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[NOV. 24, 2001]   Rochester defeated Hartsburg-Emden 62-52 in the Athens tournament yesterday.  Hartsburg-Emden will play Litchfield today.

H-E stats (field goals-3-point-total score):

Leesman 0-0-4

Fletcher 3-2-10

Wrage 3-0-8

Anderson 1-0-4

Gleason 4-3-11

Jones 1-0-4

Sherwood 4-0-9

Duckworth 1-0-2

Herbert 0-0-0

Western 0-0-0

Game total 17-5-52

[NOV. 24, 2001]   Roanoke-Benson defeated Olympia 61-58 in the Olympia tournament yesterday.  Olympia will play Dunlap and Eureka today.

Olympia stats (field goals-3-point-total score):

Criswell 2-0-6

Dillenburg 6-2-15

Elliott 0-0-6

Kendrick 1-1-3

Olson 2-0-4

Schultz 1-0-4

Sherman 4-0-8

Wise 8-0-10

Wright 1-0-2

Game total 22-3-58

[NOV. 24, 2001]   Lincoln defeated Morton 70-66 in the Lincoln tournament yesterday.  Lincoln will play Rockford Guilford and Peoria Manual today.

Lincoln stats (field goals-3-point-total score):

Farmer 5-2-23

Komnick 3-3-9

Peters 2-2-6

Schonauer 3-0-6

Bast 0-0-0

Shrader 4-0-11

Welch 2-0-7

Werner 0-0-0

Young 2-0-8

Game total 21-9-70

[NOV. 24, 2001]   Tri-Point defeated Mount Pulaski 49-45 in the GCMS tournament yesterday.  Mount Pulaski will play Reed Custer and GCMS today.

Mt. Pulaski stats (field goals-3-point-total score):

Blaum 0-0-1

Delbert 2-0-4

B. Erienbush 2-0-4

Geiseke 1-0-2

Schilling 1-0-2

Wilson 1-1-5

Anderson 4-1-11

Coers 2-1-6

Olson 4-0-8

Milner 0-0-0

Clements 1-0-2

Game total 18-3-45

[NOV. 24, 2001]   Lutheran South defeated Lincoln 55-47 in the Quincy tournament yesterday.  Kirksville, Mo., defeated Lincoln 55-44.  Lincoln will play Morton today.

Lincoln stats (vs. Lutheran South)
(field goals-3-point-total score):

Dawson 5-1-14

Robbins 1-1-3

Ingram 1-1-5

Froschauer 3-0-8

Moore 0-0-1

Schonauer 1-0-2

Carey 1-0-2

Bunch 0-0-2

Whalen 0-0-2

McFadden 1-0-2

Verderber 3-0-6

Game total 16-3-47

 Lincoln stats (vs. Kirksville)
(field goals-3-point-total score):

Dawson 4-0-10

Robbins 1-0-2

Ingram 1-1-3

Froschauer 2-0-4

Moore 0-0-2

Schonauer 1-0-4

Carey 4-1-11

Bunch 2-0-4

Whalen 0-0-0

McFadden 0-0-0

Verderber 1-0-2

Game total 17-2-44

[NOV. 24, 2001]   After a slow start on Thursday, Illinois took care of business early and often Friday as they smoked Georgia Tech 105-66.  

Illinois' big men made sure that not all of the work went to the guards as Robert Archibald led the way with 16 points, Lincoln's Brian Cook had 14 and Damir Krupalija had 12 off the bench to go along with 9 rebounds.

The Illini guards had outstanding games with a rejuvenated Cory Bradford throwing in 15 and Sean Harrington continuing his solid play by adding 12 to the mix.  Illinois went on a big first half run and was actually leading 67-43 at the half.

Again Illinois' stifling defense continues to be the moniker for Coach Bill Self's troops as they limited the Yellowjackets to 37% shooting.

Illinois will play Southern Illinois for the Las Vegas Invitational championship tonight before flying across the country for a big date with #3 Maryland.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 24, 2001]   Shedrick Ford's jumper with 22 seconds remaining in the game in Illinois State's tournament opener against UC-Irvine secured the Redbird victory, 58-52, over the Anteaters at the University Hoops Classic in Moon Township, Pa., Friday.  

Illinois State improves to 2-0 while the loss for UC-Irvine was its first of the year as it falls to 2-1.

Leading by only two points with a score of 49-47 and four minutes remaining in the game, Illinois State went on a 9-5 run down the stretch, led by Vince Greene, Bojang Baboucarr and Ford. While the Anteaters would not give up, taking the score back to within three with one minute remaining, Ford's jumper followed by two free throws made by Gregg Alexander was all the 'Birds needed for the victory.

Illinois State started the game with an 8-0 run, led the whole first half and never trailed in the contest.  A layup by Baboucarr at the 17:49 mark of the first gave ISU the advantage that the team never relinquished.

Three Redbird players scored in double digits including 13 points contributed from Baboucarr, the team's leading scorer for the day.  Shawn Jeppson had 12 points and Vince Greene posted 11 while Baboucarr also led the team in rebounds with eight.  Jerry Green and Mike Hood led UC-Irvine in scoring with 13 points each.

The second round of the tournament resumes tomorrow with Illinois State facing Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. eastern time.  Pittsburgh defeated Oakland today 70-53 to advance in the winners bracket.

[Erica Fricke,
Asst. Director of Media Relations,
Illinois State University]

[NOV. 24, 2001]   The Lincoln College wrestlers won one of three dual matches in Reno, Nv. Friday afternoon.

The Lynx defeated Yakima Valley Community College, 28-22, for their first dual meet win of the season.  The Lynx lost to Pima College, 45-6, and were defeated by Ricks College, 34-19.  Lincoln College is now 1-6 in dual meets this season.

Winners for Coach Dave Klemm in the Yakima Valley match were Josh Collins (133) by fall over Rob McGruder in 4:57 and Dave Tackett (149) by fall over Isreal Flores in 2:32.  Winning by decisions was Justin Collins (141) over Jeremy Darling, 10-1.  Mike Moharreri and Steve Crawford were winners for the Lynx by forfeit.

Against Pima College Tackett was a 7-4 winner over Mark Cruz and Josh Lepper (197) was a 4-2 winner against Melvin Hunter.

