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State Farm Classic basketball tournament is back

After Illinois' pandemic mitigation guidelines and restrictions were put in place by the state and the IHSA, the State Farm Holiday Classic was forced to take an involuntary break. Today, organizers for the annual holiday tournament announced its plans to host the 42nd installment later this year on December 27, 28, 29 & 30.

Last year was the first time since 1989 the Holiday Classic was not played.

Nolan Grindley dribbles the ball down the court during second half action against Teutopolis last month. This December, the Spartans will face tough competition at the State Farm Holiday Basketball Classic.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The 2021 tournament field will include 15 new teams. Fourteen of the 64 teams slated to play are ranked in the final Associated Press polls for the 2021 season.

East Dubuque and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin will be joining the boys small school division competition in the state's largest co-ed high school holiday tournament.

Along with these two new programs, St. Joseph-Ogden, led Ty Pence, will face stiff competition from the likes of Annawan, Aurora Christian, Bloomington Central Catholic, Chicago Providence St. Mel, Downs Tri-Valley, El Paso-Gridley, Kankakee Bishop McNamara, Quincy Notre Dame, Rock Falls, Stanford Olympia and Winnebago. Pence, who will be a junior, is ranked #27 in the Class of 2023 recruiting class.

The Spartans finished in sixth place with at 2-2 tournament record in 2019 putting up wins over Annawan in the opener and Bloomington Central Catholic in the championship bracket.

The SJO girls squad, who will be underrated and under the radar going into the 2021-2022 season, will see familiar opponents with Annawan, fellow Illini Prairie Conference mates Bloomington Central Catholic, Camp Point Central/Augusta Southeastern, El Paso-Gridley, Kankakee Bishop McNamara, Normal U-High, Rockford Lutheran, Rock Falls and Sherrard.

New in their division are teams from Aurora Christian, Winnebago, and Stanford Olympia, who were set to join the tournament last winter. They will also be joined Port Byron Riverdale, who will make their tournament debut in December, and the returning Sacred Heart-Griffin program.

In their last appearance, veteran head coach Kevin Taylor's #4 seeded team kicked off the tournament in 2019 with a 46-42 overtime win over Bishop McNamara. The upset victory put the Spartans up against the eventual championship team from Normal University High. The Lady Pioneers prevailed, but that didn't stop SJO from winning their last two contests to finish in 5th place.

The State Farm Classic has awarded $67,000 in scholarships to graduating student-athletes who participated in the tournament. The 2021 scholarship award winners will be announced next month. The tournament has also donated over $70,000 in the recent past to participating high school basketball programs.

State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament put on hold

Just hours ago, the organizers for the annual State Farm Holiday Classic announced this year's basketball tournament, which was scheduled to run from December 28-31, has been cancelled in a post to Facebook. It is the first break in the event's 42-year run.

SJO's Riley Baker looks to pass the ball while playing during the 2016 State Farm Holiday Classic. The annual tournament was cancelled for the 2020 season amid health concerns for athletes, spectators and officials. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

With the possibility of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic during the winter months and the restrictions on the number of spectators allowed by the Illinois Public Health Department at sporting events, it was a decision makes financial sense for the long term viability of the tournament.

"Please know this is not a decision we made lightly, but in order to ensure the safety of all participants (players, coaches, administrators, fans, officials, volunteers, tournament staff and sponsors), we find it best to not organize a tournament this year," the statement read. "Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this difficult time! We wish all of our schools and their athletic programs nothing but the best this year, and we hope everyone remains safe and healthy!"

Making its debut in 1975, the tournament was originally named the Illinois State Classic. Since then the tournament has grown to be one of the largest coed holiday basketball tournaments in the country. Through out its history there have been dozens high school athletes who went on to become not only professional basketball players, but also NFLers and Olympic athletes.

Each year the games are played at four venues in Bloomington-Normal: Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center, Bloomington High School, Normal Community High School and Normal West High School. This would have also been the 24th installment of the girls tournament and the 19th of the Ron Knisley Memorial Special Olympics Shootout, which is also hosted by organizers.

Last December, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys squad was the #6 seed and finished in 6th place. The Spartans opened their 2019 tournament appearance with a 47-42 win over #11 Annawan on their way to a 2-2 finish.

On the ladies side, SJO brought home a 5th place trophy after a 3-1 run logging wins over Bishop Mac, Annawan and Illini Prairie Conference rival Bloomington Central. The team's only loss was to eventual small school champion Normal University.

Tournament organizers vows the tournament will return in 2021. Dates for the event are scheduled December 27-30.

