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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

Spartans notch first win at SJO Toyota of Danville Classic

St. Joseph-Ogden won and it wasn't pretty.

The Spartans dominated the first half of their SJO Toyota of Danville Classic opener against Chicago Longwood galloping to a 17 point lead at the half against in their game on Friday night. The Panthers clawed their way back to get with in six points in the second half, but could not put the brakes on the Spartans, who picked up their third W of the season with a 72-64 win.

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Sailing past Longwood's Amari Jordan, St. Joseph-Ogden's Jack Cook goes up for a shot in the first half of their SJO Toyota of Danville Classic basketball game on Friday. Cook, who hit 5 of his 6 free throw attempts, lead all scorers with 33 points. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Entering their annual tournament at just 2-4, the victory was a confidence booster for the SJO basketball team who have the talent and depth, but are off to a ragged start this season.

"We did some good things in the first half," said head coach Kiel Duval praising his team's effort early in the game. "In the second half we struggled a little bit, turned the ball over and we didn't rebound at all."

He pointed out that his guards are learning to grow into their role on the court. Duval and every player on the roster know they have a lot to work on before postseason play in February. Rebounding and doing it aggressively will be a priority on the SJO's to-do list.

"We've got to learn to finish well," explained Duval, now seven games into his head coaching career. "We didn't screen out and gave them (Longwood) extra opportunities. We gave them too many extra possessions."

Spartan senior Jack Cook led the way in scoring for his team with 33 points. The game-high performance was 5 points shy of his career-high 38 points against Heritage last season.

From his perspective, the victory was a confidence booster and one step toward the team's goal of getting their record out of the red.

"This is a big win for us. We are trying to get above .500 by the end of the tournament," Cook said. "It's a big come back (for us) after playing so bad last week."

Cook scored on five of six attempts from the charity stripe.

SJO also received double digit scoring from two other seniors. After a silent second quarter, Joel Orcutt scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half. Keanen Swanson chipped in 10 points.

Longwood also had three players in double figures. Damari Fonza scored a team-high 19 points for the Panthers. Senior Nurell Lacey added 15 points and Marshawn Holliday rounded out top three scorers with 10 points.

Both teams will play two tournament games on Saturday.

Longwood will face Armstrong-Potomac at 10am and finish out their day going head-to-head with the Timberwolves of Cissna Park at 4pm.

Meanwhile, the Spartans Saturday SJO Toyota of Danville Classic campaign starts at 1pm against the Oakwood Comets and will conclude in showdown against Schlarman.

2021 Toyota of Danville boys basketball tournament schedule released

Ty Pence looks for an open teammate to pass the ball during St. Joseph-Ogden's 2020 Toyota of Danville Classic game against LaSalette. After a pandemic hiatus in 2020, the eight-team tourney returns starting on November 30. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Formerly known as The Leader Classic, the annual Toyota of Danville Classic boys basketball tournament will tipoff at 5pm on November 30 with the opening game between Schlarman and Oakwood.

This year's eight teams include Georgetown Ridge-Farm, Watseka, La Salette, and Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in Pool A.

Pool B teams include Cissna Park, Schlarman and Oakwood, along with the hosts and the 2019 champions, St. Joseph-Ogden.

St. Joseph-Ogden will play their first game on Tuesday, November 30 at 8pm and face Oakwood 24 hours later on December 1. The team will play their final pool game on Friday at 8pm against Schlarman.

Admission fees for this year's tournament are $4 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets will be available at the ticket booth at the main entrance before each game.

