Harrisburg rallies, then holds off Herrin
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Bulldogs connected on six straight free throws in the final minute of the team's 70-65 win against Herrin on Friday.
The Harrisburg High School boys basketball team improved its record to 19-6 this season, passing last season's win total with three regular season games remaining. Senior guard Cain Sheldon scored 20 points and now holds sole possession of second place on Harrisburg's all-time scoring list. Freshman Capel Henshaw chipped in with 18 and senior Lucas Elverd added 15 in the win.
It was not an easy victory for Harrisburg against Herrin. The Bulldogs took two early season match-ups from the Tigers, including on the road in Herrin and on a neutral court at the Eldorado Holiday Tournament where the Tigers were ranked as the top squad.
Friday night's match-up had a different feel as the game featured four ties and seven lead changes.
"Much of the first half there's probably not a lot of things you could name that we did well," Harrisburg head coach Randy Smithpeters said. "We got out-rebounded, we got out-shot, anything you want to name we got out-done and that's why we were down."
The Bulldogs took an early advantage in the second half, but a quick spurt by the Tigers took the momentum and the lead away from the home team. Harrisburg did not regain the lead until Henshaw hit a pair of free throws at the 5:38 mark in the fourth quarter.
Harrisburg made 25 of its 34 free throw attempts for 73.5 percent, while Herrin shot only 14 times from the charity stripe, making 10.
"We're very fortunate and I'm very happy we survived that," Smithpeters said. "I have the same fear tomorrow of what I had of today's game. My biggest fear is they won't come prepared to play because we beat Cairo three weeks ago. A team we got up early on and stayed up on.
"We shot well, we ran our offense well, we defended well and we got up early and stayed there. We scored 90 points, but nothing says everything's going to be so good tomorrow. Cairo is capable of beating us."
Harrisburg plays Cairo at 4:30 p.m. in the Benton Shootout.