Josh Collins (125) was an 8-0 winner over Tyler Price in the Ricks College match, while Lepper was a 12-6 winner over Brandon Hanson.  Scott Hubbard (157) pinned Dustin Hoops in 2:26 for the Lynx.  Steve Jones was a winner by forfeit at 165.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[NOV. 21, 2001]   While Thanksgiving Day 2001 may not go down as the greatest day in Illinois sports history, it certainly will be remembered as one of the greatest! And that's with two great games, one a football contest and the other a basketball game, neither of which were televised. I don't know who is in charge of the network broadcasting schedule, but I think they should be heavily scrutinized!

It's like the Lincoln High School basketball tourney that's going on right now. Great teams, great athleticism, and pure amateur sports at its best; and where are all the fans? Apparently outdoing all the fun things there are to do in the greater Lincoln area. How they can't televise at least one of those games if not both, is totally beyond our understanding! I'm boycotting all the local networks the rest of the weekend and probably the big boys, too! We did have LDN staff on hand at both events, so you should be able at least to enjoy some great photos!

Illinois clinches Big Ten Championship 

The Illinois Fighting Illini refused to lose all season long. And when it was all said and done yesterday, the Illini proudly walked off the field with a hard fought 34-28 victory over the pesky Northwestern Wildcats.  

Senior QB Kurt Kittner led the Illini parade as he has done all season by going 33-for-43 for 387 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. He may not have the stats of all the other Heisman hopefuls, but if the W's truly are the most important stats, I submit Kittner for the award. Not to be outdone were some splendid performances by Brandon Lloyd who caught 12 passes for 140 yards and two TD's (how much do you think we missed him last season? -- We could be celebrating back-to-back titles!). Walter Young who hauled in seven passes for 23 yards and a touchdown, and Rocky Harvey who continued to eat up the slack left by the loss of Antoineo Harris, by running for 96 yards on only 19 carries! 

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The #10 ranked Illini (10-1, 7-1) claimed a share of the Big Ten title for the first time since 1989 and could win it outright if Ohio State could somehow upset Michigan at the big house on Saturday. At worst, Illinois has secured a spot in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day. At best they could be headed for the Sugar Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl. At any rate, what a great season...I hope the celebration lasts for months! 

Basketball Illini Escape 

I know the Illini hoops team hasn't spent much time in Las Vegas in the past, but last night's game was ridiculous. The Illini looked more like they were a part of the Sigfreid & Roy show than the #2 ranked team in the country! But on the mat with an eight-count ringing in their ears, suddenly they sprang to life and came back from a 13-point deficit to take a Houdini-like escape victory 78-71 over a tougher than advertised bunch of Pennsylvania Quakers (1-1).  

Coach Bill Self must have gotten someone's attention at intermission because the Illini lit up Valley High School gym for some 71% shooting in the 2nd half.  Illinois (3-0) took the lead for good on a thunderous dunk by Lincoln's Brian Cook with a little over 7 minutes to play.  Cook who was mired in foul trouble, erupted for all ten of his points in the 2nd half.  Frank Williams led the way with 22.  Nick Smith had a good game for Illinois with 11, as did Robert Archibald. 

Illinois did win the rebounding battle 34-26 but were out-shot 10-5 from beyond the arc.  The win sets up a meeting with Georgia Tech tonight at 9:30. 

 [Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 21, 2001]   

Girls

Clinton Tournament at Dwight

Mount Pulaski             10 17 20 27

Clinton                          7 17 29 49

Howe 0-1-1, Faith 2-3-8, Hudson 2-0-4,  Jason 2-0-4, Tillquist 1-0-2, Rucks 1-3-5, Sanders 1-0-3.

Boys

Lincoln Tournament at Lincoln

Lincoln             18 33 46 60

Limestone           9 24 36 48

Farmer 5-2-16, Komnick 1-0-2, Schonauer 2-0-5, Bast 2-0-4, Schrader 5-3-14, Welch 3-0-6, Werner 1-0-2, Young 5-1-11

[NOV. 23, 2001]  The Illinois football team secured at least a share of their first conference title in 11 years and will play in at least one January 1 bowl game after their 34-28 victory over Northwestern played Thursday in Champaign. Several players had excellent games for the Illini, but none was better than senior quarterback Kurt Kittner’s. Playing his final game in front of the home crowd, Kittner completed 33 of 43 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns. At one point in the first half, he completed 12 straight passes. Two of Kittner’s receivers enjoyed 100 yard receiving days, as sophomore Brandon Lloyd caught 12 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns and junior Walter Young caught seven passes for 123 yards and one touchdown. Kittner’s first touchdown pass went to senior tight end Brian Hodges.

With the victory, Illinois moves to 10-1 on the season, their best record since the 1983 Rose Bowl season, and clinches at least a tie for the conference championship. If Ohio State upsets Michigan on Saturday at the Big House, Illinois will be the outright conference champs for the first time in 18 seasons. Coach Ron Turner, in just his fifth season in Champaign, has watched his Illini program improve from 0-11 in his first season to an almost perfect 10-1 in season number five. Do not be surprised if Turner’s name becomes linked with several high-profile college and professional programs which could possibly make coaching changes in the off-season, including Notre Dame and the Indianapolis Colts.

So now what? At the very least, Illinois will play on New Year’s Day in the Florida Citrus bowl in sunny Orlando, Florida against second place team of the Southeastern conference, probably South Carolina with coach Lou Holtz. However, several Illinois players mentioned without apology their desire to play in one of four BCS (Bowl Championship Series) games. The four BCS games are the Fiesta Bowl (played on Jan. 1, 2002) in Tempe, Ariz.; the Sugar Bowl (played on Jan. 1, 2002) in New Orleans, La.; the Orange Bowl (played on Jan. 2, 2002) in Miami, Fla.; and the Rose Bowl (played Jan. 3, 2002) in Pasadena, Calif. The Rose Bowl will serve as the national championship game.

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The following is a quick recap of the 2001 Illini season:

9-1-01      at California             44-17 victory

9-8-01     vs. Northern Illinois   17-12 victory

9-22-01     vs. Louisville            34-10 victory

9-29-01     at Michigan              45-20 loss

10-6-01    vs. Minnesota            25-14 victory

10-13-01     at Indiana               35-14 victory

10-20-01   vs. Wisconsin           42-35 victory

11-3-01       at Purdue               38-13 victory

11-10-01    vs. Penn State         33-28 victory

11-17-01   at Ohio State            34-22 victory

[Greg Taylor]

[NOV. 23, 2001]   The Game: 2001 University Hoops Classic, 2 p.m., Nov. 23, 2001 at the Sewall Center in Moon Township, Pa.

