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Area game results

[DEC. 12, 2001]   

Boys

At Bloomington

Olympia                       9 13 18   25
Bloomington               10 23 42   56

Kendrick 2-0-5; Olson 3-2-8; Wise 0-0-0; Dillenburg 1-0-2; Sherman 1-0-2; Elliott 0-0-0; Wright 1-0-2; Chriswell 1-2-4; Thronton 0-0-0; Kieser 0-0-0; Schultz 1-0-2; Hayes 0-0-0; Slager 0-0-0; Cheek 0-0-0.

Totals 10-4-25

Sophomore basketball at Bloomington

Olympia 55, Bloomington 47

At Clinton

Mount Pulaski             16 29 48   70
Clinton                        17 34 50   73

Coers 8-0-17; N. Tierney 4-0-8; Schilling 1-1-3; Olson 2-0-4; Blaum 1-1-3; Anderson 11-2-29; Smith 1-0-2; Erlinbush 2-0-4.

Totals 30-4-70

Sophomore basketball at Clinton

Mount Pulaski 56, Clinton 35

Mount Pulaski scoring:  Tim Milner 15, Craig Erlenbush 12, Steve Loveall 12

Record: 5-0

Next game: Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Williamsville

At Mason City

Illini Central                   13 28 50   73
Petersburg Porta             9 18 25   38

Miller 4-1-9; Scott 2-6-10; Deters 0-0-0; Williams 1-0-2; Grimsley 3-2-8; Cremeens 2-0-6; Hieronymus 1-1-4; Clark 5-4-14; Giesler 5-0-11; Swaar 2-1-5; Sickmeyer 1-2-4.

Totals 26-17-73

Sophomore basketball at Mason City

Illini Central 66, Petersburg Porta 52

Girls

At Eureka

Olympia                       13 26 39   65
Eureka                         11 15 33   57

Wilcox 0-0-0; Floyd 5-0-13; Prager 3-1-7; Wittmer 0-0-0; Short 0-0-0; Brand 0-0-0; Gaither 9-11-35; Canopy 3-0-6; Goebel 1-2-4.

Totals 21-14-65

At Springfield

Lincoln                          11 22 25   45
Springfield Lanphier       14 31 37   51

Dawson 5-3-13; Hottert 3-0-7; Robbins 1-1-3; Freesmeier 0-0-0; Ingram 1-0-2; Froschaver 1-2-4; Moore 2-2-6; Schonaver 1-2-4; Carey 0-2-2; Bunch 2-0-4.

Totals 16-12-45

Few tickets remain for Illini men’s basketball

[DEC. 12, 2001]   CHAMPAIGN — Less than 1,000 tickets remain for the Dec. 16 Illinois men’s basketball game against Western Illinois in Champaign.

The Dec. 29 game against Loyola-Chicago has around 100 single tickets remaining for sale. Three games over the semester break are sold out: Dec. 18 against Illinois State, Jan. 2 against Minnesota and Jan. 2 against Michigan. The entire Big Ten schedule is sold out for the season.

Tickets may be purchased at the UI athletics ticket office at the Assembly Hall, by calling (217) 333-3470 or toll-free at 1 (866) ILLINI-1, or online at www.fightingillini.com.

[University of Illinois news release]

Nokia Sugar Bowl ticket update

[DEC. 12, 2001]  CHAMPAIGN — The University of Illinois is no longer accepting ticket orders for the Nokia Sugar Bowl from individuals who are not Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund members or current UI football season ticket customers.

FISF members and season ticket holders have until 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, to place priority ticket orders for the Sugar Bowl.

"We fully anticipate to sell out our entire allotment of 15,000 tickets to Illinois fans," Director of Athletics Ron Guenther said. "The response by our fans has been tremendous, and we expect to have a large following in New Orleans on Jan. 1."

The following guidelines will be used to allocate Nokia Sugar Bowl tickets:

1. I Fund and Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund members by club level.

2. Student, faculty and staff, and general public football season ticket holders who are not I Fund or FISF members by date the order is received.

3. Student, faculty and staff, and general public who are not I Fund or FISF members or season ticket holders, by date the order is received.

Tickets are not guaranteed. In the event that all tickets are sold, a refund will be sent to the applicant. The right to reduce orders or make such refunds is reserved by the UI Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Big Ten champion Illinois is scheduled to play LSU Jan. 1 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised by ABC-TV.

[University of Illinois news release]

Area game results

[DEC. 11, 2001]   

At Petersburg

Illini Central                  13 29 44   60
Petersburg Porta           10 20 35   45

Bitner 11-0-22; Damm 4-1-12; Durdle 0-0-0; Hankins 0-0-0; Francis 1-0-2; Oney 2-2-6; Montgomery 4-10-18; Parker 0-0-0.

Totals 22-13-60

At Mount Pulaski

Ursuline                        7 24 42   50
Mount Pulaski               8 19 26   35

Faith 5-0-14; Howe 0-2-2; Hudson 0-0-0; Jason 0-0-0; Maske 0-1-1; Reeley 0-0-0; Rucks 0-1-1; Sanders 7-3-17.

Totals 12-7-35

Game notes: Illinois State at Chattanooga

[DEC. 11, 2001]   The game:  Illinois State Redbirds (4-4) play the Chattanooga Mocs (2-5) on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 1:05 p.m. (CST) at McKenzie Arena (11,218) at Chattanooga, Tenn.

[Click here to view whole pre-game stats (in Adobe Acrobat)]

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About the game

Saturday’s game features two streaking teams. Illinois State is winner of its last two, after losing four straight. Chattanooga has lost five straight games after opening the season with two victories. However, the Mocs are 1-0 at home this season, while the Redbirds are 1-4 away from Redbird Arena, with a 1-2 mark on a neutral floor.

The probable starters

(ppg rpg apg)

Illinois State Redbirds (4-4)

F, 4, Dirk Williams, 6-8, 210, So.-1L, Pekin, 4.0, 2.3, 0.5

F, 33, Shedrick Ford, 6-5, 220, Sr.-1L, Macon, Ga., 11.9, 4.8, 1.4

C, 23, Baboucarr Bojang, 6-9, 205, Jr.-TR, Greenville, S.C., 13.9, 8.5, 0.9

G, 2, Gregg Alexander, 6-4, 190, Fr.-HS, Lincoln, 10.4, 3.4, 2.8

G, 15, Randy Rice, 6-0, 175, Sr.-1L, Springfield, 3.4, 2.4, 2.5

Chattanooga Mocs (2-5)

F, 3, Neil Ashby, 6-8, 200, Sr.-1L, Atlanta, Ga., 14.3, 6.7, 2.0*

F, 40, Nick Benson, 6-5, 210, Jr.-TR, St. Louis, Mo., 9.4, 6.4, 0.4*

C, 44, Dusty Pullian, 6-8, 215, Sr.-1L, Benton Harbor, Mich., 4.9, 4.1, 0.6*

G, 20, Clyde McCully, 6-0, 173, Sr.-1L, Beaumont, Texas, 11.3, 2.1, 3.7

G, 21, Toot Young, 6-3, 175, Sr.-1L, Norfolk, Va., 8.0, 3.4, 1.7

Note: (*) indicates blocks per game.

