March 05, 2025
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Princeton and Byron to clash in the sectional battle of the Tigers

Winner will play Rock Falls in Friday’s finals

By Kevin Hieronymus
Princeton's Noah LaPorte scores the game-winning basket to lift the Tigers to a 53-51 win over Byron Saturday at Prouty Gym. The basket also broke the PHS all-time scoring record with 1,470 career points.

Princeton beat Byron 53-51 on Feb. 8 at Prouty Gym on this last-second shot by Noah LaPorte. The two Tigers will clash in tonight's semifinals at Marengo. (Mike Vaughn)

The last meeting between the Princeton Tigers and the Byron Tigers was a thriller, right down to the very last-second.

The next Battle of the Tigers promises to be just as exciting.

Princeton (20-12) and Byron (21-9) will square off in tonight’s semifinals of the Class 2A Marengo Sectional at 7 p.m. Princeton is riding a 11-game winning streak.

A trip to Friday’s sectional championship against Rock Falls (24-9) will be on the line. The Rockets beat Winnebago 42-40 on Ryken Howard’s game-winning shot with less than a second left on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Princeton beat Byron 53-51 on Feb. 8 at Prouty Gym on Noah LaPorte’s last-second, game-winning drive. That basket also broke Princeton’s all-time scoring record.

Princeton last won a sectional championship in 2009 at Chillicothe defeating Peoria Manual 71-65. The Tigers have won six sectional championships, including 1954, 1955, 1992, 1994, 2003 and 2009.

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