The probable starters

ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS (1-0)

Gregg Alexander    6-4    190    Fr.-HS    Lincoln, Ill.

Baboucarr Bojang    6-9    205    Jr.-TR    Greenville, S.C.

Shedrick Ford    6-5    220    Sr.-1L    Macon, Ga.

Randy Rice    6-0    165    Sr.-1L    Springfield, Ill.

Shawn Jeppson    6-2    180    Sr.-3L    Spring Valley, Ill.

UC-Irvine Anteaters (2-0)

J.R. Christ    6-9    245    Sr.    St. Louis, Mo.

Jordan Harris    6-5    217    Jr.    Phoenix, Ariz.

Adam Parada    7-0    240    So.    Alta Loma, Calif.

Jerry Green    6-3    190    Sr.    Pomona, Calif.

The coaches

  Tom Richardson is 31-29 in his third season at Illinois State. He is assisted by Chad Altadonna, Anthony Beane and Doug Novsek.  UC-Irvine is  coached by Pat Douglass, who owns a 56-57 record in his fifth season with the Anteaters. He is assisted by Todd Lee, Len Stevens and Tim Cleary.

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).  

Bryson lost for season

Tarise Bryson, the nation¹s top returning scorer, the reigning Missouri

Valley Conference Player of the Year and the 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 State¹s 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.

About UC-Irvine

UC-Irvine is located in Irvine, Calif. and enrolls 19,710 students. The Anteaters are members of the Big West Conference.

Head coach Pat Douglass is in his fifth season at UC-Irvine.  He owns a 56-57 record with the Anteaters and a 432-175 mark overall.  He was the 2000-01 Big West Coach of the Year.

UC-Irvine was voted the Big West preseason favorite by both the league coaches and media.

The Anteaters return two starters from last season¹s 25-5 team that lost in the first round of the NIT to eventual champion Tulsa.  Big West Player of the Year Jerry Green averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season, while Adam Parada, a member of the Big West All-Freshman Team, averaged 7.6 points and 6.2 boards per contest last year.

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For UC-Irvine, the 2000-01 Big West regular season title was its first in school history.

In addition to being selected as the league¹s player of the year, Green was also an honorable mention all-America selection by the Associated Press.

The Anteaters opened the 2001-02 campaign by hosting a pair of West Coast Conference opponents.  UC-Irvine dropped Saint Mary¹s 71-64 last Friday night at the Bren Center, before topping Pepperdine 96-93 in double overtime on Tuesday.

The smallest players on the Anteater roster are Green, DeVaughn Peace and Aras Baskauskas -- at 6-foot-3.  With four players 6-foot-10 and taller, the UC-Irvine roster averages 6-foot-7.

Last season, the Anteaters claimed wins over Pac-10 opponents California and Washington.

The series

This is the first meeting between the two schools. Illinois State owns a 22-11 mark all-time against schools hailing from California.  The last time the Redbirds faced a team from California was in 1998, when Illinois State topped Pacific, and future No. 1 NBA draft pick Michael Olowokandi, 64-63 in Redbird Arena.

4,239 miles from Redbird Arena

It¹s doubtful if Kevin Costner and Courtney Cox will be embarking on this journey, but today¹s game against UC-Irvine does mark the start of the longest road swing for the Redbirds this season. After the three games at Moon Township, Pa., for the 2001 University Hoops Classic, Illinois State will travel to Statesboro, Ga., to face Georgia Southern on Nov. 29 and will play at Texas-San Antonio on Dec. 1. In all the Redbirds will travel 4,239 miles in nine days, before returning to Redbird Arena to face Samford on Dec. 8.

Picked to win the league?  Chances are you¹re playing Illinois State

Illinois State will play 11 nonconference games this season. Of the

Redbirds¹ 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.

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 Redbirds 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.  

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); R.C. McBride, studio host.  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 Richardson¹s weekly call-in show, which alternates depending on the schedule, but generally airs each Thursday from 6:07-7 pm.  

Web Birds

The Illinois State athletics web page, at www.redbirds.org, includes a 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.  

[Todd Kober]

[NOV. 21, 2001]   

Girls

Olympia Tournament at Stanford

IVC           7 11 23 31

Olympia     8 19 32 43

Olympia stats: Short 0-1-1, Gaither 9-4-23, Canopy 2-0-4, Boegel 3-3-9, Floyd 3-0-6.

Boys

Athens Tournament at Athens

Hartsburg-Emden    6 19 30 42

Athens                    8 22 32 46

Ke. Leesman 2-0-4, Fletcher 2-0-5, Wrage 3-2-8, Anderson 2-3-7, Gleason 2-1-7, Ko. Leesman 1-2-4, Jones 2-1-5, Sherwood 1-0-2

[NOV. 21, 2001]   

Men

Lincoln College handed Black Hawk a 91-80 setback in men’s basketball at Lincoln Tuesday night.

Coach B.J. McCullum’s squad featured a balanced attack, led by James Roberson with 19 points. Derik Hollyfield and Sam Jackson both contributed 18 points while Steve Turner scored 14 to round out the double-figure scoring.

The Lynx led 42-36 at halftime and outscored the visitors 49-44 in the second half.  Lincoln finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor and put the game away by making 20-of-26 free throws.  Black Hawk out-rebounded the Lynx 46-40. Amir Major led the Lynx on the boards with eight rebounds, one more than Hollyfield. Roberson and Turner both handed out seven assists for the Lynx.

Lincoln College will host the Eureka junior varsity on Nov. 26 (Monday) in their next home game.

Lincoln College (91) — Paris Williams 1-1-0-0-2; James Roberson 7-10-2-2-19; Josh Clark 0-1-0-0-0; Gene Reed 0-0-0-0-0; Mike Fowler 0-3-1-2-1; Steve Turner 5-13-4-4-14; Andrew Kehr 1-1-0-0-3; Mike Sams 3-6-1-2-7; Amir Major 4-11-0-0-9; Derik Hollyfield 6-14-4-6-18; Sam Jackson 5-10-8-10-18.  Totals 32-70-20-26-91. Three-point goals: Roberson 3, Kehr, Major, Hollyfield 2.

