A season ago, Kankakee saw a 12-point deficit in the sectional semifinals disappear in an eventual heartbreaking, overtime loss.

The Kays were in the opposite position in Wednesday’s IHSA Class 3A Ottawa Sectional semis, trailing East Peoria by 10 points late in the third quarter and by eight to open the fourth.

Determined to not have its season come to an end shy of the Sweet 16 once again, Kankakee (29-1) put together a dominant fourth quarter to win 59-53, outscoring the Raiders (29-5) by a score of 21-7 in the frame.

After his sophomore season came to an end, Kankakee senior Lincoln Williams said he and teammate Cedric Terrell III came to Ottawa to watch Richwoods beat Thornton in the supersectionals.

On that same court Wednesday, they got to celebrate a season-extending win with fans and teammates.

“We saw the way they stormed the court, and I told (Terrell) two years ago, ‘We’ve got to experience that,’ ” Williams said. “We did.”

The Kays took a 20-10 lead into the second quarter thanks in large part to a personal 9-0 run from EJ Hazelett that broke a 9-9 tie.

But the Raiders would not let Kankakee cruise to a win, outscoring the Kays 17-8 in the second to make it a 28-27 Kankakee lead at halftime.

The third quarter was all East Peoria as well, with the Raiders taking advantage of a prolonged Kankakee shooting slump to take a 46-38 lead into the fourth.

A Kenaz Jackson jumper, a Williams 3-pointer and a tough finish from Hazelett to open the fourth had the Kays within one point. Myair Thompson then converted a three-point play to put the Kays up 48-46,

They would not trail again.

“One of the things we talked about in practice this week was that last year’s games could catapult us to something better this year,” head coach Chris Pickett said. “We learned something.

“That’s part of having seniors on your team, guys who are stepping up and not wanting their season to end. We have a bigger goal, and winning this game was one of those steps.”

One of those seniors, Hazelett, is a newer addition to this Kankakee team.

After three years at Franklin Central in Indianapolis, he’s made an excellent first impression in his first postseason in Illinois.

His 9-0 run in the first quarter featured a pair of 3-pointers and an emphatic two-handed dunk through a foul that brought the Kankakee crowd to its feet and set the tone for the Kays, even if they slowed down a bit in the second and third quarters.

“I feel like that was a great team win,” he said. “I was just trying to come out and be the energy guy for the team, to pick up my teammates so they can keep going to. The fourth quarter came, and they picked it up.”

Hazelett finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both leading all players Wednesday, to go with a pair of steals.

Hazelett’s addition to an already-formidable Kankakee team has helped elevate the Kays to the top-ranked Class 3A team in the state, and given them a key reinforcement on their quest for a state title.

“Bringing him in and playing him with (Williams) creates an incredible combination of guys teams have to prepare for,” Pickett said. “It paid off for us (tonight), it’s paid off for us all season and hopefully it continues to pay off for us.”

Williams finished with 16 points, three steals and a pair of blocks. Terrell and Thompson had 10 points apiece, with Terrell adding four assists and Thompson adding two. Jackson had four points and six rebounds.

Kankakee will face Morton Friday looking for its first sectional title since Eastridge and Westview merged backed into one school in 1984. The 2020 team was slated to play in the sectional championship game before COVID-19 ended the season.

Wednesday was the first time in nearly a month Kankakee won by a single-digit margin. After coming out on top of a fiercely competitive game, Williams said he and the Kays are ready to keep rolling.

“Friday, I think we’re going to be good,” he said. “Facing a team like (East Peoria) helped us. On Friday we’re looking to come here and take care of business.”

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Kankakee's EJ Hazelett, left, celebrates with Myair Thompson during the Kays' 56-53 win over East Peoria in the IHSA Class 3A Ottawa Sectional semifinals Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)