In order to adhere to the guidelines set forth by both the Illinois High School Association and the State of Illinois,...
Posted by State Farm Holiday Classic on Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Spartans win consolation title at State Farm Classic

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team used a 10-point second quarter lead to say farewell to 2018 with a three-game win streak after crushing Bishop McNamara in the State Farm Classic consolation bracket championship contest on Friday evening, 61-52.

SJO closed out this year's tournament appearance winning three of their last four games and with a much needed confidence boost heading into the 2019 half of the season.

Coming off a 29-point performance hours earlier in his team's semifinal win over Winnebago, the Spartans were once again led by senior Jack Cook, who was 5-for-8 from the charity stripe and finished the game with 22 points.

Cook averaged 23.5 points per game tallying 94 points in SJO's four post-Christmas games. Over the three-day event he made 23 of his 30 free throw attempts.

The Fightin' Irish didn't take chance with putting Chance Izard, SJO's most prolific free throw shooter, on the line. However, the junior found his sweet spot on the floor hitting 3 three-pointers on his way to his third 13-point finish and led the Spartans in converting foul shots (7-8) to points during the State Farm Classic 87.5% of the time.

Senior Joel Orcutt also scored 11 points against McNamara and finished the tournament with a total of 49 points. He missed just two of his nine free throws attempt in four games.

The Spartans also enjoyed a stellar night from Payton Grimsley, who stepped up in the finale delivering 11 points courtesy of 3 treys and a pair of free throws.

McNamara was paced by Payton Gerberding with 16 points and Broghan O'Connor, who dropped 14 through the hole.

Spartan fans will have to wait until Saturday, January 5, to see their team in action again. SJO (10-6) will take the floor against Pleasant Plains at 8:30 during the Christie Clinic Shootout hosted at the high school.

Shootout action starts at noon with the Monticello Sages taking on the Watseka Warriors from the Sangamon Valley Conference.

State Farm Classic opponents named for both state-ranked SJO basketball squads

Earlier today, organizers for the annual State Farm Holiday Classic have released the brackets for this year's tournament. The 42nd installment, which includes both the St. Joseph-Ogden girls and boys teams, will be played on four days starting December 27 and ending on December 30 this year. The 64-team event will be hosted at four different venues in Bloomington-Normal.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Ella Armstrong

Ella Armstrong goes up for a second half shot around Centennial's Avery Loschen last month. Armstrong and the Spartans will open their State Farm Holiday Classic title run against Normal U-High on December 27.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The currently undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team is the #2 seed. The Spartans open tournament play at 10:30a against #15-seeded Vikings from Tri-Valley. The small school boys game will be played at Normal West High School.

SJO will face the winner (or loser) of the following scheduled game between Quincy Notre Dame and Rock Falls. Sacred Heart-Griffin earned the nod for the #1 seed.

There are six state-ranked teams included in the small school division field of competition. Along with SJO at #10 in Class 2A, there is #4 Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (2A), #9 Aurora Christian (1A), #19 Rockford Lutheran (2A), #22 East Dubuque (1A), and El Paso-Gridley at #24 in Class 2A.

First-year head coach Drew Arteaga and the Spartan girls' program will tip-off against Normal University High School. Backed by a strong senior class and deep bench, SJO earned a #4 seed in this year's tournament. The team will face the winner (or loser) between the next game at Normal Community between Annawan and Rockford Lutheran in the quarterfinals.

With the Class 2A state-ranked at #14, the SJO girls' team will play 1:30p on Day 1. Spartan fans will be able to comfortably catch both opening-round games on Monday.

Other state-ranked teams in the small school girls bracket include two #1 teams, Brimfield in 1A and Winnebago ranked as the top team in the state in Class 2A. #3-ranked Paris in 2A.

SJO boys drop first game at State Farm basketball tournament

Senior Jack Cook's 27 points wasn't enough to keep the St. Joseph-Ogden's boys from suffering a heartbreaking 64-61 defeat to Rockford Lutheran at the State Farm Classic on Wednesday.

Chance Izard and Joel Orcutt each finished with 13 points. Keanen Swanson chipped in another six points and Brayden Weaver, who was 2-4 from the free throw line, was the only other Spartan to contribute with 6 points.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Jack Cook goes up for a shot around Westville's Brady Crain during the 2016 Leader Classic holiday basketball tournament. Cook led the Spartans with 27 points in the team's 2018 State Farm Classic tournament opener against Rockford Lutheran. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Crusaders were lead by Eric Nystrom with 27 points and Brock Guse with 15.

SJO moves to the consolation side of the bracket to face Peoria Christian at Normal West on Thursday.