Black Hawk (80) — Jesse Collum 2-11-4-5-9; Brandon Hoffman 1-2-0-0-2; Devarra Purefoy 1-3-0-0-2; Chris Hickey 5-13-0-0-13; Maurice Williams 9-21-2-4-22; Matt Calef 5-10-2-2-14; Joe Spruille 6-15-6-8-18. Totals 29-75-14-19-80. Three-point goals: Collum, Hickey 3, Williams 2, Calef 2.

[to top of second column in this article]

Women

Angie Bossingham tossed in 24 points to lead Lincoln College to a 74-55 victory over Black Hawk in women’s basketball at Lincoln Tuesday night. Bossingham was joined in double figures by Zabrina Harper, who contributed 12 points.

Lincoln College held a 10-point lead at halftime, 46-36, and coasted to victory the second half as both teams struggled to score, Black Hawk netting just 19 points in the final 20 minutes.

Lincoln College will be in action against Kankakee at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27 (Tuesday).

Lincoln College (74) — Ariel Lamb 0-0-0-0; Tammy Bausley 0-0-0-0; Jenny Story 2-0-0-4; Victoria Scott 3-0-0-6; Sarah McLaughlin 0-2-4-2; Audrey Hinrichsen 1-0-0-2; Angie Bossingham 8-5-5-24; Ronni Beebe 0-7-10-7; Heather Dobey 0-1-2-1; Kim Calhoun 2-1-4-5; Kim Massenburg 1-0-0-2; Jessie Dullard 3-2-6-8; Sereida Melker 0-1-2-1; Zabrina Harper 5-1-2-12.  Totals 25-20-35-74. Three-point goals: Bossingham 3, Harper.

Black Hawk (55) — Ponce 2-0-0-4; Jones 2-0-0-4; Hughs 1-2-4-4; Johnson 1-3-7-5; Belite 2-0-0-5; Bea 3-4-4-10; Haynes 3-6-7-12; Brownwell 1-0-1-2; Thorpe 1-1-2-3; Barton 3-0-0-6.  Totals 19-16-25-55.  Three-point goals: Belite.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[NOV. 20, 2001]  The Lincoln Railers defeated Danville 55-47 in their game Monday evening.

Score by quarters

Lincoln 15 26 37 55

Danville 6 22 36 47

Individual stats

Farmer 4-2-11

Romnick 1-0-2

Schonauer 4-0-9

Schrader 4-2-12

Welch 2-0-4

Werner 3-0-7

Young 5-0-10

Limestone vs. Morton
at Lincoln tournament 

Limestone  16 32 51 65 74

Morton      21 41 47 65 71

[NOV. 20, 2001]   

Mount Pulaski vs. Fisher

Mount Pulaski    24 37 54 77

Fisher                7 20 32 37

Individual stats

Wilson 1-0-2

Coers 2-0-4

N. Tierney 2-4-8

Claments 1-0-2

Schilling 2-0-4

Olson 2-0-4

Blaum 6-1-13

Anderson 9-1-22

Waymire 1-1-3

J. Tierney 2-0-4

Smith 4-0-8

Erlenbush 1-0-3

Olympia girls vs. Streator

Olympia    13 31 43 49

Streator     10 22 31 38

Olympia JV vs. Tremont

Olympia JV    12 25 41 51

Tremont         10 14 21 27

[NOV. 20, 2001]   

Score by halves

MacMurray         44 49 - 93

Lincoln Christian  47 45 - 92

Individual stats

Clark 8-8-27

Holderby 4-09

Below 3-3-9

Turney 0-4-4

Okusami 6-5-17

Grooms 3-2-8

Searby 7-3-17

[NOV. 20, 2001]  You knew it was just a matter of time. He was like a time bomb in one of those "Mission Impossible" shows. I mean, how excited did you expect him to get in a couple of exhibition laughers? But then, he didn’t come out all that strong last Friday versus Gonzaga. However, Monday night Frank Williams began to prove once again why Dickie V put him on the latest cover of the ESPN magazine. Williams exploded for 16 second-half points by making 7-of-9 free throws and going a sizzling 5-for-8 from the field as he finished the night with 20 points. His performance somewhat overshadowed the real debut of Luther Head, who dunked his way into the hearts of Illini fans everywhere with a 14-point performance.

More kudos must go to the bench than that. Nick Smith continued his improvement by giving Illinois nine points and three blocked shots. Damir Krupalija bounced back from a lackluster showing against the Bulldogs by hounding the EIU Panthers for 12 points as he didn’t miss a shot in four tries.

Once again defense and rebounding were the points of emphasis. Cory Bradford totally bottled up the nation’s leading scorer from a year ago, Henry Domercant. Bradford harassed him into a woeful 3-of-14 shooting night that really pointed to the Panthers’ downfall. Illinois’ presence in the passing lanes, denying almost any penetrating pass of any kind, meant that all Eastern could get were jumpers with Illini hands in their faces. Illinois improved a little on the boards from their last outing by seizing a commanding 45-31 edge in the rebounding battle. These factors contributed to Illini not going down to an upset-minded team like so many of their ranked brethren.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  Lincoln College won the Lady Lynx Classic this past weekend at Lincoln College by defeating McHenry, 90-72, and Moraine Valley, 85-55.   The Lynx are now 5-0 for the season and will play at home Tuesday against Black Hawk at 5:30 p.m.

Coach Carol Wilson used numerous players in the two games, with nearly everyone contributing.  Ten players scored for the Lady Lynx in the game against McHenry, while 14 cracked the scoring column against Moraine Valley.

Jessie Dullard led the Lynx against McHenry with 22 points. Double-figure support came from Victoria Scott, 13; Kim Calhoun, 12; Zabrina Harper, 12; and Sarah McLaughlin, 10. Angie Bossingham was the lone double-figure scorer against Moraine Valley with 16 points.

Dullard and Bossingham were selected to the all-tournament team by the coaches.

Lincoln College (90) — Ariel Lamb 1-0-0-2; Victoria Scott 6-0-1-13; Sarah McLaughlin 3-1-2-10; Angie Bossingham 3-2-2-9; Ronni Beebe 1-3-4-5; Kim Calhoun 5-2-4-12; Kim Massenburg 0-1-2-1; Ashley Sims 1-2-2-4; Jessie Dullard 10-2-3-22; Zabrina Harper 6-0-2-12. Totals 36-13-22-90.  Three-point goals: Bossingham, Scott, McLaughlin 3.

McHenry (72) — Abramavicius 1-3-4-6; Beyer 3-3-4-10; Brook 7-1-4-16; Jaehnke 4-6-12-14; Jay 3-3-4-10; Legnadli 4-0-0-8; Shockey 2-2-2-6.  Totals 24-18-30-72.  Three-point goals: Shockey 2, Abramavicius, Beyer, Brook, Jay.