2021 Toyota of Danville Classic

Tuesday, 11/30/21:
5:00 PM: Danville Schlarman vs. Oakwood
6:30 PM: LaSalette vs. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond
8:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. SJO

Wednesday, 12/1/21:
5:00 PM: Danville Schlarman vs. Cissna Park
6:30 PM: Watseka vs. Georgetown Ridge-Farm
8:00 PM: Oakwood vs. SJO

Thursday, 12/2/21:
5:00 PM: Georgetown Ridge Farm vs. LaSalette
6:30 PM: Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond vs. Watseka
8:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. Oakwood

Friday, 12/3/21:
5:00 PM: Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond vs. Georgetown Ridge Farm
6:30 PM: LaSalette vs. Watseka
8:00 PM: SJO vs. Danville Schlarman

Saturday, 12/4/21:
1:00 PM: 7th Place Game
2:30 PM: 5th Place Game
4:00 PM: 3rd Place Game
5:30 PM: 1st Place Game

St. Joseph-Ogden wins Toyota of Danville Classic title

Host St. Joseph-Ogden improved to 5-0 on the season after defeating Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in the Toyota of Danville Classic championship game last night, 76-43. The Spartans ranked #10 in last week's Associated Press Class 2A poll, ran the tournament table with wins over Cissna Park, Oakwood, and Schlarman.

Evan Ingram goes up for a shot during SJO's tournament opener against Cissna Park on Tuesday. Ingram was named to the Toyota of Danville Classic All-Tournament Team after Saturday evening's final game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Ty Pence, Evan Ingram and Logan Smith each contributed double-digit finishes in the title game on Saturday.

Leading the Spartans' offense, Pence scored a modest 14 points. He also had nine rebounds and was 4-for-7 from the free throw line. Moving the ball around, he doled out a team-high five assists.

Evan Ingram continued his supporting role capping the night with 13 points for SJO. The senior who saw 20 minutes of playing time on Saturday also had two steals.

After three quick lead exchanges, ALAH tied the ballgame up at seven-all with 3:52 left in the first quarter. SJO then capitalized on a 13-point run to pull away from the Knights and never had to look back.

Smith, a sophomore, led St. Joseph-Ogden's defense with four steals and put 11 points on the scoreboard. He and Pence made five of their 12 shots inside the arc count.

ALAH, in their first appearance in the Toyota of Danville Classic, finished in second place.

With a game-high 15 points, the Knights Quentin Day's 70% overall shooting was a potential threat to the Spartans throughout the game in the paint.

Jayce Parson led ALAH's rebounding effort with eight boards, and he led his team with five assists.

In addition to Day's output and despite six turnovers, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Reggie Edmonds had 12 points. Wyatt Hilligoss rounded out the top three scorers from the Knights with six points from a pair of treys.

The Spartans go on a three-game road campaign starting at Hoopeston Area this Tuesday and then turn south to Casey-Westfield on Saturday, December 11, for another non-conference contest. Before their next home game against Bismarck-Henning on December 21, the squad finishes their away schedule at Danville on December 14.

SJO to host 2nd Annual Christie Clinic Shootout

Varsity and junior varsity boys basketball teams from small and large school programs from around the state are lined up to play in this year's Second Annual Christie Clinic Shootout on Saturday.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Jaden Miller tries to prevent a pass by Cissna Park senior Conner Lober during second half action of the SJO-Toyota of Danville Classic championship game on December 21. The Spartans and the Timberwolves, who won this year's title, will be back in action against different opponents at SJO for the 2019 Christie Clinic Shootout on Saturday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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The event is sponsored by Christie Clinic from Champaign along with Eastbay, an athletic apparel retailer, and Toyota of Danville.

Game action starts at noon with varsity contests held in the main gymnasium at St. Joseph-Ogden High School and JV games played at the Middle School on the southeast side of town.

Twelve teams, including #6 Danville in Class 4A, top-ranked Oswego East, the Galesburg Silver Streaks and the Maroons from Champaign Central, will battle for bragging rights on the first weekend in 2019.

The small school programs taking part in the event include #1 Associated Press ranked Cissna Park. The Timberwolves, who won the SJO Toyota of Danville Classic title less than two weeks ago, will be back in action at St. Joseph-Ogden for a second time this season facing the rising 2A talent from Monticello, one of two teams representing the Illini Prairie Conference.

The host Spartans will take the floor against Pleasant Plains in the nightcap starting at approximately 7:30p.

