Photo by Jason Brown
Zoe Walton deflects the ball against T-Town Thursday night at the Tuscola sectional championship.

•February 20, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

For the second straight year, the Sullivan girls’ basketball team could not break through the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes for a trip to the Elite Eight.
“Although I do not think we played well in the first half, I am happy that we finished strong in the second half,” Coach Sheri McLain began.
T-Town (31-4) took advantage of a strong second quarter to pull away and then maintained its lead the rest of the game for the 53-31 win.
“Teutopolis only outscored us by 3 points in the second half,” she continued. “You have to take care of the ball and own the boards against a talented team like Teutopolis.”
With 1:07 left in the first quarter, Josie Orris hit a 3-pointer to cut the Shoe’s lead to 14-7.
Sullivan hit an 8-minute cold streak from the field and did not score a point until Esther Miller hit a free throw with 1:07 left in the second quarter. Read More

Photo by R.R. Best
Okaw Valley’s Case Crawford gets an opening for a drive to the basket against the ALAH Knights.

•February 20, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After losing to Arcola, the Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team bounced back to defeat Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Friday night, then knocked off Ramsey in the Class 1A Edinburg Regional Monday night.
Against Arcola last Tuesday, the Purple Riders gradually pulled away from the Timberwolves to cruise to a 52-28 win.
Arcola pushed a six-point halftime lead to 11 after the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Riders outscored OV 20-8 for the win.
Cameron Sharp and Sam Hagerman each hit double-digit scoring with 10 points.
Case Crawford and Cole Nichols each collected three points.
Luke Vander Burgh rounded out OV scoring with two points.
Friday at Arthur, Okaw Valley spoiled A-L-A-H’s senior night 38-33 in a back-and-forth game at Arthur.
No other results were available.
OV finished the LOVC with a 5-2 record. Read More

R.R. Best photo
Redskin Ian Plank drives toward the basket against St. Teresa in Sullivan Friday night.

•February 13, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team dropped three games this past week.
The Redskins lost to St. Elmo/Brownstown Saturday, St. Teresa Friday and Central A&M last Tuesday.
In the CIC/NTC Shootout against St. Elmo/Brownstown, the game was back-and-forth until the last quarter when St. Elmo/Brownstown fought off a late Sullivan run for the 59-57 win.
Caden Ellis scored a game-high 31 points, and Colin Chappel followed with 12 points.
Ian Plank scored nine, and Kanin Elder and Drew Rogers scored three and two points, respectively.
Against the Bulldogs in a Central Illinois Conference game, St. Teresa came out strong with a 16-6 first-quarter lead.
The Bulldogs tacked on three more points for a 28-17 halftime lead.
Sullivan outscored St. Teresa in the second half, but it was not enough in the 45-34 loss.
Plank and Ellis each scored 11 points, and Dom Kimberlin had five.
Dalton Rogers and Chappel recorded four and three points, respectively.
Last Tuesday, state-ranked Central A&M overpowered Sullivan 70-36.
The Raiders scored 47 first-half points and did not look back. Read More

Photo by Jason Brown
The ALAH bench erupts after the Knights score a basket in the regional championship game.

•February 13, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team upset Tuscola in the IHSA Class 2A Pana Regional last Wednesday but could not take down the top-seeded host Panthers in the championship game the following night.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team this year,” said ALAH coach Mac Condill. “You nailed it on the head when you said this team improved day by day, quarter by quarter (for the most part). It was a great group of seniors, and those student athletes over achieved in most people’s eyes. They worked hard, played hard and had fun along the way. They truly left an impact on the future of this program.”
In the title match, a back-and-forth first quarter ended in a flurry.
Knight Marissa Herschberger hit a three pointer with 24 seconds left, only to have Panther Shania Schoonover answer with a basket to end the quarter at 19-13.
Pana extended the lead to 22-13 with 5:42 left in the second quarter, but that was where ALAH began its run.
Herschberger hit another 3-pointer with 5:25 left in the period, and Marcy Petersheim followed with her own 3-pointer with 4:45 on the clock. Read More