Outlasting a talented Tri-Valley squad, SJO basketball advances to State Farm tournament quarterfinals

BLOOMINGTON - The St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team trailed on the scoreboard for 19 minutes of their quarterfinal game against Tri-Valley (10-1) at the State Farm Holiday Classic. That was until Spartan Coy Taylor sank a field goal with 4:57 left in the game to give his team the one-point go-ahead, 41-40. Persistent and tenacious, SJO (5-3) held the late game lead to win by two 44-42 at Illinois Wesleyan's Shirk Center on Friday.

Down by four, seven minutes away from being bumped into the consolation bracket, Ryker Lockhart drilled a three-pointer to close the gap by one before Taylor's bucket.

After a brief six-point advantage, SJO led by two at the end of the first quarter, 14-12. Vikings' Tommy Kinsella tied the game up a little over a minute into the second quarter, forcing SJO to battle through the next two and a quarter periods in catch-up mode.

Senior Tanner Siems led the team offensively, scoring 10 points. Will Haley added nine points of his own, and Parker Fitch finished with 8 points in SJO's scoring effort.

Tri-Valley Kinsella led all scorers with 15 points, and teammate Ayden Jensen, who went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, chipped in 12 more.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Taylor tries to dribble around El Paso-Gridley's Chancesaye Maxon during last December's small school title game at the Shirk Center. Up by two and with less than two seconds on the game clock, St. Joseph-Ogden lost the back-and-forth game 49-48, thanks to a 20-footer launched by Maxon at the buzzer.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

One game away from making a third-consecutive appearance in the tournament's championship contest, St. Joseph-Ogden will face a familiar foe at 4:30 PM on Saturday at Normal West High School. The Spartans will be looking for revenge on El Paso-Gridley, last year's small school champs, after suffering a heart-breaking loss in a buzzer-beater at the Shirk Center last December.

More SJO sports news ~

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Kearney steps up to lead Spartans in State Farm win over U-High

Rebounding from their 41-29 loss to Bishop McNamara on Thursday, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball team advanced forward in the consolation bracket at the State Farm Holiday Classic after holding off a huge second-half surge from Normal University to win, 36-33 on Friday. The victory guaranted SJO at least a fourth-place finish in the consolation bracket.

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Dates set for annual basketball classic at SJO

Braydon Rupert goes up for a shot against a Longwood player at the Toyota of Danville Classic basketball game in December of last year. Rupert, who will be senior, and the Spartans will face three new teams at this year's installment of the holiday tournament. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

In a little more than four months from today, St. Joseph-Ogden and five other teams will compete in SJO's annual holiday tournament starting on Tuesday, December 3. The Spartan basketball program will host The Toyota of Danville Classic on December 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Fifteen games are scheduled over the four days with three contests will be held daily on each of the first three days of the tournament. All teams will play twice on December 7 with a total of six games going back-to-back on that Saturday.

Three familiar teams from the past several years, Chicago CICS Longwood, Oakwood and Armstrong-Potomac will not return to holiday tourney. New teams include Georgetown-Ridge Farm, who will represent the Vermilion Valley Conference and former Sangamon Valley Conference foe Watseka.

Also, joining the field of competition will be Lions of La Salette, who lost a one-point decision to Watseka in their last meeting on December 19 last year.

First year head coach and SJO alum Kiel Duval keeps a close eye on his team during their game against CIS Longwood at the Toyota of Danville Classic. SJO kicks off their tournament opener against Georgetown-Ridge Farm on December 3. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Spartans will open pool play against Georgetown-Ridge Farm at 6:30 pm on December 3 and a day later face La Salette in the 8 pm nightcap on December 4. After 48 hours of rest, head coach Kiel Duval's team will square off against 2019 Class 1A runner-up Cissna Park at 8 pm on December 6.

SJO will close out the Classic on December 7 in an 11:30 am matchup against the Hilltoppers of Schlarman and play the tournament finale at 7 pm against Watseka.

Jordan Kelly goes up for a shot in the second half during the Spartans' Toyota of Danville Classic basketball game against Cissna Park on December 21. SJO, who hope to rebound later this year and win this year's title, fell 66-37 to the Timberwolves, who went on to become a final four team in Class 1A and IHSA runner-up in the March 2019 state basketball finals. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

2019 Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule

(All games at St. Joseph-Ogden High School)

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019
Game 1: Cissna Park vs. La Salette, 5 p.m.
Game 2: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 6:30 p.m.
Game 3: Schlarman vs. Watseka, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, December 4
Game 4: Cissna Park vs. Watseka, 5 p.m.
Game 5: Schlarman vs. Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 6:30 p.m.
Game 6: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. La Salette, 8 p.m.