After each game a Player-of-the-Game recognized with a trophy presentation after each of the six varsity games. The award is sponsored by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

Fans, family and friends can follow the Shootout on Twitter @sjosports and use the tag #sjoshootout to share photos and comments from the event.

Admission is $5. Wristbands will be good for the entire day at both both locations. Season passes will not be honored for this event. Concession will be available in the school cafeteria for spectators.

Can't make it to the game? All six games will be broadcasted on WPXN 104.9 FM. The contest between Danville and Galesburg will also be available on the air through WGIL 97.7 and 1400 AM in Galesburg.

2019 Christie Clinic Shootout Schedule

12:00 PM - WATSEKA vs. MT. PULASKI
1:30 PM - DECATUR MACARTHUR vs. DANVILLE
3:00 PM - MONTICELLO vs. CISSNA PARK
4:30 PM - ALTHOFF CATHOLIC vs. CHAMPAIGN CENTRAL
6:00 PM - OSWEGO EAST vs. NORMAL COMMUNITY
7:30 PM - PLEASANT PLAINS vs. ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN

Maps to the tournament locations, game results along with team rosters and photos can be found on the official Christie Clinic Shootout site at http://www.sjo.k12.il.us/news/2019-christie-clinic-shootout.

Toyota of Danville Classic basketball tournament tips off at SJO tomorrow

ST. JOSEPH - Formerly known as The Leader Classic, the annual Toyota of Danville Classic boys basketball tournament will tip off at 5pm tomorrow with the opening game between the Timberwolves of Cissna Park and the Panthers of Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

Now playing at Illinois State University, St. Joseph-Ogden's Ty Pence goes up for a dunk over Oakwood's Dalton Hobick during last year's Toyota of Danville Classic championship game. Pence, who finished with 33 points and was named All-Tournament MVP, won't be back this season. What will be new this year is the use a 35-second shot clock for all 16 tournament contests.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

This year's eight teams include 2022 runner-up Oakwood, Cissna Park, PBL, and St. Teresa in Pool A.

Pool B teams include Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond, Charleston, Watseka, and the hosts and 2022 champions, St. Joseph-Ogden.

St. Joseph-Ogden will play their first pool game on tomorrow evening against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond at 6:30pm. After a day of rest, SJO are on the hardwood three consecutive days starting on Thursday with the day's matinee against Watseka at 5pm. The Spartans will play their final pool game against Charleston, who make their first appearance in the holiday tournament on Friday.

Spectators and basketball fans can expect lots of fast-paced action. The tournament will be using an IHSA approved shot clock for all 16 contests this year.

Admission fees for this year's tournament are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets will be available at the ticket booth at the main entrance before each game.

2023 Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule

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

Tuesday, 11/28/23:
5:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. PBL
6:30 PM: ALAH vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
8:00 PM: St. Teresa vs. Oakwood

Wednesday, 11/29/23:
5:00 PM: Watseka vs. Charleston
6:30 PM: PBL vs. St. Teresa
8:00 PM: Oakwood vs. Cissna Park

Thursday, 11/30/23:
5:00 PM: Watseka vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
6:30 PM: Charleston vs. ALAH
8:00 PM: Oakwood vs. PBL

Friday, 12/1/23: 5:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. St. Teresa
6:30 PM: ALAH vs. Watseka
8:00 PM: Charleston vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

Saturday, 12/2/23:
2:00 PM: 7th Place Game
3:30 PM: 5th Place Game
5:00 PM: 3rd Place Game
6:30 PM: 1st Place Game

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Shooting Stars | Area basketball athletes shined brightly last month

• Clifton Central 46 - Hoopeston Area 41

Preston VanDeVeer and Anthony Zamora finished with nine points each in Hoopeston Area's loss at home to the Comets. Kenddrick Sigerill led the Cornjerkers (2-3) on the boards with a season-high 11 rebounds finished with eight points. Hoopeston Area's Owen Root went 3-for-6 from the field putting eight points in the book.

