Danville, IL – Game 16 was a quarterfinal matchup that featured 5th-seeded Southwestern Community College and 13th-seeded Erie Community College Kats. Erie scored the first five points of the game. But Southwestern scored the next eight points. Both teams went on short spurts, scoring four to seven points at a time before the other team would score.

Erie was powered by Shevon Anisca. The forward stretched the floor, knocking down a three and scored in the post. By half, he led all scorers with 14 points.

Southwestern scored by committee, but Chad Moran took to clean up duty and scored six of his 12 points on put-backs.

The Spartans took a lead at the 8:57 mark and would hold it for the remainder of the half. Ultimately, after Kahlid Edward's second three-pointer of the half with 26 seconds left, Southwestern would take an eight-point lead into the locker room, 35-27.

Halftime score:

Erie - 27
Southwestern – 35

First half leaders:

Erie:
#13 Shevon Anisca, 6'4, Fr. – 14pts, 4rebs, 5-6 FG
#15 Pedro Marquez, 6'3, So. – 6pts, 2rebs, 2asts, 2-3 3PT
#4 Kyle Harris, 6'1, Fr. – 5pts, 6rebs

Southwestern:
#15 Chad Moran, 6'4, Fr. – 12pts, 4rebs, 4-6 FG
#2 Khallid Edwards, 5'8, So. – 6pts, 2-3 3PT
#1 Alijah Thomas, 6', So. – 4pts, 3asts, 2stls

The half started slowly for both teams, but particularly Southwestern. They made their first field goal three and a half minutes in.

Michael Motely and Anisca powered the Kats in the early going. With 12:30 to go, Erie took their first lead since the 9-minute mark of the first half on an Anisca lay up. Terence Shelby Jr. nailed back-to-back-to-back threes for Southwestern to counter. Erie called a timeout with 9:06 to go, trailing 50-42.

After an and-one for Chad Moran at the seven and a half minute mark, Southwestern took a 10-point lead. During that time, Erie went four and half minutes themselves without a field goal. Motley charged life back into the Kats scoring five points and bringing the game back within five. As the game went on, Southwestern's lead slowly dwindled. Two more threes from Shelby were key for the Spartans remaining in front as Motley and Pedro Marquez put Erie within a possession time after time.

Each team had timeouts to spare, but spare them they didn't. The teams used all they had left down the stretch to strategize.

Motley made a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left to make it a 67-65 game in the Spartans favor. On the next possession, Southwestern's Alijah Thomas drove the lane and drew a foul. It was on Motley, his fifth. Motley scored 16 points up to that point, all in the second half. Thomas missed both free throws and Erie had the ball down two. Marquez drove the right side and was fouled by Gatdoar Kueth, who picked up his fifth foul in the process.

Marquez made one of two and had to foul in their next possession, down 67-66. Edwards made one of two free throws and the lead was back to two, 68-66.

In Erie's final possession, they failed to get the ball across half court as Edwards stepped in front of the defender. Fellow Spartan Ryan Warren stole the ball, threw it to Shelby as time expired, 68-66 Spartans.

Southwestern Community College will advance to play Triton College in a semifinal game on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Erie Community College will play in an elimination game on Friday at 3 p.m. against Danville Area Community College.

Final score:

Erie - 66
Southwestern – 68

Team leaders:

Erie:
#13 Shevon Anisca, 6'4, Fr. – 18pts, 11rebs, 7-11 FG
#15 Pedro Marquez, 6'3, So. – 13pts, 4-5 3PT
#4 Kyle Harris, 6'1, Fr. – 10pts, 9 rebs, 4ast, 4-7 3PT
#3 Michael Motley, 6'3, Fr. – 16pts, 5rebs, 6-9 FG

Southwestern:
#15 Chad Moran, 6'4, Fr. – 17pts, 6rebs, 6-10 FG, 5-7 FT
#2 Khallid Edwards, 5'8, So. – 7pts, 6ast
#1 Alijah Thomas, 6', So. – 15pts, 5ast, 6-8 FT
#23 Terence Shelby Jr., 6'2, So. – 16pts, 4rebs, 5-6 3PT