Terrence Hargrove leads East St. Louis into 3A title game

PEORIA—East St. Louis star Terrence Hargrove has the longest sideburns seen on a high school basketball court since the 1970s and a skillset nearly as outlandish.

The 6-7 senior was dominant in the Flyers’ 57-48 win against Peoria Manual in the Class 3A state semifinals on Friday at Carver Arena.

Hargrove finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. He played all 32 minutes and then delivered a message to Bogan, East St. Louis’ opponent in Saturday’s state championship game.

“We are going to get the state title tomorrow,” Hargrove said. “At all costs.”

Hargrove has been one of the state’s best players over the past three seasons, but this was his first time in the spotlight and his school’s first state appearance since 2000. The Flyers have had an impressive season, beating highly-regarded St. Louis Vashon and losing to Curie in overtime.

“We knew we were going to be good,” Hargrove said. “We kept working all summer and during the season, we didn’t stop. We proved everybody wrong who doubted us, all of our haters. That fuels our fire.”

PHOTO GALLERY

East St. Louis’ Terrance Hargrove (34) boxes out Peoria Manual’s Storm Hangen (25), Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

1 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Rolando Brown (14) leaps up for rebound versus East St. Louis, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

2 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Myriece Byrd (10) tries to cut off the lane from East St. Louis’ Jashawn Anderson (1), Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

3 of 12

East St. Louis’ Elijah Rice (3) picks up a loose ball agent Peoria Manual, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

4 of 12

East St. Louis’ Cornellious LeFlore (10) saves a ball from going out of bounds against Peoria Manual, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

5 of 12

East St. Louis’ Terrance Hargrove (34) leaps to tip the ball in for two points against Peoria Manual, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

6 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Rolando Brown drives straight to the basket versus East St. Louis, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

7 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Marshawn Tolliver (33) tries to make a shot on East St. Louis’ Jashawn Anderson (1) Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

8 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Rolando Brown (14) puts up a shot, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

9 of 12

Peoria Manual’s Storm Hangen (25) watches his teammate shoot a free-throw against East St. Louis, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

10 of 12

East St. Louis’ Richard Robinson (2) hauls in a rebound against Peoria Manual, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

11 of 12

East St. Louis’ Terrance Hargrove (34) gets grabbed while going to the basket against Peoria Manual, Friday 03-15-19. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

12 of 12

Jashawn Anderson added 14 points for East St. Louis (29-6) and Richard Robinson and Traeveion Jones each scored eight points.

“We just kept fighting, we didn’t give up,” Hargrove said. “We knew this game would be tough. We knew what was expected. A couple of my guys fouled out, but I didn’t let that get to me.”

Manual (19-12) was a surprise guest in its hometown’s tournament. The Rams’ playoff surge was led by junior Rolando “Pee Wee” Brown. He scored 24 and grabbed 10 rebounds Friday.

“We ended up going to a half-court press, and threw them off-balance a little bit,” East St. Louis coach Mark Chambers said. “We wanted to make every shot that they got a tough shot, and we were pretty much able to accomplish that.”

Manual lost the game at the free-throw line, shooting just 15-of-33.

“That’s a lot of [missed] free throws,” Rams coach Willie Coleman said. “We hit nine or ten of them and we win the ballgame.”

East St. Louis may be perceived as an underdog against Bogan by most Chicago-area fans. But any team that won the rugged Southwestern Conference should not be discounted.

“We made history today,” Jones said. “We’ve been talking about this for the longest time and now we are here. We have one more game.”