The coaches

Tom Richardson is 35-33 in his third season at Illinois State. He is assisted by Chad Altadonna, Anthony Beane and Doug Novsek. Chattanooga is coached by Henry Dickerson, who owns a 58-64 record in his fifth season with the Mocs. He is assisted by John Gibson, Kenny Seifert and L.J. Kirby.

Ticket information

Tickets for Illinois State home games can be purchased from the ticket office at Redbird Arena, (309) 438-8000.

Redbird Radio Network

Mark Johnson, play-by-play; Mike Matthews, color; Bruce Evans, sideline (home only). Affiliates: WJBC (AM 1230/Bloomington), flagship; WINU (AM 880/Highland); WZOE (AM 1490/Princeton); WFMB (AM 1450/Springfield). All Illinois State broadcasts can be heard on the Internet at either sports.yahoo.com or wjbc.com. The latter also carries Tom Richardson’s weekly call-in show, which alternates depending on the schedule, but generally airs each Thursday from 6:07-7 p.m.

Web ’Birds

The Illinois State athletics web page, at www.redbirds.org, includes direct links to yahoo.broadcast.com and www.wjbc.com to access the WJBC/Redbird Radio Network broadcasts. In addition, for home games, live stats are available.

About Chattanooga

—Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tenn., and enrolls 8,319 students. The Mocs are members of the Southern Conference.

—Head coach Henry Dickerson is in his fifth season at Chattanooga. He owns a 58-64 record with the Mocs in five seasons. Dickerson has 22 years coaching experience at the collegiate ranks with assistant stints at Charleston, Marshall and Chattanooga.

—Chattanooga opened the season with wins over Tennessee Wesleyan (89-59) and Liberty (82-57), but has now lost five straight games. After beating Liberty in the first round of the Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Classic, the Mocs have fallen to Notre Dame (97-84), Vanderbilt (69-57), at Murray State (72-63), at Kent State (75-56) and at Alabama (74-68).

—The 2000-01 season is the 20th anniversary of the home of the Mocs, McKenzie Arena.

—Nine of the Mocs 16 roster players have transferred in from junior colleges, including five JUCO transfers this season.

—Neil Ashby, a second-year player that transferred from Alabama, leads the Mocs with 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Ashby also leads the team with 14 blocks and shoots 59.4 percent from the field.

—Clyde McCully is the only other player with Chattanooga averaging double-digit points. McCully tosses in 11.3 points per game and leads the team with 26 assists. He is shooting 23.1 percent (3-for-13) on treys.

—Three times this season, the Mocs have shot below 40 percent from the floor and 30 percent on treys.

—The Mocs are the second Redbird opponent from the SoCon, with Georgia Southern being the first. UTC was picked to finish third in the South Division behind the Eagles and Charleston.

The series

Saturday’s game is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Although the Redbirds have never met the Mocs on the hardwood, they have played five other schools from the Volunteer State. Illinois State owns a 4-5 record against schools from Tennessee, but have won the last two meetings with a 77-60 victory over Tennessee-Martin last season and a 82-81 overtime win over Tennessee in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Boo’s scary!!!

Illinois State’s Baboucarr Bojang is in his sixth year of organized basketball and is still developing as a player. That’s bad news for Redbird opponents, considering Bojang has already posted four double-doubles in eight games and two 20-point efforts. In his last outing, Bojang was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor, grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and matched his career-best 20 points.

Home sweet home

For Illinois State, the biggest cure for a four-game losing skid is a two-game homestand. With wins over Samford and Central Michigan, the Redbirds improved their record to 4-4 on the season and have won 18 of their last 20 games in Redbird Arena. In 14 seasons, the Redbirds are 133-45 in Redbird Arena for a .747 winning percentage.

Mocs know what Boo can do

Even though Baboucarr Bojang is in his first season with the Redbirds, he is no stranger to the Mocs, at least some of them. Chattanooga has four players, Petie Spaulding, Nick Benson, Michael Townsend and Aaron Morgan, who all transferred in from Moberly Junior College and competed against Bojang. Also, assistant coach Kenny Seifert was formerly the head coach at Moberly. While at SMS-West Plains, Bojang averaged 19.3 points and 13.0 rebounds against Moberly last season, including a home game in which he tallied 26 points and hauled in 20 boards.

Jeppson pledging for the 1,000-Point Club

Of all the organizations on the Illinois State campus, the 1,000-Point Club must rank as one of the most exclusive with only 34 members in the last 104 years. The Redbirds’ Shawn Jeppson is closing in on a membership, however. After scoring six points against Central Michigan on Sunday, Jeppson currently owns 850 points for his career and needs only 150 more to become the 35th player in Illinois State history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

For him, it’s easy being Greene

Sophomore point guard Vince Greene, who sat out last season meeting NCAA requirements, already has five double-digit scoring efforts this season, including four straight. Greene averaged 4.0 point per game in the Redbirds’ first four games of the season, but has averaged 12.3 points over the last four. In addition to his scoring, Greene is also accurate. He is shooting 69.2 percent on treys (9-for-13) and 85.7 from the free-throw line (24-of-28).

D-fense, D-fense

In the first half against Central Michigan, Sunday, the Redbirds caged the Chippewa scorers and held CMU to only 14 first-half points. The Chippewas first half total equaled the lowest amount of points ever scored in a half by an Illinois State opponent in Redbird Arena, with Chicago State matching the feat last season. Central Michigan finished the half with 6-for-23 shooting (26.1 percent) and 1-for-5 on 3-pointers. The Redbirds also held the reigning Mid-American Player of the Year, David Webber, scoreless for the first frame for only the second time of his career.

[to top of second column in this article]

FT four-peat ???

The Redbirds have opened the season shooting 77.5 percent from the charity stripe and are on a good start to eclipse 70 percent for a fourth straight season. ISU shot 72.8 percent from the free-throw line last season, 74 percent in 1999-2000 and 73.5 percent in 1998-99. The Redbirds have not had a stretch of that length since it bettered 70 percent for a four-season span from 1982 through 1985.

Jeppson hits century mark

With six minutes left in the game at Georgia Southern, Illinois State guard Shawn Jeppson became the ninth Redbird in school history to drain 100 treys in a career. Jeppson stands in ninth place overall, after hitting one trey against Samford, and needs 10 3-pointers to surpass former Redbird Kyle Cartmill.

