Trimble, Pence lead St. Joseph-Ogden to state 2A title

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PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — St. Joseph-Ogden got 20 points out of its superstar Brandon Trimble and 14 more out of second-leading scorer Jake Pence on Saturday night in a 61-43 rout of Taylor Ridge-Rockridge in the IHSA Class 2A state championships.

Trimble averaged nearly 27 points per game on the season and scored 44 in the Spartans' semifinal win on Friday but he scuffled early to get points in the final. The team's balanced scoring carried them. Garrett Grimsley scored nine first-half points and Pence added eight to Trimble's seven.

"Garrett was big for us, huge actually," Trimble said. "They did a good job on me, defended me really well. Garrett made them guard another person, that was big for Jake and myself."

Grimsley, who hit three 3-pointers, said that's just his job.

"I did what I am supposed to do. I came in and hit that first 3 and then it's game on," Grimsley said. "I couldn't wait to get the ball again. I hit another and now I want to shoot it every time I touch it. It was fun."

Coach Brian Brooks echoed both Trimble and Grimsby.

"It's awfully hard for a kid to go out and get 40 points on consecutive nights," he said. "We knew other kids would have to step up and they did."

Grimsley finished with nine points and Aaron Schluter also had nine for the Spartans (24-9).

Rockridge turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, contributing to a nine-point deficit.

"I thought we played really well defensively but we put ourselves in a hole with the turnovers," coach Toby Whiteman said. "Then they had kids step up and knockdown shots for them. Hats off to them."

Gentry Whiteman led the Rockets (28-5) with 19 points and T.J. Martens added 11. Whiteman, though, was bothered in the final five minutes after twisting an ankle and Carson Frakes, who hit a 50-foot, buzzer-beating prayer to lead the Rockets past Hales Franciscan in the semifinal, scored just eight before fouling out late in the game.

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