Friday, December 6
Game 7: La Salette vs. Schlarman, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Georgetown-Ridge Farm vs. Watseka, 6:30 p.m.
Game 9: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Cissna Park, 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 7
Game 10: Cissna Park vs. Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 10 a.m.
Game 11: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Schlarman, 11:30 a.m.
Game 12: La Salette vs. Watseka, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Schlarman vs. Cissna Park, 4 p.m.
Game 14: Georgetown-Ridge Farm vs. La Salette, 5:30 p.m.
Game 15: Watseka vs. St. Joseph-Ogden, 7 p.m.

Opening games set for SJO at annual State Farm Classic

The 8-1 St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team earned a #4 seed out 16 small school programs set to square off at this year's State Farm Holiday Classic.

The Spartans open their bid for another tournament title this season at Normal Community High School, one of four tournament sites in Bloomington-Normal, against #13 Bishop McNamara at 8pm on December 26. Depend on how they fair against Fightin' Irish, they will face either Normal University High or Rockford Lutheran in either the championship or consolation semifinals on Friday.

Other teams in the upper portion of the bracket with SJO is Rock Falls, El Paso-Gridley, Oakwood and Annawan.

The boys squad, led by Chance Izard and frosh Ty Pence, were awarded the #6 seed.

They will tipoff at 5pm across town at Normal West at 5p against the Annawan Braves leaving plenty of time for Spartan fans to make both games the day after Christmas.

The Spartans, who opened their season on a 5-0 win streak and won the Toyota of Danville Classic title this past week, will be put to the test at the Classic.

The other six teams in the bottom half of the bracket with them include Rockford Lutheran, Tri-Valley, Rock Falls, Fieldcrest, Bishop McNamara and fellow conference team the #2 seeded Bloomington Central Catholic Saints. The complete boys bracket is here.

Single session passes are $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for students (K-12), senior citizens, active military and veterans. Admission for children under 5 years of age is free. All-Day and All-Tournament passes are also available. Find more ticket information here.

Kearney steps up to lead Spartans in State Farm win over U-High

BLOOMINGTON - Rebounding from their 41-29 loss to Bishop McNamara on Thursday, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball team advanced forward in the consolation bracket at the State Farm Holiday Classic after holding off a huge second-half surge from Normal University to win, 36-33 on Friday. The victory guaranted SJO at least a fourth-place finish in the consolation bracket.

In an outstanding defensive effort, the Spartans held the Pioneers to just two free throws in the second quarter, taking a 22-9 lead into the locker room at the half spearheaded by senior Sara Kearney's seven points. Kearney added another bucket in the third quarter to finish game two at the tournament with a team-high nine points.

SJO got off to an explosive start thanks to a three-pointer from Addison Brooks, Kayla Osterbur, and Hayden Dahl. Brooks went on to finish with eight points, tied with Timera Blackburn-Kelley as the team's second-leading scorer. Osterbur sank another trey in the final quarter to finish with six points, rounding out the top four scorers.

Kendyl Schroeder led U-High's offensive effort with 11 points. Scoreless in the second and third quarters, Schroeder bookended the drought with six points in the first frame and five in the fourth.

The Spartans, who improved their record to six wins against seven losses, return to Normal Community High School for a 1 PM semifinal game against Rockford Lutheran.

More SJO sports news ~

Spartan basketball teams to face the state's best at State Farm Classic

Bloomington -- Once again, St. Joseph-Ogden boys' and girls' basketball programs will compete for tournament titles at the State Farm Holiday Classic next month. This year's tournament is the 43rd in the series and includes three state champions, two additional state trophy winners, and 17 teams overall ranked last season in the final AP poll. The annual holiday hoops competition at four locations in Bloomington-Normal December 27-30.

Under first-year head coach Drew Arteaga, the Lady Spartans lost their first two games, then regrouped to win their last two. SJO finished fifth in last year's consolation bracket after using a 20-point advantage to roll over El Paso-Gridley, 49-29.

Meanwhile, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys squad, the #2 seed in the 2021 tournament, opened the post-Christmas basketball tournament with wins over Tri-Valley and Quincy Notre Dame. The Spartans then suffered back-to-back losses finishing in 4th place.

In the small school boys' bracket with SJO, the field of participating programs includes Annawan, Aurora Christian, Bloomington Central Catholic, Chicago Providence St. Mel, Downs Tri-Valley, East Dubuque, El Paso-Gridley, Kankakee Bishop McNamara, Minonk Fieldcrest, Normal University, Quincy Notre Dame, Rock Falls, Rockford Lutheran, Stanford Olympia, and Winnebago.

"Our boys’ field is loaded with perennial powerhouse teams and highly recruited players," said Tournament President Kyle Myers. "We had three large school teams opt out of returning, but we feel the new teams we are bringing in will continue to make our tournament ‘The Best Basketball this side of March!’"