Double-double debut for Mr. Bojang-les

Baboucarr Bojang played his first game in a Redbird uniform against Weber State and it was worth an encore. Bojang tapped his way to posting his first double-double, as the SMS-West Plains Junior College transfer tossed in 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. It was the first time since November 23, 1990, that a Redbird had a double-double performance in an opening game.

The late Reggie Wilson poured in 22 points and hauled in 13 rebounds in the season opener at Dayton. It was also Wilson’s first game as a Redbird after transferring from Lincoln Community College.

Bryson out for season

Tarise Bryson, the nation’s top returning scorer, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and Redbirds’ leading scorer for the last three seasons, fell to the floor on a drive to the basket at the 17:46 mark of the second half in Illinois State’s 74-70 opening-night victory over Weber State. The fall ended the season for the Redbirds’ sixth all-time leading scorer, as Bryson dislocated his right wrist and suffered severe ligament damage to his shooting hand. Bryson underwent surgery the day after the game and will face a year of rehabilitation. His wrist will be in a splint for two weeks, a hard cast four weeks and another splint for four weeks. It will take six months to heal.

Picked to win the league? Chances are you’re playing Illinois State

Illinois State will play 11 non-conference games this season. Of the Redbirds’ 11 non-Missouri Valley Conference foes, seven of the teams were selected in the preseason polls to win their respective leagues. The seven preseason favorites are Weber State (Big Sky), UC-Irvine (Big West), Texas-San Antonio (Southland), Illinois (Big Ten) , Georgia Southern (Southern) and Central Michigan and Kent State, which are both favored to win the two divisions of the Mid-American Conference.

Alexander the Great?

According to the roster and the register’s office, Gregg Alexander of Lincoln is a true freshman, but on the court he plays like a savvy veteran. In his first season with the Redbirds, Alexander has logged 251 minutes, tops on the team, and coughed up five turnovers. Alexander is averaging .02 turnovers per minute, which is the lowest percentage in the Missouri Valley Conference. He has dished out 22 assists which ranks second on the team and is fourth on the club in scoring with 10.4 points per game. Alexander also leads the team in steals with 12.

Built Ford tough

Shedrick Ford is second on the Redbirds in scoring with 11.9 points per game and has scored double figures for Illinois State in 5-of-8 games. Ford has been the leading scorer in two games and had a season-high 21 points against Hofstra. In the season opener against Weber State, Ford put the team on his back after the injury to Tarise Bryson and finished with 18 points and eight boards.

Alexander goes where few freshmen have gone before

Since 1990, three true freshman have started their first collegiate games at Illinois State. One of them is current Redbird Gregg Alexander. Alexander drew the starting nod in the opener against Weber State and responded with eight points, one rebound and two assists in 20 minutes of play. Alexander joins P.J. Smith (1999) and Dan Muller (1994).

Been there, done that

At the Missouri Valley Conference media day, Illinois State was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the league title by the conference media and sports information directors. The Redbirds received 26 of the possible 30 first-place votes. The last time the ’Birds were chosen preseason favorites was in 1997-98. Illinois State went on to win the conference. In 1996-97, the Redbirds were also favored to win and won the league.

Titanic turnaround a memory

It’s old news now, but it’s probably worth taking at least one more backward glance at last season’s remarkable turnaround.

—Illinois State went from 10-20 to 21-9. That was the fourth-best reversal among Division I programs last season.

—Last season marked the only time in the 94-year history of the Missouri Valley Conference that a team went from 20 losses one season to 20 wins in the next.

—It also marked the most victories (21) and the best winning percentage (.700) Illinois State has ever posted in a year that followed a losing mark (10-20). The previous best for wins after a sub-.500 was 18 (twice) and the top winning percentage was .621 by the 18-11 1992 team.

No thanks, I’m just watching

Trey Guidry, a 6-2 guard, has transferred to Illinois State from North Carolina State, but cannot play for the Redbirds until the 2002-03 season. NCAA rules require that he sit out one season. Guidry was a spot starter for the Wolfpack last season as a freshman and recorded a scoring best of 15 points against Wake Forest.

It never gets boring

Last season’s trip to the NIT marked Illinois State’s 14th post-season appearance in 31 seasons on the Division I level. The Redbirds have finished over .500 in all but three of their campaigns as a D-I school and own 13 20-win campaigns over the last 26 years.

That’s a winner

With a 21-9 mark last season, one year removed from a 10-20 record, Illinois State has not suffered back-to-back losing seasons since 1965 and 1966, 35 years ago. The next-best such streak in the Valley belongs to SMS, which last had back-to-back losers 20 years ago (’80 and ’81). ISU has now finished above .500 in 28 of its 31 campaigns at Division I. The only other two ISU teams that came off losing records (D-1) also did well. The 1988-89 team went 13-17, but its 18-13 successor won the MVC Tournament and went to the NCAAs. The 1990-91 team went 5-23, but its 18-11 successor won the regular-season league crown.

A trade-in

It’s not quite a trade, but next season when the Redbirds lose the services of Shedrick Ford to graduation they will add Dana Ford. Dana Ford, a 6-foot-4, 185 guard from Egyptian High School in Tamms signed a national letter of intent during the early signing period with Illinois State. Last year, Dana Ford averaged 22.5 points and is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,620 points.

Average Valley year

Illinois State won an impressive 12 (12-6) Missouri Valley Conference games last season, but that’s just slightly above average for the Redbirds. ISU has averaged 10.3 league wins during its 20 years in the Valley, including five years on a 16-game schedule and four on a 14-game slate.

[Todd Kober,
Illinois State University director of media relations]

Lincoln College vs. Carl Sandburg

[DEC. 10, 2001]   Lincoln College downed Carl Sandburg 72-54 at Galesburg Saturday afternoon to improve to 11-1 on the season.  The Lady Lynx will be in action Friday at St. Louis against Forest Park.

Coach Carol Wilson continued to get balanced scoring, as four players reached double figures and 12 players managed to get in the scoring column. Leading the way were Tiffany Thomas and Ronni Beebe with 12 points each. Joining the pair in double figures were Jessie Dullard with 11 and Ashley Sims with 10.

Lincoln College (72) — Ariel Lamb 0-1-2-1; Tammy Bausley 0-2-2-2; Lakeisha Graham 1-2-3-4; Jenny Story 0-2-2-2; Victoria Scott 2-2-4-6; Sarah McLaughlin 3-0-0-6; Angie Bossingham 1-0-0-2; Ronni Beebe 4-4-6-12; Ashley Sims 3-4-7-10; Mary Rossio 0-0-0-0-0; Jessie Dullard 4-3-4-11; Tiffany Thomas 5-2-4-12; Zabrina Harper 1-1-2-4.  Totals 24-23-37-72.  Three-point goals: Harper.