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Lincoln College (85) — Lamb 1-3-5-5; Bausley 0-1-2-1; Story 1-1-2-3; Scott 2-1-2-5; McLaughlin 3-1-2-7; Hinrichsen 1-1-2-4; Bossingham 6-0-0-16; Beebe 3-2-4-8; Dobey 1-1-2-3; Calhoun 2-3-4-7; Massenburg 3-1-4-7; Sims 2-3-4-7; Rossio 2-0-0-4; Dullard 1-6-8-8; Melker 0-0-0-0.  Totals 28-24-41-85.  Three-point goals: Bossingham 4, Hinrichsen.

Moraine Valley (55) — Connelly 0-3-4-3; Leonard 4-6-10-14; Beranek 0-1-2-1; Kimmey 4-3-4-11; Archer 7-0-0-16; Crum 4-1-4; Maglaris 0-1-2-1.  Totals 19-15-26-55.  Three-point goals: Archer 2.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  NORMAL — Forward Shedrick Ford tossed in 18 points and hauled in eight rebounds as Illinois State edged Weber State 74-70 in the season opener Friday at Redbird Arena.

Down by as many as six in the first half, the Redbirds (1-0) clawed their way back to within one with nine minutes left, after a layup by Ford and a Shawn Jeppson trey. The ’Birds took their first lead of the game at the four-minute mark on another Jeppson 3-pointer as Illinois State took a 35-31 lead into the half.

In the second half, Baboucarr Bojang drove the lane and was fouled as his shot dropped through. Bojang’s free throw extended the Redbird lead to four. After Weber State battled to within one, Jeppson found Bojang for a thunderous dunk. On the WSU’s possession, Bojang came up with a steal and found an open Randy Rice for the layup and a five-point lead with 7:40 remaining.

Wildcat Brad Barton made things interesting, nailing a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds in regulation, bringing Weber State within three, but Vince Greene hit a free throw with less than one second left to seal the Redbird victory.

Preseason Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Tarise Bryson went down with an injury to his right wrist at the 17:46 mark on a hard foul as he was driving to the basket. Bryson left the game for X-rays with eight points, three assists and three steals.

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Bojang and Jeppson filled in during the second half in the absence of Bryson. Bojang recorded his first double-double in his first game as a Redbird, scoring 14 points, 12 in the second half, and pulling down 10 boards. Jeppson tallied 10 of his 14 in the second period and dished out five assists.

For the game, ISU shot 85 percent from the free-throw line (24-of-28) while holding Weber State to 63 percent (12-of-19) from the charity stripe. The tenacious Redbird defense forced 24 Wildcat turnovers, which were converted into 29 points for the ’Birds.

Weber State’s Jermaine Boyette poured in 14 first-half points and erupted for 17 second-half points to lead the Wildcats. John Hamilton added 10 for WSU, which falls to 0-1.

The Redbirds return to action Nov. 23, taking on the UC-Irvine Anteaters at the University Hoops Classic at Moon Township, Pa.

[Erica Fricke,
ISU assistant director of media relations]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to open the season with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, but it sure wasn’t I. I’ve been out on the road so much this year that my phone call from Mr. Guenther or from coach Self must’ve come while I was away. This is the same Bulldog team that has reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last three NCAA tournaments. Media outlets across the country refer to them as Cinderella, but Cinderella only went to the dance once! From my vantage point, all I can say about these guys is… they’re pretty good! And I didn’t want to play them. I would have been much happier with a game against Prairie View or my former team out at LCC.

Of course if I wrote this story simply as a college basketball fan, I would feel much differently. I would love this kind of contest, putting two of the best 16 teams on the floor at the same time this early in the season. You have to love that. However you saw it, the Illini grinded out a gritty performance and rode Brian Cook’s second-half breakout to a thrilling 76-58 victory that was much more difficult than it sounds.

Illinois shot only 39 percent from the field in the first half and were clobbered on the boards but still managed a 36-29 advantage, mostly because of the free-throw differential. To prove that I am not a homer, I’m not so sure that Gonzaga fouled all that much or if they were the victims of some interesting calls. The flow of the game was disrupted several times, and I think the Bulldogs are a very dangerous team when they dictate the pace and tempo. Last night they were able to do neither.

Much of that credit must go to coach Self’s defensive game plan. Illinois had tremendous pressure on the ball, which limited the play of All-World player Dan Dickau, who STILL somehow managed to get 19 points. Illinois’ defense was so good that Dickau finished with six turnovers — very uncharacteristic, I’m sure.

In addition to the great D, Brian Cook’s emergence in the second half helped the Illini pull away from the pesky ’Dogs. After a very slow start, Cook found the range and really got into the flow of the offense. He finished the night 5-of-13 from the field, 7-for-7 from the line, and he had two assists and three steals while committing no turnovers. He led the team with 18 points and stayed away from foul trouble in 34 minutes of action.

Cory Bradford had a great opening night by firing in 17 points, and Robert Archibald had a very solid 16-point performance. Sean Harrington had five points — very uncharacteristic, I’m sure — but he had some nifty passes and contributed four assists. Frank Williams chipped in 13 for the Illini cause but never really seemed to get untracked. As just a single observer somewhere out on the prairie, I’m not too concerned about that.

Much has been made about Cook and others regarding the fact that they need to be more consistent. Well, dah! Don’t we all need to be more consistent? I’m just hoping that this team displays the unselfish play that they demonstrated last night, all season long.

[to top of second column in this article]

As a former coach, I’d say that my best teams were when we had four, five or six players and the scouting reports would say stop Williams, and Cook and Bradford will kill you; stop Cook and Bradford, and Archibald will rise up and bite you. What I would have given for a player like Cook?!

Since the depth of this year’s squad will be a question mark for a while, it is even more important that the first six make the extra pass and play the stifling team defense that they showed last night. Cook, Archibald and Krupalija were double-teaming in the post ferociously. The Illini guards put so much pressure on the ball that they were forcing the Gonzaga guards to places on the floor that they did not want to go. When you can shut down a great team like that with suffocating defense, you give yourself a better chance to be competitive every night.

