NORMAL – The closer Chrisman's Cardinals got to Peoria, the further away the dream became.

At halftime of Tuesday night's Class 1A boys' basketball super-sectional game against Deer Creek-Mackinaw, Chrisman had allowed 10 points and held a double-figure lead.

After 20 minutes of action at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena, with 1,690 spectators watching, the Cardinals' lead had grown to 14 points.

There is an axiom in sports that to play with the best teams it's necessary for a group of athletes to play its best.

In the final 12 minutes, Chrisman fell short and Deer Creek-Mackinaw regrouped and rallied for a 45-40 triumph that sent the Chiefs to the Final Four starting Friday at the Peoria Civic Center.

"It's very frustrating," Cardinals point guard Derrick McCormick said. "We had it but couldn't hold on because they wanted to fight a little harder."

Deer Creek-Mackinaw (25-5) outscored Chrisman 19-9 in the final quarter.

"Defensively, we forced some turnovers and that gave us some extra possessions," Chiefs coach Mitch Holmgren said.

All six fourth-quarter turnovers were committed by Chrisman. For the game, however, each team was charged with 16 giveaways.

"I don't know if the atmosphere got to us as much as the turnovers and missed opportunities," center Wyatt Humrichous said. "Tonight's game didn't give a clear representation of who the better team was."

Cody Owen led Chrisman with a deceptive 10 points. He scored all seven of his team's first-period points but managed one second-half free throw.

McCormick had nine points, Nathan Ross had nine points and Humrichous had eight points to go with a game-high nine rebounds.

The first half belonged to Chrisman (27-6), which held the Chiefs to 17.6 percent shooting from the floor (3 for 17).

Holmgren cited one reason for his team's first-half woes.

"McCormick is better than I gave him credit for," the ninth-year head coach said. "He had us rattled. I had underestimated how good of an on-ball defender he is. Their pressure bothered us."

The Chiefs did nothing different in the second half to counteract the 5-foot-10 McCormick. Instead, Holmgren turned his athletes loose.

Two basketball starters were mainstays on the school's football team, which advanced to the state semifinals in November. The coach discovered how quickly they could make the transition to another sport.

"They stepped on the floor in basketball with no practice and won a tournament (at Peoria Heights)," he said. "We're mainly seniors (four start). That's competing."

Max Seibert, the football quarterback, and Matt Krause, his top receiver, were the second-half catalysts against Chrisman. Neither player scored a basket the first half, but they combined for 11 second-half baskets, including two three-pointers. They teamed up for 29 of their team's 35 second-half points.

"The shots they missed in the first half, they made in the second," Chrisman coach Greg Gisinger said, "and their defense took over the second half."

From the time Owen's three-pointer with 51 seconds left in the first quarter created a 7-7 tie, Chrisman did not trail during any of the next 19 minutes. Its biggest lead (29-15) followed a three-pointer by McCormick with 4:31 remaining in the third quarter.

A three-pointer by Seibert with 5:21 left established a 34-32 lead for Deer-Creek Mackinaw. The Cardinals twice pulled within a point but never reclaimed the lead.

"I thought it was there to take," Gisinger said, "but the Elite Eight is nothing to be ashamed of."

Humrichous had hoped to extend the season four more days but said "playing this game was a wonderful experience. We came up short, but there's a lot to be proud of."

As the lone junior among the top six players, McCormick hopes to make next season just as memorable.

"People will look back and say that (2010-11 squad) was a good team," McCormick said. "I feel we overachieved a lot. We weren't ranked among the top 32. I hope I have enough leadership to lead these guys next year."