Once again, Eastland’s tenacious defense got the job done.

The Cougars made one final defensive stand to beat Tremont 47-45 in Monday’s Class 1A Supersectional at Western Illinois University to advance to state for the second straight year.

The Turks’ final jumper at the buzzer was just short as the Cougars (30-5) advanced to Thursday’s state semifinals at State Farm Center in Champaign. Eastland will face Chicago Marshall around 11:45 a.m.

After Braden Anderson (15 points) hit his second of two free throws to make it a two-point game, Tremont took timeout with 12.6 seconds left. Looking to tie to send it to overtime, the Cougars dug in defensively.

The Turks were only able to get one shot off in the final seconds as Eastland held on.

“Our goal coming into games is to just shut teams down,” Anderson said, “and limit their strengths.”

The Cougars rode their defense back to the Final Four after scoring only seven points in the fourth quarter.

Parker Krogman scored four of his 13 points in the final frame, and Wyatt Carroll scored his 12 in the first half.

“I feel like we have this talk every single game,” Carroll said. “The defense is really just what wins games for us. I just think the hard work we put in at practice really pays off.”

Neither team was separated by more than three points after each quarter. Eastland led 15-5 in the first quarter before Tremont got right back in it with a 9-0 run.

Miller Reynolds led the Turks (25-11) with 15 points, Griffin Meeker had 14 and Andrew Dawson scored eight.

It took all five Cougars locking in to deny Tremont on the final possession.

“The mindset was one stop and we’re in Champaign,” Carroll said. “One stop and we made history. And I guess me and the guys got it done.”

It is Eastland’s fourth trip to state and first in back-to-back years.

Zy Haverland scored six points and had a crucial inside block late in the game.

“I think that’s kind of how our team operates in crunch time,” Haverland said. “We’re gonna make sure we kind of focus in on the defensive end. And yeah, the offense might not always be there, but like our coaches say, defense travels, and we live and die by that.”

Closing the game with defensive plays is something Eastland has come to expect. It took a full 32 minutes of effort to close it out.

“I think it was just hustle and grit,” Haverland said. “If you were tired, you had to ignore it. ... You gotta keep pushing and just try to make it through to the next play.”

“I kind of pride myself on defense, so to keep those points from going in and keeping that lead with under a minute left, that was a big moment for me.”

Despite replacing three starters from last year’s state squad, Eastland still retained plenty of experience from the state runner-up finish.

“It’s everything,” Krogman said. “You get more comfortable, you get less nervous when you’re in an environment like this. It’s kind of familiar.”

With four seniors and a junior starting, the Cougars stay calm in crunch time.

It paid off again on Monday night at Western Hall.

“The environment doesn’t get to us,” Anderson said. “We just play within ourselves in those last couple minutes.”

Eastland coach Tyler Zumdahl said his team stayed tough late, holding Tremont to six points in the fourth quarter after a 16-13 advantage in the third.

“It wasn’t easy tonight, but they just stuck together, continued to trust what we do and trust each other” Zumdahl said, “and found a way to get enough stops down the stretch.”

Tremont had six 3-pointers in the first three quarters before going without a triple in the fourth. Eastland had four 3s in the game.

“They’ve got good shooters, but they’ve got athletic guys that can break you down,” Zumdahl said. “[We] got a little bit tougher on the ball and found a way to get some rebounds and loose balls late in the game.”

Getting back to state was a goal after last year’s experience for this year’s group.

“It’s kind of like that carrot out in front of you,” Zumdahl said. “You know how special it is, so it gives you that little extra motivation to try to get back there.”

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Eastland’s Braden Anderson hoists the plaque after defeating Tremont 47-45 Monday, March 9, 2026, in the Class 1A Macomb Supersectional. (Alex T. Paschal)