholic had a game suspended after four overtimes. That and more in Saturday's roundup.

Plano sophomore Jayden Zepeda scored 22 points off the bench, sending the Reapers past Sandwich 54-42 and into the semifinals of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

Mason Lockett made the kind of winning play Saturday that star players make. Jacque Lewis, though, had the last shot. Morgan Park's senior guard hit a three just before time expired as the Mustangs knocked off the Wolves 57-56 in the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic quarterfinal.