Bench contributions were also a factor for Illinois last night. I’m getting on the Nick Smith bandwagon early. I think he has improved immensely! He came out on the court and immediately electrified the crowd with a blocked shot. Then he got a rebound and then a bucket. He fired up the crowd and brought some energy to the floor. If he can give six to 10 solid minutes a night and help us add another interior player to the post rotation, he will make us so much better. Luther Head and Brett Melton also did well in limited action. Damir Krupalija never really seemed to get going, but his presence, especially on the defensive end, was a factor. And Blandon Ferguson snagged three caroms in three minutes of action. Our bench may very well determine how far the Illini will go this season.

Gonzaga out-rebounded the Illini 40-30 for the game, but that was offset by two key statistics. First, Illinois forced the Bulldogs into 20 turnovers while committing only eight themselves. That’s like mid-season form. And Illinois made 30 free throws to eight for Gonzaga. While I’m delighted that the Illini made almost 80 percent from the line, I’m not all that proud of the disparity. I am proud of our overall performance.

I would give us a strong B and could be persuaded to go B-plus if someone gives me a cupcake.

Suddenly, I’m starting to feel a lot better about scheduling this game.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Despite two touchdowns apiece from Quincy Washington and Vito Golson, Illinois State could not contain Southwest Missouri State as the Bears posted 611 yards of total offense, handing the Redbirds their ninth loss of the season, 48-31, in the season finale Saturday at Plaster Sports Complex.

SMS scratched the scoring column first on a 62-yard pass from Austin Moherman to Mark Marcos at the 6:16 mark in the first quarter. The Bears then closed out the first quarter when running back Demetrius Smith scampered into the end zone for a one-yard scoring run.

The Redbirds struck back at the 12:55 mark in the second quarter with an 82-yard drive capped by a 37-yard Dusty Burk pass to Golson for a touchdown.

Another one-yard run by Smith with two minutes left in the half gave SMS a 21-7 advantage, but the ’Birds found the end zone once more before halftime as Washington ran the ball in from the one-yard line with 24 seconds left on the clock.

In the third, the Bears collected an early field goal that was answered by the Redbirds with a Steve Carroll field goal from 47 yards out with 9:14 left in the quarter. Washington scored his second touchdown of the day on another one-yard carry at the 5:45 mark to tie the game. The Bears responded with a 92-yard drive that ended with a three-yard run by Eddie Linscomb to put SMS up by seven.

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The first three drives of the fourth resulted in touchdowns as Moherman found Marcos open once again and SMS extended the lead to 14 early in the fourth. On the next drive, the ’Birds cut the lead to seven as Burk hit Golson with a 21-yard strike at the 11:11 mark. Twenty seconds later, Eddie Linscomb ran back the kickoff for a 65-yard score, putting the Bears ahead 45-31. SMS added another field goal with 7:06 remaining.

Burk finished the day with 240 yards on 13-of-22 passing, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Golson hauled in five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns while Washington rumbled for 82 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Redbirds conclude the 2001 campaign 2-9 and 2-5 in the Gateway while

SMS finishes the season at 6-5 and 3-4.

[Heather Henning, ISU athletics media relations]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  The cardiac Illini have struck again, this time in Columbus, Ohio, where the Illinois Fighting Illini left a stunned crowd of over 100,000 paying customers and a disbelieving Ohio State football team scattered on the field in a 34-22 thriller. For the fourth time in as many games, Illini QB Kurt Kittner brought the team back from a deficit.

Illinois (9-1, 6-1) has now won six games in a row since the season-opening debacle at Michigan. Illinois can clinch at least a tie for the Big Ten conference championship with a win over Northwestern at home on Thanksgiving Day. The Illini are now ranked in the top 10 in the nation at No. 10!

The LDN was invited to Ohio State Saturday, but a previous commitment to LCC basketball and some yard work stood in the way!

For more info on the game, go to www.fightingillini.com.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 19, 2001]  The Lincoln College men dominated the Illinois Wesleyan University swimming meet Saturday to easily outdistance a field of eight teams. The Lynx of coach Dan Hemenway had a team total of 187 points. Second place went to Carthage College with 97 points.   Lincoln College was the lone two-year school in the event.

The Lady Lynx finished third in the nine-team field with a total of 74.5 points, behind Illinois Wesleyan with 125.5 and North Central with 110.

Ramiro Palmar and Joe Krysak were selected co-MVP award winners for the Lynx swimmers.   Lincoln College won every event and placed second in seven of the 12 events.

Placing for Lincoln College men were:

Three-meter diving — 1. Sean Calhoun, 246.5; 2. Tim Philosophos, 230.75.

One-meter diving — 1. Philosophos, 256.95; 2. Calhoun, 232.95; 3. Bryce Olsen, 144.60; 4. Brett Chase, 131.20; 5. Adam Johnisee, 131.20.

200-yard medley relay — 1. Lincoln College (Joe Krysak, Zach Welch, Brandon Davidson, Carl Kopecky), 1:42.56; 3. Lincoln College (Jason Hierman, Doug Garofalo, Ronald Kestner, Doug Zimmer), 1:46.44

200 free — 1. Krysak, 1:47.15; 2. Kestner, 1:51.64.

200 IM — 1.Palmar, 1:59.85; 3. Hierman, 2:08.92.

50 free — 1. Kopecky, :22.64; 2. Scott Sampson, :23.29.

100 fly — 1. Palmar, :53.89; 2. Welch, :56.79; 5. Brandon Davidson, 1:00.35.

100 free — 1. Kopecky, :48.73.

500 free — 1. Krysak, 4:50.07; 2. Sampson, 4:59.82.

100 back — 1. Hierman, :57.05; 3. Ryan Poss, :58.73.

100 breast — 1. Palmar, :59.09; 4. Welch, 1:04.48; 5. Kestner, 1:05.05.

200 free relay — 1. Lincoln College (Palmar, Sampson, Krysak, Kopecky), 1:30.54; 4. Lincoln College (Brooks, Hierman, Welch, Kestner), 1:34.40.

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Top finishers for the Lady Lynx were:

200 free — 4. Rachel Willenborg, 2:05.02; 6. Angela Couch, 2:06.26.

200 IM — 2. Leslie Seago, 2:22.78.

50 free — 4. Erin Nelson, :26.47; 5. Couch, :26.75.

100 fly — 3. Willenborg, 1:03.99; 4. Seago, 1:04.04.

100 free — 6. Nelson, :59.13.

500 free — 4. Seago, 5:37.75; 5. Couch, 5:45.55.

100 back — 2. Willenborg, 1:04.51.

