When Davion Thompson hit the floor hard and didn’t get up right away, the high-school basketball aficionados spending their New Year’s Eve day in Elmhurst collectively winced.
The Bolingbrook guard is one of the state’s few elite talents. He’s a key member of the sophomore class expected to bring Illinois basketball back to national prominence.
Thompson walked off the court holding his arm but checked back in quickly and helped the No. 5 Raiders to a 54-48 win against No. 15 Fenwick in the championship game of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic on Tuesday.
“This feels great because last year we fell short [losing in the title game to Metamora],” Thompson said. “[Fenwick] is a physical team and it is tough playing against them.”
Thompson scored 17 points. JT Pettigrew led Bolingbrook (14-2) with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
“We came out slow and they were being very aggressive,” Pettigrew said. “It was tough to get it inside and tough to get shots up, but we overcame it. This feels great because we lost it last year.”
Fenwick’s trademark this season is physical, unrelenting defense led by Nate Marshall, a defensive end signed with Michigan. The Friars held Bolingbrook to just one field goal for a 13:41 stretch.
The Raiders trailed 30-20 at halftime but turned it around in the last two minutes of the third quarter, closing on a 7-0 run to take a 38-34 lead.
“They are a very talented team,” Marshall said. “We were a little stumped in the third quarter. Our defense was there, but we have to be able to score.”
Fenwick (13-3) cut Bolingbrook’s lead to 50-48 on a basket from Jake Thies with 26 seconds left, but the Raiders made four of four free throws to seal the win.
“A similar thing happened a couple of games ago where we were standing around and watching and not sharing,” Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost said. “On the flip side, when we play correctly we can put points up in a hurry. You saw both sides of it today.”
Dominick Ducree led the Friars with 18 points. Marshall and Ty Macariola each scored nine points. Fenwick wasn’t ranked in the preseason, but has established itself as a state-title contender in Class 3A.
“We weren’t getting the respect we deserved as a team,” Marshall said. “I hope this week we showed we can play anybody.”
Thompson’s hype and accolades are well-deserved, but this is the first title he has won at Bolingbrook. His good friend Jaxson Davis, another of the state’s highly regarded sophomores, already has won two Proviso West Holiday Tournament titles. Davis was in the gym watching Tuesday.
“Jaxson has been over there killing it [at Proviso West],” Thompson said. “I’m proud of him.”
Bolingbrook last won the Jack Tosh title in 2019.
“There is so much expectation on our team outside of our locker room,” Brost said. “We understand the big picture and how it all works. The people outside don’t really understand how it works. I’m just happy for our guys. They toughed it out. Fenwick is really good and really well-coached and they play as hard as any team we’ve played.”