Richwoods Sinks Two Free Throws With 12 Seconds Left, Takes Sectional Final Over Edwardsville 59-58

Amarion Smith-Holley sinks clutch free throws to clinch Elite Eight spot in thrilling Class 4A Rock Island sectional game.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

Mar 9, 2026 7:42 AM Mar 9, 2026 2:52 PM

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ROCK ISLAND - Amarion Smith-Holley hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Edwardsville couldn't sink a final shot as Peoria Richwoods defeated the Tigers 59-58 on Friday night and advanced to the Elite Eight in the IHSA Class 4A Rock Island sectional final at the Rock Island gym.

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The Knights advance to the super-sectional state quarterfinal game on Monday night at CEFCU Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, ending the Tigers' season at 24-8.

Although Edwardsville were eliminated by the Knights, there's still much to be proud of in the season, and Tigers' head coach Dustin Battas expressed how proud he was of the team.

"I'm really proud of this team and what we were able to accomplish," Battas said. "Losing by one is always hard to deal with, because you always think of a ball bouncing here or there that you wish you could do over. We really gave ourselves a good chance to win, a missed a good shot at the end that would have won it. These guys have nothing to hang their heads about.

"Finishing in the final 16 in Class 4A in Illinois is a great accomplishment, as is finishing in sole possession of runner-up in the Southwestern Conference. These guys squeezed every ounce out of their ability, and they did it together as a team. They proved that if you work hard, and you care about each other, you can win and beat anybody. Tonight, we just came up one basket short, but that doesn't take away from how great it was to coach these guys, and what they have meant to our school."

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The Tigers will lose seven talented seniors to graduation this spring, and Battas saluted them greatly for their accomplishments on the floor.

"These seniors have won a lot of games in the last three years," Battas said, "and they did an amazing job of uplifting the younger guys, and creating a culture that values character and admiration for each other. Every man in our program had a role in our success, and that's what I will remember the most."

One of the graduating seniors, Devyon Hill-Lomax, led the way for the Tigers in the opening period, scoring seven points, with Richwoods leading after the quarter 14-12. In the second quarter, Miccah Butler sank three threes, and it played a big part of helping Edwardsville go into the locker room leading 32-28. Freshman Matthew Wilson came alive in the third quarter, sinking a three and scoring five points, while Rowan Weller hit for eight points, and Hill-Lomax added six points to help give the Tigers a 49-38 lead at three-quarter time. In the fourth quarter, Richwoods rallied behind six points by Smith-Holley, and the Knights went six-for nine at the free throw line, including the two winners by Smith Holley, to give the Knights the 59-58 win after the Tigers missed a last-second shot.

Hill-Lomax led the Tigers with 18 points, while both Butler and Wilson scored 14 points each, Weller had 10 points, and Sire Borden scored two points.

Edwardsville ends its season at 24-8, while Richwoods goes to 26-7, and will be playing against Chicago Marist Catholic, who won the Joliet West sectional over Homewood-Flossmoor 76-64, in the ISU Elite Eight game Monday at 7 p.m. The winner goes to the state finals next Friday and Saturday at State Farm Center, on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.