Malcolm X holds on late to secure first Region 4 championship in 13 years

RIVER GROVE & CHICAGO, ILL. - A wild finish to the Region 4 Division I Men's Basketball Tournament resulted in Malcolm X College claiming an 80-79 victory over Triton College to secure their first title since 2013. The championship is the third for the Hawks, who also won in 1996. Coach Ron White was awarded Region 4 Coach of the Year. (Recap: Malcolm X)

Malcolm X College entered the postseason as region's #3 seed and opened with a quarterfinal victory over #6 Highland Community College by an 84-65 final. In the semifinals, the Hawks blew past #2 Kankakee Community College with a 79-58 upset to reach the championship game. Their opponent in the finale was two-time defending region champs and #5-seeded Triton College, who had pulled off a pair of upsets over #4 Sauk Valley Community College and #1 Olive-Harvey College.

The Hawks controlled the game early with a 25-11 advantage in the first half; however, the Trojans responded with a 25-8 surge that included the final 11 points of the half. Triton College led 36-33 at the break. The Trojans held a five point edge early in the second half until Malcolm X College engineered a 15-4 run. After several minutes of back-and-forth action, the Hawks took an 80-76 lead on a pair of free throws. Following a late three by the Trojans, MXC missed a free throw with six seconds remaining and the Trojans raced up the floor looking for a potential game-winning basket. In the process, the Hawks deflected a pass and it sailed out of bounds as time expired.

The championship win advanced Malcolm X College into the NJCAA Midwest District Championship, where they hosted Mineral Area Community College on March 14. The Hawks trailed 42-26 at halftime and eventually lost 83-58 to end their season with a 19-14 record.

Follow Region 4: Facebook | X | Instagram