By Claude Martinez.
Country Club Hills — The 3A Hillcrest sectional semifinal between the Hillcrest Hawks and the Thornton Wildcats was a standing-room-only event.
On March 3, both teams battled through a tightly contested three quarters.
The Wildcats began to wear down late in the third, allowing Hillcrest senior guard Jamir Ratliff to knock down a three-pointer at the buzzer to extend the Hawks’ lead to four heading into the final 8 minutes.
From there, Hillcrest mounted a strong offensive surge, pulling away for a 62–49 victory.
Dakari Nesbitt led Thornton with 17 points in the loss.
On the other end, Ratliff delivered a career-high 33 points and was named the WCCN Player of the Game.
He spoke about hitting this milestone, teammates who stood out, and the leadership role he has embraced this season.
To hear from Ratliff watch the news package on YouTube (linked below), Facebook or Instagram @ Will Cook County News.
A special thank you to Hillcrest High School’s athletic director, Dr. Maurice Young.
For more news follow WCCN on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube @ Will Cook County News or on X @Will Cook News.
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