The first game tipped off at 6 p.m. between Mendota and Aurora Central Catholic, with Mendota defeating ACC 78-46. The Rock Falls versus Oregon matchup followed at 7:30 p.m.
Starting lineup for the Rockets:
- No. 0, Max Burns, 6’3” junior
- No. 3, Cole Heald, 6’2” senior
- No. 10, Z’Viyon Martin, 5’11” junior
- No. 12, Cole Mulnix, 6’8” senior
- No. 24, Owen Mandrell, 5’11” senior
Starting lineup for the Hawks:
- No. 1, Benny Olalde, 6’0” senior
- No. 2, Cooper Johnson, 5’11” senior
- No. 5, Tucker O’Brien, 6’5” senior
- No. 10, Keaton Salsbury, 5’11” senior
- No. 13, Nole Campos, 6’0” junior
Cole Mulnix (No. 12) faced off against Tucker O’Brien (No. 5) for the opening tip, with Mulnix securing first possession for the Rockets. The ball quickly returned to Mulnix, who scored the first two points of the game. Both teams opened in zone defenses, with the Rockets in a 3-2 and the Hawks in a 1-3-1 full-court press. The Rockets went on an early 6-0 run to take an 8-3 lead, but the Hawks quickly heated up from beyond the arc, responding with a 9-0 run to take a 12-8 advantage. The Hawks led 17-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rockets opened the second quarter with possession, but the Hawks forced a turnover, and Benny Olalde (No. 1) knocked down a three-pointer to score the first points of the quarter. Rock Falls switched to a man-to-man defense in an effort to slow Oregon’s three-point shooting and remained in that defense for the rest of the game. Despite the adjustment, the Hawks went on a 10-0 run, interrupted briefly by a Rocket layup, followed by a 9-0 run. Oregon connected on nine three-pointers in the first half, accounting for 27 of its 41 points. The Hawks led 41-18 at halftime after outscoring the Rockets 24-6 in the second quarter.
Oregon began the third quarter with possession, and Nole Campos (No. 13) scored on a layup to open the scoring. The Hawks extended their lead with a 7-0 run to make it 50-19. Rock Falls responded with a 14-0 run to cut the deficit to 54-36, but Oregon closed the quarter with another three-pointer to lead 57-36.
The Rockets opened the fourth quarter with possession, and Cole Heald drove the lane for a two-pointer to score the first points of the final period. The Hawks answered with a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 69-41, securing their place in the regional championship. Although the Rockets continued to compete with determination until the final buzzer, Oregon claimed a 76-48 victory in the first round of the 2A IHSA Boys Basketball Regional.
Leading scorers for the Rockets were Cole Mulnix with 12 points and Max Burns with 10 points. The Hawks were led by Benny Olalde with 20 points and Cooper Johnson with 16 points.
Oregon advanced to face Mendota on Friday, February 27, in the 2A IHSA Boys Basketball Regional Championship. The Hawks defeated Mendota 65-52 to earn the title of 2026 2A IHSA Boys Basketball Regional Champions.
The Rockets concluded the 2025-26 season with a 10-22 record.