200 free relay — 3. Lincoln College (Seago, Nelson, Willenborg, Couch), 1:47.31.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[NOV. 17, 2001]  In front of a gathering of family and friends, Lincoln High School senior Andy Knopp inked a deal to play baseball at Western Illinois University after his local playing days come to an end in the spring.

Knopp was noticeably happy about all of the support and acknowledged it throughout the 30-minute press conference that started Thursday at 4 p.m. in the main offices at the school.

Coach Pat Hake also seemed quite pleased with the proceedings and pointed to it as yet another sign of the continuing emergence of Lincoln baseball.

Once again the LDN brings you the REAL inside story, as we spoke with Andy’s future coach, Stan Hyman, via telephone Friday morning. This is what coach Hyman had to say:

"We are excited to add Andy Knopp to our roster. He brings us lots of versatility. He can play both the infield and the outfield, and he can also pitch. That made him very attractive to us because we can use him in varying roles. In terms of depth, he’s the kind of player that gives us the necessary depth to accomplish our goals. Andy was one of 12 signees that we’ve inked during this early signing period, and he is a part of a tremendous recruiting class. That is important to us, as we played the 50th toughest schedule in the country last season.

"Another big change over here at WIU is that we are bringing the program up to a national level. We recently tore up our infield and rebuilt it. Now it looks like a major league infield. Improvements like that and adding a stellar recruiting class can do nothing but help us.

[to top of second column in this article]

"The biggest thing about recruiting Andy was that he is a quality young man. We know that he will give us a solid effort in the classroom and out on the field. We pride ourselves on looking for solid kids from solid families and schools, and we think we have found that with Andy. He brings the kind of quality that we are looking for in our program."

The LDN hopes to do a full feature on Knopp in the future, but we have these notes now:

—WIU is a Division I program with a schedule approximating 56 games. Included on their schedule are dates with such notables as Nebraska (sixth in the nation last season), Iowa, Missouri, Kansas State, Illinois, Illinois State, Bradley and Southern Illinois. They also hope to play a game next season in the Minnesota Twins’ "Twinkie Dome," the Metrodome, and they also have scheduled a tournament in Hawaii.

—Knopp figures to be penciled in the lineup somewhere as a middle infielder, probably at second base, which is a position that he is quite comfortable with. Insiders say that he will probably be called on to do some pitching as well. Again, according to insiders, Knopp is the first Lincoln Railer in 10 years to sign with a D-I baseball program directly out of high school!

CONGRATULATIONS, Andy!

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 17, 2001]  Gregg Alexander had eight points and started ISU's first game as a true freshman, as the Redbirds held on for a 74-70 win over Weber State in their home opener yesterday.  Congratulations to Gregg and to the Redbirds.  For more info, click here for Todd Kober's story on the game.

[NOV. 17, 2001]  Occasionally this season LDN will bring you some post-game comments by the game’s principal players and coaches and from our staff. We’ll start with last night’s chance encounter with coach Bill Self.  LDN photographer Tom Seggelke and I literally ran into him as we were leaving the Assembly Hall.

Thinking, I’m sure, that Tom and I were with ESPN or Fox Sports News, he immediately asked us who we were.  We told him and he talked to us anyway! 

He seemed to be very happy with his team’s performance and told us that he was most pleased with their defensive effort.

I wanted to plant a seed with him to possibly open the door for future exclusive LDN interviews, so I pointed out to him that we have a mutual friend, former Oral Roberts star center Jay Henderson.  Jay is a veteran of the LCC (Mayfield era) basketball camps.  Self seemed to think that that was pretty neat.

I asked him if he felt better now that this game was behind us and he said, "Definitely."

I then offered him congratulations and wished him good luck on the season and he said, “Thanks.”  Tom was very moved by his response.

Quotes

Coach Mark Few:

"I put us in this situation (by scheduling this game).  You have to play A-minus basketball at best to win in this environment, and we didn’t.  We didn’t take care of the ball or execute well enough to exploit some things.  They took us out of option A and B, and so we dribbled around trying to make something happen rather than trusting your teammates.

"Illinois is a very good basketball team.  They are a great defensive team.  They spread you out and high-low you.  There were times in their offensive where all five players touched the ball.  Those are signs of a championship team.  Their unselfishness impressed me.  But I’m the one who scheduled this game.

"It was a great college basketball crowd.

"I would only grade us out at a C or a C-minus.  Our offense was not vintage Gonzaga basketball tonight.  Illinois should be credited for that.  They do what we call help on help.  Last season we were eliminated by Michigan State, and they killed us on the boards.  It was our goal to improve on that area and I think we have.  But, I would’ve swapped that tonight for better offensive execution."

[to top of second column in this article]

Gonzaga’s Dan Dickau:

"We can’t get any big- name teams to come up and play us in Spokane, Wash. I love to play on the road in great arenas like this one.  I/we had too many silly turnovers to put us in a position to win."

The LDN asked him how far he thought he could take his team.

“I want to take them as far as I can," he said. "I  I have a lot of confidence in myself and in my team to get us there.”

There was so much pride in the hall with all of the orange shirts. It reminded me of the great support we get back home in our kennel!

Brian Cook:

"In the second half I needed to post up closer to the basket.  I got some layups and got to the free- throw line, and that helped me get going."

The LDN asked if Cook called for the ball when he’s in the flow or if they run plays especially for him.

“No, coach wants us to pass the ball on the perimeter, and he wants us big guys to really move without the ball," Cook said. " He wants us to get in the seams and not to force it.  We have confidence in each other, and we trust our offense.”

Stray arrows

I admit my skepticism toward our crowd was certainly unfounded.  They came out in force last night, and their support was thundering.  It may have been the best early- season crowd that this reporter has ever seen, and I’ve been a follower since 1975!

Many Lincolnites were on hand to help the crowd do its thing.

Next up for the Illini

Monday night the Illini are at home versus Eastern Illinois in actually the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament, which will resume in Vegas on Thanksgiving weekend.

[Jeff Mayfield]

[NOV. 17, 2001]  The Lincoln Christian College Preachers defeated the St. Louis Christian College Soldiers last night 80-64.

The Preachers managed to gain an early lead and hold it for most of the game.  Tension was high, however, as the teams were rarely more than 20 points apart.  A two-team scramble for an escaped ball did manage to lighten the mood by causing a six- or seven-man heap on the floor.