Carl Sandburg (54) — Chitton 1-1-2-4; Truison 0-1-2-1; Boettcher 1-3-4-6; Burnham 0-1-2-1; Dawson 4-1-6-9; Sinnett 2-1-2-6; Parker 1-0-0-2; Peck 8-2-6-18; Olson 0-1-1-1; Owen 3-0-1-6; McPruney 0-1-2-1.  Totals 20-12-28-54.  Three-point goals: Chitton, Boettcher.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Lincoln College vs. Rend Lake

[DEC. 10, 2001]   James Roberson tossed in 22 points to lead the Lincoln College Lynx to a 78-70 victory over Rend Lake in men’s basketball at Lincoln Saturday afternoon. The victory gives Lincoln College an 8-2 record.  The Lynx play at Galesburg Thursday against Carl Sandburg in their final game before the holiday break.

Joining Roberson in double figures were Josh Clark and Derik Hollyfield with 13 points each.  Roberson had an all-around game, as he was also the leading rebounder with seven and dished out five assists.

Coach B. J. McCullum had eight players crack the scoring column, with Amir Major and Mike Fowler just missing double digits with eight points each. Lincoln finished the game with a 45 percent field goal total while Rend Lake connected for 53 percent. The Lynx won the game at the foul line, connecting on 20 of 26 attempts, for 77 percent.

Lincoln College (78) — James Roberson 7-15-7-10-22; Josh Clark 5-7-1-3-13; Gene Reed 2-2-0-0-5; Mike Fowler 3-5-1-1-8; Steve Turner 1-5-3-4-5; Mike Sams 2-6-0-0-4; Amir Major 2-8-4-4-8; Derik Hollyfield 4-10-4-4-13.  Totals 26-58-20-26-78.  Three-point goals: Roberson, Clark 2, Fowler, Hollyfield.

Rend Lake (70) — Drew Porter 1-3-0-0-2; Rod Ross 4-8-2-2-11; Lawrence Barnes 2-4-2-3-7; Chevus Jackson 3-6-0-0-7; Matt Burkett 3-5-0-0-7; Stuart Heinzmann 1-5-1-2-3; Joel Jaye 8-11-4-5-23; Bronson Smith 3-5-0-0-6; Reginald Roberson 2-40-0-4.  Totals 27-51-9-12-70.  Three-point goals: Ross, Barnes, Jackson, Burkett, Jaye 3.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[DEC. 10, 2001]   Apparently, ISU coach Tom Richardson made his players sleep with their defensive shoes on. How else to explain the continuation of their dominant second-half performance over Samford on Saturday, as they limited Central Michigan to a mere 14-point first half on Sunday? That tied a Redbird Arena record that was set by Chicago State back on Nov. 25, 2000.

However, the Chippewas most have gotten a wake-up call in the second half, as they came roaring out of the locker room and put up 49 points in the final stanza! Baboucarr Bojang continued his inspired play of late as he led the Redbirds with a double-double, 20 points and 13 rebounds. Bojang was 8-for-8 from the field as he put up personal bests in both points and rebounds. Shedrick Ford added 15 and Vince Greene had 11 as the Redbirds, who had sunk to 2-4 after the five-game road swing, enjoyed their home cookin’ to even their record, now at 4-4.

Once again, Lincoln freshman Gregg Alexander was in the middle of all the action as he continues to draw tough defensive assignments. Gregg ended the night with seven points, including 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 33 minutes of action.

CMU did make a ferocious comeback after being down by as many as 22 points, as they twice cut the lead to seven in the final minute, but they could get no closer.

[Jeff Mayfield]

Redbirds take a bite out of the Bulldogs

[DEC. 10, 2001]   The Samford Bulldogs played it according to the book on Saturday afternoon. The book says that while on the road, milk the shot clock, feed your post players, take the crowd out of it and make the game as short as you can. And for a while the Bulldogs looked like they might have even written the book.

Displaying patience that only a Northwestern or Princeton fan could love, Samford drained the clock possession after possession, and with multi-talented center Phil Ramelli playing his rear off, they led 27-23 at the break. In fact, Ramelli never missed a shot from the field the whole afternoon! They probably deserved to be up by a lot more.

ISU, who had played its previous five games on the road, did not appear to be a team that was glad to be on the home hardwood. Coach Tom Richardson said that he delivered a "butt chewing at half-time that was directed at a couple of players."

This LDN reporter couldn’t make out who those targeted players were, but I do know this. The whole team responded as if the message were intended for them, because in the second half their defensive pressure was stifling! They hurried Samford’s tempo and forced 17 turnovers; 25 for the game.

[to top of second column in this article]

But it wasn’t until Lincoln’s Gregg Alexander hit two jumpers in a row that the ’Birds finally started putting the ’Dogs away. Gregg’s baseline leaner with 12:40 to play put ISU on top for good 40-39. Alexander may not have finished among the game’s leading scorers, but his line was a good one. Gregg finished with five points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and he committed only one turnover in 34 minutes of action.

His diving, floor-urning intensity has electrified the ISU crowd. He’s also taking on one of the toughest defensive assignments game after game and freeing up the other guards to concentrate more on the offensive end — not bad for a kid who played zone his entire high school career.

Vince Greene had a career-high 14 tallies and was followed in scoring by Baboucarr Bojang, who tossed in 13 points. Dirk Williams had a very effective post game, knocking down 10 points.

The Redbirds continue the homestand with a 3:05 game with Central Michigan on Sunday.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[Click here to read "ISU completes weekend sweep."]

Cook leads Illinois to comeback
victory over Arkansas

[DEC. 10, 2001]   LCHS product Brian Cook scored 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the Illini to a victory against a very quick and talented Arkansas team.

Illinois trailed for most of the game and did not take their first lead of the game until Cory Bradford followed a missed free throw with a 8-foot bank shot, giving Illinois a 71-70 lead with just over six minutes remaining. Illinois stretched the lead to nine at the two-minute mark, but watched in horror as Arkansas made several circus-type shots down the stretch. Chicago product Jannero Pargo nailed his seventh 3-point shot of the game with 31 seconds left to give the Razorbacks a 91-90 lead.

However, the Illini did not fade away, and two great plays allowed Illinois to get out of Chicago and the "House that Michael (Jordan) Built" with a victory. First, senior Damir Krupalija dunked Illinois into the lead, with just 11 seconds left in the game, on a nice assist from Bradford, his only assist of the game. Then, as Arkansas guard Brandon Dean drove the lane, both Krupalija and fellow senior Robert Archibald moved into defensive position. Dean crashed into both men and official Ted Hillary never hesitated in calling a charge on Dean. Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson was very vocal in his displeasure with the call, but it made no difference.

Illinois was led in scoring by junior guard Frank Williams, who scored 25 points, making 18 free throws and setting a school record by attempting 24 free throws. Williams also had eight rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes of action.

Arkansas was led in scoring by their starting guards, as Dean finished with 29 points and Pargo finished with 28.

Illinois played primarily just six players in the second half and moved to 7-2 on the season.

