Photo by RR Best
Emily Neuhauser pulls up for a 3-pointer Thursday night. Not only did the junior send Sullivan into one overtime period, but then hit a 3-pointer at the last second to send the game into double OT, where the Lady Red completed the comeback winning 84-77.

Jr. hits 32 points, including crucial 3-pointer against ALAH

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

It was the situation every little kid practices.

Down three, five seconds to go, with the ball, coming down the court in a big game. In this case it was the regional championship, and it was Emily Neuhauser who rose up and drained a triple as time expired in the first overtime, tying the game at 75 and continuing the Lady Redskins’ hopes of back-to-back titles.

It was arguably the best night in Neuhauser’s basketball career, scoring a team high 32 points—including her 1,000th career point after her first eight in the first quarter—and putting her team on her back, even while carrying four fouls in the second extra session. On the flip side, Sherelle Coller finished the game eight points shy of 1,000 for her career.

“I didn’t remember how much time there was,” Neuhauser said. “I was like ‘this is crucial, we need it’ and I stopped and popped, and I was hoping and praying it went in and it did. I’m just speechless about it now.”

“I told the girls to put that one on me I struggled on the bench down the stretch,” Lancers head coach Craig Moffett said in regard to not fouling before Neuhauser’s shot. “I have to get better.”

As expected, and felt by everyone in the arena, Neuhauser’s bomb swept the momentum back in Sullivan’s favor and with the game tied at 77, Neuhauser scored down low again over Lancer Brooke Tabb and converted two at the line on her next trip, and between then and the last 1.4 seconds of the game, the Lady Redskins defense picked up and held the Lancers scoreless clinching the 84-77 victory. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Meridian athletic director Eric Hurelbrink hands Sullivan's four seniors the Okaw Valley Tournament championship trophy Saturday night after the Redskins beat Meridian 53-46.

Sullivan battles through OV Tourney, defeating host in Championship Saturday

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

“Why not us.”

What had been a rhetorical question and even mantra became a simple statement Saturday night, when Sullivan, the no. 5 seed, upended no. 7 seed and host Meridian in the Okaw Valley tournament championship 53-46.

After 12 long years, the trophy came back to Sullivan in what is the final year of the Okaw’s existence. Sullivan last won the conference tourney in 2002 when they defeated Monticello 51-43. But it was 14 years ago that a young Chester Reeder, then a jr. on the basketball team, was a part of the 99' Sullivan group to win the trophy.

Now in his first year as head coach, Reeder and company signed off on the irony with Saturday’s win.

“It means so much. I’m just so happy for these kids, especially these seniors,” said an emotional Reeder after Saturday’s game. “They’ve been told their whole life that they aren’t going to be successful. I was told when I took the job that it was going to be a struggle, that we weren’t going to win very many games. I just kept telling them, ‘Don’t believe what you hear. Buy into being there for each other. Play tough, play together, and worry about the 30 guys that we have in the program and see what happens. Play as hard as you can and see what happens.’” Read More

Photo by RR Best
AL’s Curtis Plank drives to the basket Saturday night. Plank led the team with 16 points.

Four Knights in double figures, Plank tops with 16

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Arthur-Lovington lost a heart-breaker to Cerro Gordo-Bement in overtime the last time the two teams met in Cerro Gordo, so it was only poetic justice the two rivals met in the LOVC tournament final.

“This year the kids—especially the seniors—set their minds to it to make it this far,” Knights head coach Dale Schuring stated. “On a regular basis we struggle in this tournament, but this year the kids really stepped up and prevented anything from going wrong. This wasn’t a revenge game to me, but I’m sure the kids had some in their minds.”

Early on it looked as if the excitement of the previous meeting between the two would carry over as both crowds set an electric atmosphere for the game. The atmosphere carried over, and the Knights’ Tyler Schuring and Jeremy Plank opened with 3-pointers, which were answered by Bronco Connor Gross. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Former SHS basketball coach (and current Neoga coach) Bob Lockart and current SHS coach Chester Reeder talk before the start of Saturday's game in Neoga.

Pulls away after first quarter to defeat Neoga 59-42

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Saturday night’s rescheduled game had a little extra to it, as Sullivan’s boys’ basketball team visited former head coach Bob Lockart and his Indians and came away with a 59-42 win.

“It was fun,” said Sullivan coach Chester Reeder, who was an assistant under Lockart for three years before taking over this year when Lockart left to take the head coach position in Neoga. “I’ve been looking forward to this one. I’m glad we got this one in.”

The Indians got out to a good start against Sullivan, capitalizing on a quick transition game that put them up 4-0 to begin. Neoga led for most of the quarter, while the Redskins struggled to rebound early, prompting a timeout by Reeder who was visibly disappointed with his team in the huddle.

Out of the break, Neoga’s Brock Aleshire hit a jumpshot to stretch the lead to 11-6. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan head coach Chester Reeder has a serious talk with his team before the start of overtime Friday night. It was then he challenged his team to take the game back from Meridian, which they did, 60-52.

Initial 8-0 run much needed boost for Redskins

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Sullivan head coach Chester Reeder is fond of reminding his team to take advantage of opportunities. Friday night, the Redskins took what was a disappointing fourth quarter let down against Meridian, leading to overtime, and saw it as a chance to play more.

“I told them after the fourth quarter, ‘What a wonderful opportunity boys, you get to play the game you love for four more minutes. Now go out there and take this game from them.’”

In what seemed more like a regulation period of eight minutes, the extra quarter started with Sullivan getting back on track. Read More