Meanwhile, the girls' small school bracket features most of the historically top 1A and 2A basketball programs in the state, which include: Annawan, Bloomington Central Catholic, Brimfield, Camp Pt. Central/Augusta Southeastern, El Paso-Gridley, Kankakee Bishop McNamara, Normal University, Paris, Port Byron Riverdale, Rock Falls, Rockford Lutheran, Sherrard, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, Stanford Olympia, and Winnebago are all schools that consistently make deep postseason runs.

Winnebago, who finished the season as the Class 2A runner-up, won last year's girls' tournament title with Brimfield, the 2021 Class 1A state champions, finishing in second place.

The Spartan beat goes on; SJO now 8-and-0 after crushing Pioneers

St. Joseph-Ogden's Tanner Jacob directs teammates while keeping the ball away from Normal University High School's Mason Hooper-Willis during the second quarter of their game on Friday. Hitting five three-pointers, the senior finished the non-conference game against the Pioneers with a game-high 20 points.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - For the past two seasons the Spartans had a bright, shining star with Ty Pence on the floor. As demonstrated by their now 8-0 record after pulverizing Normal University 77-47 on Friday, this season's St. Joseph-Ogden roster is an entire constellation.

After a competitive dual between two of central Illinois' top Class 2A programs in the first quarter ending 17-10, SJO scored 20 points in each of the three remaining frames while allowing their opponent an average of 12.3 points. The Spartans' defensive effort was stellar.

"I thought our defense played really, really well," said head coach Kiel Duval, now in his fifth season leading the Spartans. "We were solid defensively the entire night."

U-High came to St. Joseph with a 3-1 record against the pack of Bloomington-Normal schools and had taken down Rochester and Pleasant Plains, contributing to their #2 seed for this month's State Farm Classic.

"We knew these guys were seeded higher than us, and it felt good to beat them," said Tanner Jacob after turning in a game-high 20 points against the Pioneers. The senior was on fire in the first half, draining five treys helped dominate their guests at halftime, 37-19.

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Luke Landrus dribbles around Normal Univiersity's David Null. Landrus shot 50% from the field and was a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line for the Spartans in Friday's home win.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Duval said his game plan was to run the floor and look for openings during the transitions. He gave props to his players for getting the ball to Jacob and creating open looks for shooters.

"You know, you always look better when you hit shots," Duval said.

After he sunk his first three out in three-point land, Jacob's confidence was ignited. The senior was 5-for-8 from behind the arc and was 1-for-2 inside it.

"They just kept leaving me open. Once I hit that first one, I knew I was going to have a good night," he said. "I just knew they were going to go in."

Like Orion in the night sky, the St. Joseph-Odgen has seven or more stars that has the team glowing with talent.

"Chemistry and depth," Jacob replied, when asked about the team's strenghts this season. "Compared to past years, we have had really good players, but we haven't always had that deep of a bench."

Watching the past eight games, it is clear how far the talent goes down the varsity 2023-24 squad.

"We have multiple guys we can sub in if a guy gets in foul trouble or a guy got hurt," Duval explained. "Coy (Taylor) was limited tonight. Other guys stepped up, he played the role and carried on."

Despite being limited to just 16 minutes on the hardwood, Taylor was 4-for-4, pulled in three rebounds and dished out a couple of assists.

Depth? How's this? The Spartans narrowly missed having five players in double figures against arguable one of the best basketball teams from Bloomington-Normal.

Surrounded by U-High players, SJO's Tanner Siems tries to put the ball back up in the second quarter.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Logan Smith amassed 15 points in 26 minutes of play and led the team with assists at seven. Luke Landrus finished with 13 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists.

Tanner Siems and Taylor had nine points each. Siems led the Spartans' rebounding with five boards.

Sophomore Cameron Johnson paced U-High with 12 points, and Dalton Kruger, a senior, with ten. The Pioneers, who have another shot at SJO if both team's make it to the State Farm Classic semifinal on December 29, dropped to a 5-4 record.

Jacob and the Spartans are back in action at home next Tuesday, hosting Ayden Ingram and Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin. Ingram has averaged 16 points per game for the 8-2 Blue Devils.

SJO sets State Farm Classic record

The St. Joseph-Ogden ladies made a stunning debut in their opening contest at this year's State Farm Classic basketball tournament. The #1 seed held Peoria Christian to just 10 points, not for just one quarter, but the entire game in a dominating 80-10 victory.

The win was the seventh best score, now tied with Rock Island from a game in 2016, recorded in the tournament's 40 year history.

"I think our team came out with energy and everyone was exited to start the tournament out in a positive way," said Spartan head coach Kevin Taylor. "I hope we care that energy over for our next game where we will see a very good team."

SJO took command early outscoring the Chargers 23-5 in the first quarter. They dialed up the pressure in the second to take a 41-point lead at the half.