Illinois will now have eight days off to concentrate on final exams before returning to action next Sunday against Western Illinois. Game time is set for 3 p.m., and the game can be seen on WCIA-TV.

[to top of second column in this article]

•  Illinois out-rebounded Arkansas 46-27, but the Illini had 17 first-half turnovers.

•  Illinois attempted 49 free throws, while the Razorbacks attempted just 21.

•  Six Illinois players finished in double figures. In addition to Williams and Cook, Archibald finished with 14 points, Sean Harrington had 13, Bradford scored 11 points and Krupalija had 10 points, including the game winner.

•  A total of 18,671 people saw the game at the United Center, as Illinois won their only game of the season in their "home away from home." Last season, Illinois beat Arizona at the United Center in December. They beat Purdue and lost to Indiana in the Big Ten tourney at the UC in March.

•  This season, the fifth Big Ten tournament will move to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers.

•  Former Arkansas and NBA star Joe Kleine now serves as color commentator for the Arkansas radio network and was broadcasting the game Saturday.

Self dealing with illness

Coach Bill Self spent two days last week in Carle Hospital battling a stomach virus. Self later confirmed to a group of media he has been diagnosed with diverticulitis, a condition which causes weak spots in the colon to bulge and occasionally infect. Typically, diverticulitis is more common in people age 60-80, yet Self, age 39, faces this serious medical challenge. Coach Self stated he was hopeful a change in his diet would control the problem but did not rule out the possibility of surgery.

[Greg Taylor]

Lincoln College wins invitational meet

[DEC. 10, 2001]   Lincoln College won its swimming invitational Saturday on both the men’s and the women’s side. LC men totally dominated the meet with 585 points to easily outdistance second-place Eureka with 236 points. Millikin finished with 71 points.

The Lady Lynx swimmers posted 457 points, as Millikin placed second with 134 and Eureka had 130.

Placing in the top five for the men were:

200-yard IM — 1. Ramiro Palmar, 1:59.94; 2. Jason Hierman; 3. Ryan Poss.

500 free — 1. Joe Krysak, 4:59.14; 2. Scott Sampson; 3. Bryan Sherman; 4. Jonathan Gentry; 5. Paul Kuetermann.

100 breast — 1. Palmar, :59.67; 3. Doug Zimmer.

100 back — 1. Hierman, 2:04.70; 2. Ryan Poss.

100 free — 1. James Brooks :52.40; 2. Zimmer.

400 IM — 1. Scott Sampson, 4:41.23; 2. Bryan Sherman.

200 fly — 1. Zach Welch, 2:16.32.

1,650 free — 1. Krysak, 17:28.07; 2. Sampson; 4. Gentry.

50 free — 1. Brooks, :24.65.

100 back — 1. Hierman, :57.92; 2. Poss; 3. Zimmer; 4. Sherman.

200 free — 1. Krysak, 1:53.09; 2. Brooks; 3. Gentry.

200 breast — 1. Palmar, 2:14.15.

100 fly — 1. Welch, :57.23.

[to top of second column in this article]

Placing for the women were:

200 IM — 2. Liz Wilson.

500 free — 1. Angela Couch, 5:35.38; 3. Alicia Lloyd.

100 breast — 1. Jill Doxsie, 1:17.99.

200 back — 1. Rachel Willenborg, 2:18.12; 3. Megan Conlon.

100 free — 1. Couch, :58.10; 2. Erin Nelson; 3. Bonnie DiFoggio.

200 fly — 1. Leslie Seago, 2:16.52; 2. Willenborg.

1,650 free — 1. Couch, 19:18.76.

50 free — 1. Nelson, :26.59; 2. Seago; 4. Doxsie; 5. DiFoggio.

200 free — 1. Nelson, 2:13.91; 2. Conlon; 3. Lloyd.

200 breast — 1. Wilson, 2:59.47.

100 fly — 1. Seago, 1:02.85.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

Area game results

[DEC. 8, 2001]   

At Normal

Olympia                  2   9 17   33
University High      10 19 29   46

Wise 0-2-2; Olson 0-2-2; Criswell 2-0-4; Elliot 1-2-5; Dillenburg 2-1-7; Kendrick 1-0-2; Sherman 2-0-4; Wright 1-2-4; Cheek 0-0-0; Schultz 0-0-0; Miller 0-0-0; Keeser 0-0-0; Slager 0-0-0; Hayes 1-0-3.

Totals 10-9-33

At Riverton

Mount Pulaski       11 24 35   46
Riverton                10 25 39   61

Wilson 2-0-4; Coers 1-0-2; Tierney 2-1-5; Schilling 3-0-7; Olson 1-0-2; Blaum 1-1-3; Anderson 6-3-17; Smith 2-0-4; Erlenbush 0-2-2; Dibert 0-0-0.

Totals 18-7-46

At Hartsburg

Illini Bluffs                 10 16 26   37
Hartsburg-Emden      12 27 32   43

Anderson 5-0-11; Gleason 3-1-8; Jones 1-0-2; Leesman 2-2-6; Wrage 8-0-16.

Totals 19-3-43

At Taylorville

Lincoln                 13 17 27   42
Taylorville            10 22 35   48

Farmer 2-2-6; Komnick 1-0-2; Schonauer 5-3-14; Bast 0-2-2; Schrader 0-0-0; Welch 0-2-2; Young 8-0-16.

Totals 16-9-42

LC vs. Shawnee

[DEC. 8, 2001]   

At Lincoln

Shawnee                21 51     72
Lincoln College      44 61   105

Williams 3-0-7; Roberson 6-3-16; Clark 5-0-12; Reed 2-0-5; Fowler 1-0-3; Turner 5-1-11; Kehr 1-0-3; Sams 6-1-13; Major 6-4-17; Hollyfield 7-2-18.

Totals 42-11-105

Illinois State finishes second, behind Indiana State,
in both men's and women's track and field

[DEC. 8, 2001]   Senior captains Sam Serrano and Alfie Gordillo provisionally qualified for the 2002 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships as the Illinois State track and field team opened its indoor season with second-place finishes for both the men and women at Horton Fieldhouse in the Early Bird Invitational.

Serrano qualified in the 20-pound weight with a throw of 58-1¼ and a third-place finish in the event. Gordillo earned his qualification in the 35-pound weight with a throw of 64-10½, with a first-place finish.

Sophomore Jarod Tobler also had an exciting meet for the Redbirds. Tobler finished in first place in both the long jump and the triple jump with jumps of 24-3 and 50-11 respectively.

"This was a tremendous opening meet for the team and an excellent way to finish the semester and open the season," said head track-and-field coach Jeff Pigg. "I am really proud of both teams. The freshman did really well for us today, especially for their first competition of the season. There was just a lot of exciting competition at this meet."

