JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Javonnie Moore never wavered as he tried to put the finishing touch on a contested layup.
The Madison senior missed on his first try. And his second and third.
But the 6-foot-1 scoring savant kept going back up for more and finally muscled his way past defenders to score a crucial and-1 late in the Class 1A Jacksonville Super-Sectional against Athens.
"I knew we had all the momentum then," Moore said.
Moore formed a potent trio with Jalen Moore and Walter Bursey as Madison beat Athens 68-43 to reach the Class 1A semifinal round Tuesday at Jacksonville Bowl.
"I call them the three-headed monster," Madison coach Maurice Baker said. "We've been saying that since they were sophomores. When all three of those guys get going, it's hard to beat us."
Madison (26-10) advanced to the semifinal round for the first time since 2013.
"It feels good, but I'm really happy for my seniors," Baker said. "I've been with them for three years I'm just really happy with for them."
The Trojans will face Aurora Christian (26-6) in a semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday at Carver Arena in Peoria.
Javonnie Moore's layup pushed Madison's lead to 13 points with just over four minutes to play. The Trojans extended it to as many as 20. Javonnie Moore and Jalen Moore each finished with 17 points and have averaged over a combined 35 points for the Trojans this postseason.