Allowing Christian just 3 points total in the second half and buoyed by bench players, the Spartans added another 39 points to scoreboard. Ten of Taylor's 11 players contributed in the drubbing.

Bree Trimble led SJO with a game-high 21 points and was followed freshman Payton Jacob, who came off the bench to add 10 points. Parkland College recruit Peyton Crowe and junior Katie Cramer scored 8 points. Erin Miller, who was 2-2 from the free throw line, along with Taylor Barnes, Maclayne Taylor and Hannah Dukeman contributed 6 points each. Dukeman also shot 100% from the charity stripe.

The victory set a new tournament record making it the largest winning margin (70) in a girls game.

The Chargers, who fall to 0-13 on the season, were led in scoring by junior Tiffany Mallow with 5 points. Lydia Keehner finished with 4 points and Kaitlyn Johnson made one of two free throws to round out their team's scoring effort.

The Spartans advance to face Laney Lantz and Camp Point Central/Augusta SE on the championship side of the bracket. Lantz scored 21 point in their tournament opener against Oakwood. Tipoff is schedule for 4pm today at Bloomington High School

Maclayne Taylor's buzzer beater advances SJO at State Farm Classic

A lot coaches stress how you finish is all that matters.

That turned out to be the case yesterday at the conclusion of the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball game against the Lady Panthers of Central-Southeastern (CSE), a coop between Central and Southeastern high school from west-central Illinois.

With less than 4 seconds left on the clock, Maclayne Taylor scooped up an inbound pass from Bree Trimble inside the free throw circle and took the last shot of the game. The ball bounced off the glass and through the rim as the buzzer sounded to give SJO a 51-50 overtime victory at the State Farm Classic on Thursday.

Four of Taylor's 6 points in the game were made in the extra quarter at Bloomington High School.

"I didn't know if we would get the ball back," said Spartan head coach Kevin Taylor as he witness CSE's Leah Turner tipped the ball away from his Maclayne, who is also his daughter. "It was a big relief when it went in."

Earlier in the game, the Spartans fought hard to finish the half with a one-point lead after a two-point deficit at the end of the opening quarter. By the end of the third quarter, SJO led 34-27. The 7-point lead would soon be erased and the two teams traded blows like championship UFC fighters to a draw at the end of regulation time.

"They are a well-discipline, well-coach team," Coach Taylor said praising Matt Long, the opposing coach with nearly 500 wins to his credit, and his team. "They ran good plays and good sets. They are well-organized."

In overtime, neither team could gain a clear advantage. CSE, the #8 seed, led 50-49 with less than 4 seconds to play. Taylor's quick reaction to recover the ball and put it in the air was the perfect finish.

"I hope the fire and momentum keeps going," said Coach Taylor. The Spartans advance to a semifinal showdown against Illini Prairie Conference foe Bloomington Central Catholic late this afternoon. "It doesn't get any easier."

SJO will also face the Saints again in league play in their final home contest of the season. That game will likely be for the IPC title. Meanwhile, the winner of today's contest will play for the small school title on Saturday. The loser will have a shot at third-place honors.

SJO's offensive effort was led by senior Peyton Crowe with 14 points. Trimble, who was scoreless in the first quarter, finished the game with 13 points. Hannah Dukeman rounded out the Spartans top three scorers with 8 points. Sophomore starter Payton Vallee matched Taylor with 6 points.

The Lady Panthers were led by Laney Lantz and her game-high 27 points. Alivia Lantz added another 11 points and Leah Turner chipped in 6 more.

CSE moves to the consolation bracket to face Rock Falls.

Spartans continue early season steamroll with win #6

Toyota of Danville MVP Tanner Jacob goes up for a shot during the Spartans' title game against Oakwood. The senior scored 16 points in SJO's first conference win over Central Catholic Saturday afternoon on the road.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

BLOOMINGTON - Coming off a huge overtime win over Normal West on Tuesday, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team was back in Blo-No to face Illini Prairie rival Central Catholic on Saturday. Like their earlier visit to the other downstate twin city, the Spartans returned home victorious after defeating the Saints 63-54.

Despite a 41% shooting effort against Central Catholic's 95%, SJO proved the adage 'less is better' doesn't necessarily win basketball games.

Tanner Jacob led the Spartans with 16 points. Junior Tanner Siems also finished in double figures with 13 points. Guards Coy Taylor and Logan Smith rounded out the top four scorers with eight points each.

The foursome fired 43 of St. Joseph-Ogden's 54 shots at the rim, draining 18 of the 22 that resulted in points.

Senior Luke Landrus dominated the boards with nine rebounds and led the Spartans with three steals. Smith, also a senior, was credited with five rebounds and seven assists.