The Preachers’ star players were Matt Clark, with 25 points and two assists, and Joel Searby, with 20 points and six assists.  Joel Searby is a newcomer to the team, having just transferred from Elmhurst College.

Team standings:

10  Matt Clark  7-2-25

11  Jake Raymer  2-0-4

12  John Holderby  1-0-3

14  Aaron Johnson 0-0-0

21  Anthony Cerniglia  1-0-2

23  Zack Below  0-0-0

24  Ben Brodfuehrer  2-0-4

25  Jim Turney  1-1-3

31  Mike O’Conner  0-0-0

33  Antoni Okusami  4-0-8

40  Josh  Grooms  5-0-10

43  Joel Searby  7-1-20

44  Mike Lerot  0-0-1

First half       17-2-44

Second half  13-2-36

Game total    30-4-80

“The good news was we got to play everybody.  The bad news was the starters tried to do too much.” — Coach Randy Kirk

[NOV. 17, 2001]  NORMAL — Olympia native Tricia Gaither is the newest member of the Illinois State softball family. Gaither signed a national letter of intent with the Redbirds on Wednesday.

After helping Olympia High School to the Class A state tournament in each of the last two seasons, Gaither will come to the Redbirds with no real defensive home. This provides for very little concern to Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer because of abundance of offensive skills.

"Defensively I have no clue where I will play her," Fischer said. "But I think the real asset she has is the ability to lead off and put the ball in play. She can slap, bunt, hit with power and has great speed to go along with that."

Gaither set the Olympia batting record as a sophomore with a .457 average. She then followed that up by outdoing herself in her junior season by hitting at a .466 clip, with 35 stolen bases and a .509 on-base percentage, leading to an all-state selection by the Illinois Coaches Association.

Fischer feels that good coaching in both the summer and high school seasons has led to Gaither's fundamentally sound game.

"Tricia is a very fundamentally sound ballplayer also, which proves that she is a product of good coaching in both high school (Olympia) and during summer ball (Oly Fire)," Fischer said.

[Nate Bargar, ISU athletic media relations]

By Jeff Mayfield

[NOV. 15, 2001]  This week, I don’t even know where to start... so, I’ll just start at the beginning. As I’ve said before, this is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Because there are more sports offerings than you can shake a stick at. And that’s a pretty big stick. Baseball, golf and volleyball have just wrapped up, and now we have football, basketball, wrestling, hockey and a host of other sports.

Railer hoops

For you local hoops fans, it’s time to see this season’s editions of both the Lady Railers and the Railer basketball squads. I know that the boys will host their annual Green and White scrimmage tonight at 6:30. You get to see everyone in the program, and I think the only admission price is a can of pop.

Many wonder about the significance of holding an intra-squad game for the public. There are so many benefits that it would be hard to list them all. Of course you don’t want any injuries, but it is just good to get everyone some time and let them get used to the environment. Because the next time they take the floor, it counts!

I ALWAYS looked forward to that annual scrimmage. It was done in my hometown very similar to the way it’s done here. Sometimes the stands are packed-out here and sometimes they’re not. I STILL have not learned the secret. I do know how much it meant to me when my neighbors, area business people, folks from my congregation and assorted others would show up to support me and my teammates. I knew some of them were clueless about the game, but they came anyway.

I even know that there are several folks who ignore sports or who despise them. That is OK with me. They are certainly entitled to that opinion. However, in my limited experience in life, I personally have found very few things that can mobilize a community, help give it an identity, foster a sense of unity and pride than a group of people rallying around one of its local sports teams.

As I travel the state of Illinois and proudly tell people that I am from Lincoln, there is almost always an immediate reaction; and it has something to do with our basketball program. Whether they know basketball or not, they know that we have some of the hardest-working kids in the sport. They also know that successful, winning basketball is synonymous with Lincoln.

I always tell them the same thing. Not only are they hardworking, but they are just great kids! When I notice that that puts a smile on the face of these people from all over the state, it makes me even prouder that I’m from Lincoln. Some say we put too much emphasis on the sport, and they are probably right. But there are a lot of worse things that we could be known for!

Here’s looking to see you and 3,000-plus other fans at good ol’ Roy S. to support our Railer teams again this year. I do think our crowds have gotten a little soft the last two seasons. When our teams are performing at their highest levels, they need YOU to give them energy and to really provide a home-court advantage. I’m not too sure that that has happened of late. Let’s make this year the year that our sportsmanship, support and class has no rival in the state of Illinois! GO, RAILERS!

(Side note: Congratulations to Railer coach Darrin Worth and his wife, Tiffany, on the birth of their daughter.)

[to top of second column in this section]

Da Bears

"...those aren’t pillows! How ’bout those Bears?!"

Hey, how ’bout those Bears? Yah, cheeseheads, I know you came away with the victory Sunday, but I have to tell you, it was not all that impressive. The Pack is indeed good, but area growlers will tell you Chicago is gaining on you.

I don’t know much about this Norris division that you all follow, but I do know that the Bears are vastly improved. The addition of Anthony Thomas at running back has made a big difference to this ballclub. Settling the Cade McNown situation was also huge, although I’m still not convinced he was as much of the problem as we’ve been led to believe. The receivers, while not speedy, have run precise routes and have, for the most part, displayed good hands. And special teams, for once, have been pretty special, as the recovery of the onsides kick against Cleveland should point out.

I’m especially happy for head coach Dick Jauron. He has been lampooned and lambasted and just held up as a sacrificial lamb for this organization the last two years. I listened to his call-in show two of the last three weeks, and I am amazed how rude the fans are to him. He’s winning games, and they STILL have ideas on how his coaching could be better.

The LDN would like to give those fans just a little advice this week: GET OVER IT!!! Dick has simply done a fabulous job turning this team around this season. Especially if you’ve taken the time to carefully examine the roster that he has been dealt. He has maximized it! Skeptics will tell you that the Bears have played one of the softest schedules in the league. While there may be a smattering of truth to that, the LDN would tell them you can play only the people that the league office puts on your schedule. So, GET OVER IT!

I didn’t even think the Bears looked all that bad on opening day versus the Ravens. They still had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. And I know that Packer fans don’t want to hear this, but if the Bears would’ve maybe played just a little smarter just before halftime, they probably would’ve been in a position to win on Sunday.

I’m not the biggest Bears fan on the planet. I follow them because many of you, my local friends, do. I wish them great success because they have to be one of the NFL’s biggest underdogs!!!

[Jeff Mayfield]

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