Led by Isaiah Weibel’s late heroics, Streator scores Saturday OT win over Washington

Bulldogs score all 9 overtime points from the free-throw line

Isaiah Weibel (5) takes the Pops Dale Gymnasium floor during pregame introductions Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 in Streator.

STREATOR – Streator senior Isaiah Weibel started his Saturday by announcing his verbal commitment to play football at Benedictine University. Then he joined his teammates on the Bulldogs basketball team for a complimentary meal at perhaps his hometown’s most anticipated morning meal, the 64th annual St. Paul’s Pancake and Sausage Breakfast.

Weibel then spent his afternoon at Pops Dale Gymnasium helping lead Streator to a 57-53 overtime, resume-building victory over Washington, sinking 7 of 10 free throws in the overtime period to ice the win.

Have a day, Zay.

“Playing a team like Washington with all the shooters and [6-4 center James] Johnson, teams like that, we’ve got to keep it out of their hands,” Weibel said. “We needed to drive, get opportunities at the line and then knock down those free throws.

“This win was huge. After [a mid-December loss to] East Peoria, we knew we needed to beat a Mid-Illini team for our [postseason] seed.”

Streator senior Isaiah Weibel

Weibel’s seven overtime free throws accounted for all but two of the Bulldogs' nine OT points – the other two also at the charity stripe, scored by senior Blaize Bressner to open the four-minute extra period. Streator (19-4) led most of the way and never trailed after the Panthers (8-14) held a brief two-point advantage for less than a minute of the third quarter.

“The biggest thing we circled on the board was 32, and it ended up having to be 36 minutes,” Bulldogs coach and Washington alum Beau Doty said. “We’ve got so much respect for their program, and their record doesn’t indicate what kind of team they are. They play one of the toughest schedules in the state and execute at a high level. This is a big win for us. This had a regional feel to it.”

Weibel finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three steals. Matt Williamson and Nolan Lukach led Streator with 16 points apiece, Lukach clinching yet another double-double by pulling down his 10th rebound in the closing seconds of overtime to put the game away.

Bressner had seven points, Jake Hagie four and Tristan Finley with great defense holding Washington’s Andre Lewis to five points also were key in Streator’s win.

Johnson scored a game-high 27 points for Washington, including a 3 with just under five seconds remaining in regulation to send it to OT. Washington shot 38.0% to Streator’s 38.5% from the field, but was 8 of 10 from the free-throw line to the Bulldogs' 21 of 36.

“Weibel just kind of willed himself to the line,” Doty said. “Senior, three-year varsity player, two-year starter just kind of taking the game by the horns there both defensively and at the line.”

Streator’s largest lead came early, an 11-4 advantage built by buckets from Bressner, Weibel, Lukach and Nolan Ketcham. The Panthers climbed back quickly and stayed with a Streator team on the brink of 20 wins for the remainder until Washington’s 1-for-6 shooting in overtime and the Bulldogs' ability to get to the free-throw line in the closing minutes sealed the deal.

“Our record right now doesn’t reflect us,” Washington coach Eric Schermerhorn said. “We’re trending upwards, believe it or not. Last night we lost in overtime too [to Mid-Illini Conference rival Limestone], and tonight we closed out this game in regulation, executed, hit a gigantic shot.

“I told the boys: I don’t think we’re close anymore. I think we’re there. Now we have to get that taste of what it feels like [to close out a close win]. Almost tonight. All credit goes to Streator.”

Streator visits Peotone on Tuesday and Manteno on Friday as it looks to hone in on the Illinois Central Eight Conference championship.

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