SJO heads back to Bloomington-Normal as the #3-seed in the Small School Division State Farm Classic. Jacob and the Spartans appear to be firing on all cylinders and looking like a good bet for a repeat of last year's championship run. With four contests to play before their tournament opener against Ead Dubuque two days after Christmas, the currently undefeated Spartans have a brutal four-game schedule ahead of them.

On Tuesday, the team goes head-to-head with Danville over in the 'Ville, who hopes to avenge last year's 66-53 loss behind Ty Pence's 35-point show-stopper. The Vikings have taken losses this season to Centennial, Peoria, Lincoln, and Belleville West. Their three wins have been over smaller size schools, including Mahomet-Seymour, Rantoul, and Ogden International.

The Main Gym should be packed to the rafters on Friday when St. Joseph-Ogden hosts Normal University. Like the Spartans, the Pioneers have already beat Central Catholic and Normal West and will have vengeance on their minds as well after last year's loss to SJO at the State Farm Classic.

With four days to recover, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin be in the house. Then, Friday, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team is back on a bus and heading to the den of the Beecher Bobcats, who are 8-0, 4-0 in the River Valley Conference.

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Prep Sport Notebook | Catching up on area scores and performances

Undefeated St. Joseph-0gden basketball top seed at State Farm tournament

BLOOMINGTON - The SJO boys basketball team is seeded #3 in this year's edition of the State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament. Last year's small school champs was one of six schools that received #1 seed votes. The Spartans (5-0) open tournament play on December 27 against East Dubuque at Normal West.

The top seed went to Aurora Christian with four first-place votes. Normal University High secured one vote and is the #2 seed. El Paso-Gridley, the #4 seed, received one vote. St. Joseph-Ogden received three first-place votes from a poll of head coaches, the media, and committee members.

Spartan girls draw tough first round seed

BLOOMINGTON - The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team is back in the field of competition at the State Farm Holiday Classic. Senior Addison Frick and the Spartans (2-3) play their first game 20 days from today against #4 seed Bishop McNamara (7-1) at Normal Community.

This year's top small-school girls seeds are Camp Point Central/Augusta Southeastern in the #1 position and Paris at #2. The Panthers beat the Tigers in last year's championship game, 36-32. Galena earned the #3 spot, and Bishop McNamara was voted #4 in the poll given to coaches, media around the state, and committee members.

SJO is scheduled to play at 10:30 am on the Wednesday after Christmas.

Cornjerkers post second win of the season

Hoopeston Area 52 - Armstrong Potomac 45
GIBSON CITY - Owen Root scored 14 points in Bismarck-Henning's win over Armstrong-Potomac. Mason Rush and Kendrick Sigerill scored 11 points each. Root and Sigerill led the team on the boards with six rebounds apiece. Wyatt Eisenman chipped in eight points and tallied three of the team seven steals at the GCMS Thanksgiving Tournament.

Spartan girls suffer home loss

Paris 44 - St. Joseph-Ogden 38
ST. JOSEPH - Three SJO players tallied double figures in the scorebook, but it was enough to surpass their extended meeting with the visiting Tigers on November 11.

Junior Katie Erickson led the Spartan effort with 12 points in the overtime effort. Addison Frick connected drained three treys and a jumper for ll points and Addisyn Martinie contributed ten points in the loss.

Tigers' season starts with road loss

OLYMPIA FIELDS - The Urbana boys' varsity basketball team lost their road opener to Manley at Rich Central, 76-72.

Seggebruch leads Spartans in first win of the season

St. Joseph-Ogden 61 - Tuscola 47
ST. JOSEPH - SJO's A-Team came together rolling over the visiting Warriors for their first win of the season. Addison Seggebruch scored a team-high 14 points on her home court on November 11. Addisyn Martinie finished with 12 points, and Addison Frick rounded out the top three scorers with 10 points. The Spartans made nearly half their total points from outside the arc, hitting nine three-pointers in the non-conference game.

Sicily Moss led Tuscola's effort with 16 points across all four frames. The loss broke a four-game win streak for the Warriors and remains their only loss as of today.

SJO girls start State Farm Classic run with 10-3 record

(PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Alyssa Hamilton keeps the ball away from Morton's Olivia Remmert while looking for an open teammate to pass the ball. Hamilton and the Spartans, who lost to visiting the Potters, 62-27, head back to the hardwood the day after Christmas to square off against Bishop McNamara in their opening game this year's State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington-Normal. Game time is slated for 8pm at Normal Community High School.

Should SJO prevail, the ladies will play less than 24 hours later at 5:30pm at Bloomington High School. A loss will move them into consolation bracket to face the loser of the contest between Normal U-High and Rockford Lutheran.