Another notable performance for the 'Birds was the first-place finish in the indoor mile by senior Christian Goy, with a time of 4:15.99, while junior John Shaffer finished third with a time of 4:23.87.

[to top of second column in this article]

Freshman Liz Chukwudebe had a huge throw of 45-9 in the shot put to give her a second-place finish in the event.

Junior Melanie Zimmerman earned a first-place finish in the long jump (17-8¼), while senior teammates Nicole Blow (17-8¼) and Hillary Hyland (17-3½) finished in second and third place respectively.

Senior Monique Haan had a first-place finish in the triple jump with a 39-3¼, while Blow earned second place in the event with a jump of 38-¼.

Freshman Tori Gaumer cleared 10-8 on the pole vault to earn her a tie for third place. Senior captain Keri Davis ran a great anchor leg in an exciting 4-by-400-meter relay to help give Illinois State the victory in that event.

[Rob Huizenga;
ISU Athletics Media Relations]

Carroll Catholic vs. West Lincoln-Broadwell

[DEC. 7, 2001]   

Eighth grade boys

Carroll 57, West Lincoln-Broadwell 48

Seventh grade boys

Carroll 30, West Lincoln-Broadwell 34

Area game results

[DEC. 7, 2001]   

Girls

Olympia vs. U-High

Olympia              10 28 42 55

University High    17 35 47 71

Floyd 1-4-6, Gaither 6-6-20, Short 5-1-11, Goebel 3-0-6, Canopy 4-0-8, Prager 2-0-4

Illinis Central vs. Dee-Mack

Illini Central         20 36 56 70

Dee-Mack            8 14 16 21

Francis 3-0-6, Montgomery 8-3-19, Damm 5-5-16, Oney 2-0-5, Bitner 6-2-14, Klassen 2-0-4, Hudgins 1-0-2, Durdle 2-0-4,

LCC vs. Principia

[DEC. 7, 2001]   

Principia College              49   90

Lincoln Christian College  46 103

Clark 18-7-47, Raymer 1-0-2, Holdery 1-4-6, Below 5-4-15, Brodfuehrer 3-0-6, Grooms 5-0-10, Searby 5-7-17

Nolan Richardson press conference

A win vs. Illinois would be No. 500 for coach

[DEC. 7, 2001]   FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas (4-2) plays at No. 5 Illinois (6-2) Saturday at 11 a.m. in a game televised nationally by ESPN from Chicago’s United Center. UA is coming off a 90-68 win over Southwest Texas, while Illinois lost to Arizona on Tuesday, 87-82. Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson is one win away from career victory No. 500. He is 499-194 (.720) in 21 seasons, including a 380-157 (.708) mark in 17 years at Arkansas.

Nolan Richardson comments on...

Playing Illinois

"Illinois is big and I can see why they are ranked so high. They have big, physical players, which is what teams in the Big Ten usually have. They are very experienced, and they’ve lost to a couple of good teams. They are more of a big, half-court team, and they have great guard play. Frank Williams will be a first-round draft choice, and he should be a lottery pick. He's got everything and can do whatever he wants with the basketball.

"We have to shoot the ball well and make some shots. If we do, we have a chance. Our kids have been working hard. The way we’re playing, we will get some good shots. If we make some, we have a chance to be successful."

UA’s full-court pressure defense

"We have to use whatever we have to our advantage, and to me, the only advantage we have is quickness. Hopefully we can make them go to their bench. The key is turnovers. We have to get a certain number of turnovers to neutralize their rebounding. We have to be in an aggressive, attacking mode because our inside game isn’t that good."

[to top of second column in this article]

Senior G Jannero Pargo returning to his hometown of Chicago for a game

"He’s got to be happy. I think it’s important that when you get a kid from a certain area, you have to take them back. If they have some success for you, then it’s easier to get other kids from that area.

"Pargo comes from a tough neighborhood. I know it’s a blessing for a kid to escape that type of environment. Pargo is a low-key kid and he likes playing basketball, so he was able to get away."

"It will be great when I’m through. When I’m finished, I’ll sit back and think about what I’ve accomplished. It’s kind of like the national championship (1994). It was anticlimactic because I was already thinking, I’ve got to get back here again. Five hundred wins means I’ve been coaching a long time. I’m thankful to the Good Man upstairs that I’ve been able to stay around long enough to reach this milestone.

"The game will be on national TV, so my family and friends will be watching and celebrating, if it should happen."

[University of Arkansas news release]

Area eighth-grade girls to be in state tournament action

[DEC. 6, 2001]   Pairings have been released for the 12th annual Illinois Elementary School Association "Little Sweet 16" Class 8A and 8AA Girls’ State Basketball Tournament.

Chester-East Lincoln girls defeated Le Roy 33-27 in the sectional and will play in the first round of the Class 8A state tournament at Fieldcrest East Middle School in Wenona. The game between C-EL (15-7) and Catlin (18-2) will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.

More pairings in the tournament will be posted later.

In the first round of the Class 8AA tournament, Stanford Olympia (17-4) will meet Chatham Glenwood (19-3) at 4:30 p.m. at Stephen Decatur Middle School in Decatur. Olympia defeated Normal Parkside 33-31 in sectional action.

Williamsville (19-2) plays Harvey Brooks (12-1) at 7:30 p.m. Williamsville defeated Rochester 41-35 in two overtimes to advance from the sectional.

More pairings from that tournament will also be posted later.

This is the 23rd year of the IESA girls basketball state tournament series.

Scores will be posted on the IESA website (www.iesa.org). 

The Class 8A Girls’ State Basketball Tournament will be at Fieldcrest East Middle School in Wenona on Dec. 8, 10, 12 and 13.

Game 1 — 9 a.m., Jacksonville Our Saviour (7-11) vs. Princeville (9-11)

Game 2 — 10:30 a.m., Catlin (18-2) vs. Chester-East Lincoln (15-7)

Game 3 — Noon, Fox River Grove (12-8) vs. Springfield Blessed Sacrament (20-1)

Game 4 — 1:30 p.m., Jerseyville St. Francis-Holy Ghost (19-2) vs. Glasford Illini Bluffs (15-7)

Game 5 — 3 p.m., Paris Crestwood (18-5) vs. Hardin Calhoun (19-2)

Game 6 — 4:30 p.m., Beecher City (21-0) vs. Piper City Tri-Point (19-3)

Game 7 — 6 p.m., Normal Metcalf (18-5) vs. Mazon-Verona-Kinsman (13-7)

Game 8 — 7:30 p.m., Carthage (18-3) vs. Fisher (23-0)

Game 9 — 4 p.m., winners of Games 1 and 2

Game 10 — 5:15 p.m., winners of Games 3 and 4

Game 11 — 6:30 p.m., winners of Games 5 and 6

Game 12 — 7:45 p.m., winners of Games 7 and 8

Game 13 — 6 p.m., winners of Games 9 and 10

Game 14 — 7:15 p.m., winners of Games 11 and 12

Game 15 — 6 p.m., losers of Games 13 and 14 (third place)

