CRYSTAL LAKE,Ill. --- It's a race to the finish for the Skyway men's basketball championship and Prairie State is smack dab in the thick of it.
 
Tuesday night in Crystal Lake, the Pioneers held off a determined McHenry squad by a final count of 88-86.  The triumph pushed PSC to 14-10 overall and 8-2 in league play. 
 
The win also moved the Pioneers into a three-way tie atop the Skyway standings alongside Morton and McHenry. 
 
Leading the charge for PSC in the scorer's column was sophomore forward Jaylin Brown (Lakeview H.S.).  The 6-foot-4 Brown recorded a team-high 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.  He also shot 2-of-4 from behind the arc and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.  He also got some work in on the glass, pulling down six rebounds.
 
Right behind Brown was freshman forward Christina Barbieri (Harris Academy St. John's Wood, England).  The 6-foot-5 native of Milan, Italy deposited 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor (three-pointer) and a 6-of-11 showing from the free-throw line.  He also paced the Pioneers with eight rebounds.
 
Freshman point guard Jeremiah Johnson (Bloom H.S.) also played well, tallying 16 points while dishing out a trio of assists.  He also pulled down a trio of rebounds.
 
Sophomore point guard Humza Robinson (Downey Christian Academy, Fla.) also scored in double figures, dropping in 10 points while recording three assists and a pair of steals.
 
Freshman guard Adam Benson (Rich South H.S.), (8 points, 3 rebounds) also performed admirably.
 
The Pioneers will see action next on Thursday when they travel to Waubonsee for a 6 p.m. tipoff in Sugar Grove.