St. Joseph-Ogden heads into the annual holiday tournament with a record of 10-3 after picking up a pair of home court wins after the loss to last year's Class 3A state champions. The Spartans slipped by Paxton-Buckley-Loda 58-47, and then pounded the Urbana Tigers, 58-40.

See more photos from St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Morton here: SJO vs Morton photo gallery.

SJO girls fall in opener at State Farm Holiday Classic, Erickson leads scoring effort

NORMAL - Two minutes and 41 seconds into the first quarter of the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' first game at the State Farm Holiday Classic, the Spartans took a one-point lead over Bishop-McNamara (9-4). For the next 46 seconds, the Spartans enjoyed their only advantage in the 41-29 loss to the Lady Irish in their tournament opener at Normal Community High School.

Katie Erickson looks for an open teammate during SJO's Country Financial Shootout game. The senior led the Spartan scoring effort in their first game at the State Farm basketball tournament.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Katie Erickson led the hardwood effort with three treys for nine points. Kayla Osterbur finished with seven points, Timera Blackburn-Kelley contributed four points, and Addison Brooks was held to just three points for SJO.

Down 24-12 at the half, the Spartans pulled it together, matching McNamara point for point with 17 second-half points. Despite a much improved defensive effort, the first-half drought proved too much.

Moving to the consolation bracket, Erickson & Company have a day to regroup. The Spartans return to tournament action tomorrow at Bloomington High School to face the loser between Eureka and Normal U-High at 2 PM. The Lady Irish advance to face the winner from that game at 9 PM at BHS.

Bishop McNamara duo Jaide Burse and Trinity Davis combined for 16 points, scoring eight each. Leigha Brown rounded out the top three contributors with six points to advance to the quarterfinals.

Related articles:

Prep Sports Notebook | Area schools produce a bouquet of basketball victories

Thomas piles on points at Williamsville Holiday tournament

Williamsville - Henry Thomas led Unity in their 62-57 win over Peoria Christian on Thursday with 21 points. Dalton O'Neill and Dane Eisenmenger added 10 points each to propel the Rockets into the semifinals against Illini Prairie Conference foe Prairie Central.

Another team win, Unity enjoyed scoring from seven other players, including Tre Haggard with two points, Colton Langendorf 5, Brayden Henry 5, Aiden Porter 2, Jay Saunders 3, Eric Miebech 1, and Andrew Thomas rounding out the scoring effort with five points.

St. Joseph-Ogden boys advance to semis at State Farm tourney

Bloomington - Tanner Jacob scored 16 points, and Coy Taylor piled on another 14 in the Spartans' quarterfinal game against Rock Falls. In complete control from start to finish, St. Joseph-Ogden kept the game out of reach, defeating the Rockets, 66-40.

Unlike their opener against East Dubuque, SJO took an early lead and didn't look back with seniors Luke Landrus, who snagged nine rebounds, and Logan Smith with seven assists, contributing nine points each.

St. Joseph-Ogden looks to lock up one of the title game spots tomorrow after tonight's 8:30 pm game against Pecatonica. The Indians, in their first State Farm Holiday Classic appearance, shocked Normal U-High yesterday, 62-55.

Unity girls roll past Armstrong-Potomac

Bismarck - Addison Ray scored a game-high 19 points for the Rockets in the team's 61-41 win over Armstrong-Potomac. Ray amassed her total take in three quarters and was 3-for-8 from three-point range.

Raegen Stringer finished with 12 points, and Reagen Little had ten points. Unity's bench contributed 20 points in win number ten. Emily Decker scored six points, Claire Meharry delivered for points in the second half, Jocelyn LeFaivre four points, Elle Cheely 2 points, and Lauren Haas added four more to the cause.

Unity will face Benton Central (14-2) in the Heritage/Bismarck Holiday Tournament championship game.

Rockets blast Comets in tournament quarterfinal

Bismarck - Unity's Addison Ray started her day at the Heritage/Bismarck Holiday Tournament with 16 points to lead Unity to a 51-25 win over Oakwood yesterday. Raegen Stringer, who was 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, scored 11 points, and Reagan Little book ten points to advance in the Rockets in the championship bracket.

Jaydah Arrowsmith and Nikita Taylor paced the Comets with six points each.

Spartan girls rebound

Bloomington - Katie Ericksen drained a season-best 20 points in SJO's 45-42 win over Rockford Lutheran in the State Farm Holiday Classic Small School consolation bracket quarterfinal. Addisyn Martinie chipped in 11 points, and Addison Frick, a perfect 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, finished with seven points.

The Lady Spartans advanced to a semifinal game against Port Byron Riverdale.

Area high school coaches

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