Game 16 — 7:15 p.m., winners of Games 13 and 14 (state championship)

Jacksonville Our Saviour 35, Springfield Christian 14

Paris Crestwood 58, Arthur 13

Princeville 29, Farmington Chapman 23

Hardin Calhoun 35, Bowen Southeastern 28

Catlin 20, Champaign St. Matthew 14

Beecher City 33, Dieterich 13

Chester-East Lincoln 33, Le Roy 27

Piper City Tri-Point 35, Buckley St. John’s 30

Fox River Grove 34, Beecher 16

Normal Metcalf 21, Toluca Fieldcrest West 12

Springfield Blessed Sacrament 51, Nokomis South 27

Mazon-Verona-Kinsman 36, Streator Woodland 28

Jerseyville St. Francis-Holy Ghost 35, Mount Olive 15

Carthage 30, Media Southern 26

Glasford Illini Bluffs 33, Peoria Norwood 15

Fisher 33, Cissna Park 23

[to top of second column in this section]

The Class 8AA Girls’ State Basketball Tournament will be at Stephen Decatur Middle School in Decatur on Dec. 8, 10, 12 and 13.

Game 1 — 9 a.m., Paris Mayo (21-2) vs. Homer Glen Homer (17-2)

Game 2 — 10:30 a.m., Washington Central (22-0) vs. Forrest Prairie Central (23-0)

Game 3 — Noon, Taylorville (15-6) vs. Mahomet-Seymour (19-3)

Game 4 — 1:30 p.m., Champaign Edison (19-3) vs. Bourbonnais UGC (18-3)

Game 5 — 3 p.m., Rushville Schuyler County (12-10) vs. Canton Ingersoll (22-0)

Game 6 — 4:30 p.m., Stanford Olympia (17-4) vs. Chatham Glenwood (19-3)

Game 7 — 6 p.m., East St. Louis Clark (15-0) vs. Braidwood Reed-Custer (21-2)

Game 8 — 7:30 p.m., Harvey Brooks (12-1) vs. Williamsville (19-2)

Game 9 — 4 p.m., winners of Games 1 and 2

Game 10 — 5:15 p.m., winners of Games 3 and 4

Game 11 — 6:30 p.m., winners of Games 5 and 6

Game 12 — 7:45 p.m., winners of Games 7 and 8

Game 13 — 6 p.m., winners of Games 9 and 10

Game 14 — 7:15 p.m., winners of Games 11 and 12

Game 15 — 6 p.m., losers of Games 13 and 14 (third place)

Game 16 — 7:15 p.m., winners of Games 13 and 14 (state championship)

Paris Mayo def. Newton Central 36-33

Homer Glen Homer def. Joliet Washington 49-48

Washington Central def. Chillicothe 37-16

Forrest Prairie Central def. Watseka Glenn Raymond 25-17

Taylorville def. Hillsboro 29-20

Mahomet-Seymour def. Mount Zion 22-20

Champaign Edison def. Danville South View 38-20

Bourbonnais UGC def. Country Club Hills Southwood 33-29

Rushville Schuyler Co. def. Pittsfield Pikeland 50-37

Canton Ingersoll def. Dunlap 35-31

Stanford Olympia def. Normal Parkside 33-31

Chatham Glenwood def. Springfield Grant 36-26

East St. Louis Clark def. Carlinville 39-16

Braidwood Reed-Custer def. Ottawa Shepherd 26-25

Harvey Brooks def. Oak Park Julian 31-17

Williamsville def. Rochester 41-35 (two overtimes)

[DEC. 6, 2001]   NORMAL — It took a date change to accommodate an ESPN televised game which put Illinois State in a position to have to play Thursday at Illinois, the Redbirds’ sixth game in 12 days.

Redbird coach Jenny Yopp says it’s more than worth it. Illinois State plays at 7 p.m. at the Assembly Hall in a game originally scheduled for Dec. 17.

"Coach (Theresa) Grentz called in August and said they had a chance for a TV game against Oklahoma (slated for Dec. 16) and would we be willing to move," said Yopp. "We have finals (final examinations) week next week, so we had to move it back to this date. I knew it put us in the position of playing a lot of games (in a short time), but this game and this rivalry is worth that effort."

Yopp, who grew up on North Carolina’s Tobacco Road — where she was a ball shagger at North Carolina State games as a youngster before playing at North Carolina in college — understands the value of geographic rivalries.

"This is a fantastic rivalry and a great opportunity for our basketball team," said Yopp, whose team plays host to Northern Illinois (Dec. 20) and Western Illinois (Dec. 22) as its final non-conference games. "We have a diverse team from different points on the compass, but our Illinois rivalries mean a lot to our fans and to our players from Illinois. The challenge of playing those (Illinois) teams is an important part of our basketball program."

The challenge of playing Illinois includes defending the Illini front line, which features Cindy Dallas and Dawn Vana (both 6-foot-2) and 6-foot-4 Iveta Marcauskaite. Led by Marcauskaite’s 14.8 points per game and 60 percent field goal shooting, the trio combines for 38 points and 22 rebounds per game. That’s more than half the Illinois total in both departments for veteran coach Theresa Grentz’s team.

[to top of second column in this article]

"We respect the success the Illinois program has had," said Yopp. "They are a tall and talented basketball team."

Yopp’s tallest player had, perhaps, her best game as a Redbird Tuesday against Ball State. Kristi Larson, the Redbirds’ lone senior, has battled a succession of injuries from nearly the start of her career to recent days, but she put together an 18-point, 13-rebound effort against Ball State.

The output not only impressed Yopp, but gladdened the third-year Redbird coach.

"Kristi’s finally having some of the success people believed she could have in her career," said Yopp. "She has had some unfortunate injuries which kept her out until January last year and slowed her progress early this year. But she put all that aside and played with great confidence. Kristi believes in hanging in there, and it’s great to see that paying off for her."

Larson’s 13 rebounds were a career high, and the 18 points are the most she has scored since her sophomore season. Her performance was even more amazing considering she totaled no points and two rebounds in the previous two games at Indiana, where she was suffering the effects of bronchitis and some bruised ribs.

"A healthy Kristi is a key to our improvement as a team," said Yopp, whose team takes a 14-day game break, which includes final exams, after the Illinois game.

[ISU news release]

By Jeff Mayfield

[DEC. 3, 2001]   Before I even start with sports let me tell you about my two best highlights of the week…

First was the annual "Christmas in the Chapel" out at Lincoln Christian College. The co-directors, Jeff Colleen and Tom Sowers, are Broadway-quality producers living right here in Lincoln. This year’s spectacular was set in the Civil War era but showed, as always, how the Christmas message is timeless and true in any era, now more than ever.

