It’s the final day of the longest running mid-winter tournament in Illinois, the 71st Salem Invitational Tournament. The championship is set after last night’s semifinals. First, the Mount Vernon Rams won their Battle of the South 7, knocking off Carbondale 50-40. Navontae Nesbit led the Rams with 15, Rolen Adams hit 4 three pointers for his 12 and Collin McClure added 11 making a trio of three’s himself. Decarl Payne led Carbondale with 19 points, Jaden Patterson added 11. The win was Mount Vernon’s 2000th in program history.
The Rams will get top-seed and defending champ East St Louis after holding off TF North 51-40. The Meteors actually held a brief 4th quarter lead after trailing by 16 points at the halftime break. Macaleab Rich left the game for the Flyers late in the first half and did not return. He finished with 13. Antwan Robinson led the Flyers with 16, D’Necco Rucker added 15. Jevon Warren led TF North with 25, Chase Abraham had 15 off the bench and Jayden Small finished with 14 before fouling out.
So the day begins today with the consolation semifinals at 11 it’s Champaign Central and Madison followed at 12:30 with Salem and Effingham. Then the trophy games start at 3:30 with the 7th place game, consolation finals at 5, at 6:30 it’s Carbondale and TF North for 3rd and then the 71st SIT championship tonight at 8pm with East St Louis and Mount Vernon in a rematch of last year’s title game won by the Flyers.
