CHAMPAIGN — While it wasn’t the storybook ending that Byron was hoping for, the Tigers are returning home from Champaign with a state trophy in boys basketball for the first time ever.
Looking to rebound from a 50-42 loss against Benton in the IHSA 2A State Semifinals on Thursday evening, Byron returned to the State Farm Center court later that night for the third-place game against the Williamsville Bullets, who fell to Chicago Phillips in the semifinals. Behind an explosive first-quarter shooting effort from sophomore Cason Newton, who drilled four 3-pointers to start the game, Byron secured the third-place trophy with a 62-48 win.
The victory concludes a tremendous 2023-24 season for the Tigers (31-3, 8-1 Big Northern), who won the Big Northern Conference before taking home the IHSA 2A Genoa-Kingston Regional and IHSA 2A Mendota Sectional titles. Byron also claimed the IHSA 2A Sterling Super Sectional crown, marking the program’s first super sectional victory in school history. The 31 victories are the most in a single season for the Tigers, whose history spans over a century.
“We knew this was the last time we’d be able to play with our friends,” Newton said. “I love all of the seniors and I’ve had so much fun with them throughout the season. We came out and had fun in our last game and I’m glad we did that… I just went out there and played with confidence. I was frustrated after our first game and we knew we had to come out with more energy.”
Newton’s 3-point barrage in the opening quarter sparked the offense for the Tigers, who only made one triple in their loss to the Rangers in the semifinals. Byron held an 18-14 lead over Williamsville (26-11, 5-4 Sangamo) entering the second quarter, where the Tigers held steady and overcame a strong effort from Bullet guard Brayden Saling, who scored 22 total points.
“I’ve learned a lot this season, both as a person and as a basketball player,” Newton said. “These seniors mean a lot to me and I’ve never had better friends in my entire life. I’ve learned so much from them and I’m excited for the future. I’m glad that I was a part of this season because there aren’t many teams that get to experience this. Doing this as a sophomore was very exciting and I still have two more years, so I’m excited to see what happens in those two years.”
Byron took a 31-25 halftime lead into the third quarter, where senior guard Ryan Tucker had the hot hand from beyond the arc, knocking down a flurry of 3-pointers. The IHSA 2A All-State First Team honoree canned six 3-pointers in the game, finishing with a team-high 24 points against the Bullets. On the defensive end, Byron held Saling in check and limited Williamsville to just seven third-quarter points, allowing the Tigers to balloon their lead to 49-32 after three quarters.
“I felt like we just wanted to come out and have fun,” Tucker said. “This was the last time I was going to play with these guys and I’ve played with them since I moved to Byron in sixth grade. Having that in the back of my mind gave us the extra edge. We just went out there and had fun.”
Tucker’s final statline included five assists and four rebounds for the Tigers, who led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter until both teams unloaded their benches over the final minutes. Newton finished with 17 points and four rebounds, while senior forward Jack Hiveley added seven points and five rebounds in the win.
Sophomore forward Caden Considine chipped in seven points off the bench. Byron will lose seven seniors from its third-place winning roster including four starters in Tucker and Hiveley as well as Carson Buser and Braylon Kilduff.
“We got a taste of the state tournament and I hope that sticks with the guys who’re coming back,” Tucker said. “My advice for them is to stay in the gym and I know that guys like Cason [Newton] and Caden [Considine] will hold it down and win some games next year. This was a memorable season and this journey was something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