I am convinced that this production is by far the best-kept secret in central Illinois, and I would encourage everyone in Logan County to get it on their calendars in the future. I know that the Mayfield Christmas is not complete without it.

And as much as I love sports, I gladly and willingly gave up all of the super Saturday football games and the Illini game this weekend because I knew how great the show in the chapel would be. Once again, we were not disappointed.

I give this week’s game ball to Mr. Colleen and to Mr. Sowers. Nice going, fellas … as always!!!

I also had the occasion to take in the world-renowned Riverdance. Most of you who know me think that I’m so overloaded on sports that you’ve never seen my "fine arts" side. And it runs much deeper than even my closest friends could possibly imagine. I’ve been to Broadway and seen such shows as "The King and I" with Yul Brenner. I’ve seen Bob Fosse’s "Dancin,’" "Grease" and "Jesus Christ, Superstar." And my all-time favorite up until now has always been Richard Harris in "Camelot."

But Riverdance was so much better than all those other shows that it would be like comparing AAA baseball with the major leagues. There simply was no comparison. The dancing is spectacular if you like that sort of thing. The lead dancer from Ireland was also one of her country’s star basketball players before she joined the dance troupe. But even if you hate dancing, the music was to die for. I have heard several symphonies, and I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my day (remember, I’m from the Woodstock generation, although don’t look for any confessions here). But the music at Riverdance was by far the most inspiring I have ever heard. The guy on the tin flutes and other wind instruments could compete with Jethro Tull, but the lady who plays the violin has no rival in the world.

Let me just say, if you ever get a chance to see it, don’t roll your eyes … go … and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

Sorry for all the non-sports stuff, but there are a lot of things that I do that just happen to be more important than sports. I figured since some of our loyal readers are young and impressionable that it doesn’t hurt to remind them every once in a while that sports are not a very high priority in the grand scheme of life. With that being said, let’s roll right into this week’s take…

First, how about a nice hand for LCC’s Matt Clark. Clark just broke and is in the process of shattering the school’s all-time scoring record of 2,188 points that has been held by Olympia’s Jim Williamson for some 14 years (I believe that Larry Leatherman held it before that for an even longer period of time).

Math is not my strongest subject, but to score 2,000 points in your career, wouldn’t you have to play about 100 games and average 20 points per game? Talk about consistency! I didn’t score that many points combined in four years of practice, shoot arounds and pre-game drills. This point guard who hails from Evansville, Ind., and turned down a chance to play for the Purple Aces and several other notable programs is doing this while he’s double teamed, pushed and shoved and elbowed all night long.

The LDN takes our hat off to you, Matt Clark. CONGRATULATIONS!

The best thing about Matt is that he’s a better person than he is a player, and he’s a heckuva player. He’s the kind of kid you hope your daughter brings home to meet you. That may mean more than all of his records!

He and former U-High superstar Joel Searby are starting to lead the otherwise young LCC hoopsters to new heights. After a slow start, LCC is now 6-4 and trying to draw some community interest. Why? Someday they’ll be moving to their new home on the east side of campus, and there will finally be room to invite several fans from the community to come and see their exciting style of play. The LDN will keep you posted as to when that will come about.

The ladies team just came back from a wild trip to Alaska, and we’ll try to bring some details on that one as soon as we get them.

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

[to top of second column in this article]

Lincoln College’s hoopsters are off to exciting starts as well. You know that B.J. and the boys are going to be intense and focused, and that they are. But Carol Wilson’s cagers were 10-0 last time I looked. Coach Wilson had a field day while leading Taylorville High to 20-win seasons, year-in and year-out. Now she’s got the Lady Lynx buying into her philosophy, and look at the results! The LDN wishes both Lynx outfits nothing but great success. Wouldn’t it be great if both teams went deep in the playoffs this season? Both teams have former Railers getting it done between the lines. We encourage you to go on out and support these stellar ball clubs.

I haven’t been able to catch the Lady Railers yet this year, but I chuckle at all the second guessers I’ve been running into regarding the boys team this year. Several told me that the Railers (who are already 5-1) would be lucky to win 15 games this year. Oh ye of little faith. I’ve been watching Railer and IHSA basketball for many years, and if you don’t believe me when I say that our coach is one of the top five coaches in the state, would you at least grant me that LCHS is one of the top five programs in the state. And I mean that from top to bottom.

Some may say, "Well, how many state titles have they won?" It’s not all about state titles. While I love Clydesdales, if I’m running a horse in the Kentucky Derby, I want the best thoroughbred I can find. While Lincoln’s athletes are not chopped liver and are some of the best kids in the state, compare the athletes that they go up against every year from places like Peoria Manual or Central or Lanphier or Danville or Centralia. When you do that and realize how much work these coaches and players put in just to remain competitive, it is amazing. There are several small colleges that envy LCHS’s booster club, facilities, coaching staff, programs, scouting reports, and the list goes on and on.

As I said earlier, things like Lincoln High School basketball are not the most important in the world, but I still have a great deal of respect for the dedication and determination put forth by these players and coaches, and I don’t begrudge any of their successes.

Railers, I salute you! And as you go about winning 20 games again, I hope the naysayers take notice and turn over a positive new leaf. Is that too much to ask?

Memo to Athletic teams across the country

Re: Uniform colors

It may be time for all teams in all sports to take closer inventory of their team colors. For years teams tried to come up with some bright color combinations. Then for a while teams dressed in black after a study showed that refs and officials were more favorable to the darker-clad athletes.

The LDN has a new suggestion for teams everywhere: Why not consider orange and bue? It’s working for the Chicago Bears. My son and I just came home from church and watched the Bears come back again and win a game that they should have lost 11 different ways.

It’s worked for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Orange and Blue were predicted by nearly every football expert in the land (except the LDN) to finish this season in the middle of the pack. Somehow, some way, the Illini finished 10-1.

Some say that we’re not the strongest 10-1 team they ever saw. Didn’t they say that about the 1980 U.S. hockey team? Didn’t they say it about Rocky Balboa? Didn’t they say about the 1964 Cardinals?

Critics can say what they want. The LDN says that there is some kind of mystic in the orange and blue color scheme, and we’d get on board as quick as we can if it was up to us! I hope those colors shine bright for the Illini hoopsters this season.

Everybody take notice…you’ve been warned by your friends at the LDN world headquarters!

This parting shot from the world of junior high boys basketball: Carroll Catholic is off to a tremendous start. Last time I looked they were 9-0, and it wasn’t that they were winning games, but they are winning them going away in a very convincing fashion. This could be a very special team. Coach Reilley’s got a pretty good little team over at Lincoln Junior High as well. Within one week’s time he and his hoopmeisters had claimed victories over both Morton and Mount Zion. And those were both in the same week. They could have a special season as well.

That’s it for now.

This is coach Mayfield reminding all to be good sports — on and off the court!

[Jeff Mayfield]

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