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Oakwood's Brody Taflinger shakes hands with St. Joseph-Ogden Athletic Director Justin Franzen after recieving his recognition plaque for the Toyota of Danville All-Tournament team on December 3. Taflinger's efforts lead the Comets to a runner-up finish after falling to the hosts Spartans 66-31 in the championship game on Saturday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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• St. Joseph-Ogden 66 - Oakwood 31

Ty Pence drained 33 points in SJO's title game against Oakwood at the Toyota of Danville Classic on December 3. The senior D1 recruit scored 15 points in the first quarter to put the host Spartans on cruise control to this year's tournament title.

Junior Brody Taflinger led the Comets, who entered the fray with an impressive 8-0 record, with a 13-point effort in the team's first loss of the season.

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• Teutopolis 56 - Unity 40

Before boasting a four-game win streak, the Rockets suffered their second consecutive loss at the hands of the Wooden Shoes on December 3. Despite nine players contributing with two or more points, Unity fell 56-40.

The Rockets led at the halfway point by five and trailed by one, 38-37, at the end of the third quarter. Jay Saunders, who led the team in the loss with nine points, hit the team's only field goal during a fourth-quarter offensive collapse. Dalton O'Neill sank one of two free throw attempts to round out the scoring in the frame to just three points. O'Neill, Unity's second-leading scorer, finished with seven points. Henry Thomas tallied five points in the third quarter.

Joey Niebrugge, a junior, led all scorers with in the contest with 18 points.

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• St. Joseph-Ogden 68 - Watseka 28

Junior Logan Smith and senior Ty Pence combined effort produced 48 of SJO's 68 points in the team's romp over the Warriors at the Toyota of Danville Classic.

Pence, an 2023 Illinois State basketball recruit, drained 28 points while Smith rained down 20 more. Six other Spartans including Maddux Carter and Brock Trimble contributed to the victory.

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• Rochester 56 - Unity 46

Andrew and Henry Thomas sank 11 points apiece in the Rockets' second game of the season. Without home court advantage, Unity (1-1) came out of the locker room cold after the halftime break, scoring just six points to Rochester's 17.

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• St. Joseph-Ogden 44 - Danville 14

Addisyn Martinie dropped a game-high 16 point in the Spartans' first game during the month of December that snapped a three-game early season slide. Addison Seggebruch supplied 13 points in the non-conference victory.

SJO's improves to 2-4 heading into their next contest against Maroa-Forsyth at home.

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• URBANA 39 - Charleston 34

Senior Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta led the Tigers girls' basketball effort with 16 points in the team's first win of the season. Junior Jasmine McCullough also delivered a double-digit finish with 13 points. Urbana (1-3) enjoyed a team effort with six points from McKenzie Sprague and two points apiece from Savannah Blanden and Elizabeth Lange.

Trojans' Ally Logsdon all scorers with 19 points, 15 of those delivered in the fourth quarter of the non-conference game on December 1.

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New name, holiday basketball tradition continues at St. Joseph-Ogden High School

The annual Leader Classic basketball tournament was the brainchild of newspaper publisher Scott Hunter, who published the The Ogden Leader and the efforts of St. Joseph-Ogden High School athletic director Dale Doehring 30 years ago. This year, with the folding of Hunter's publication under the ownership of the The News-Gazette, a Danville automotive dealer has stepped up to keep the holiday tournament tradition uninterrupted.

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Jordan Brooks steps up to accept his All-Tournament award after the Leader Classic title game on Wednesday, December 21, 2016. Brooks drained 18 points, 12 from 4 three-pointers in the title game to lead St. Joseph-Ogden over Olympia, 84-71. With the loss of the title sponsor, the tournament has a new name and sponsor thanks to Toyota of Danville. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Now called the SJO Toyota of Danville Classic, the event will continue on for the foreseeable future hosted on the home court of the 2016 boys IHSA Class 2A champions.

The Spartan basketball program opens tournament play tonight with first-year head coach and alumnus Kiel Duval against CICS Longwood from Chicago, who became part of the regular tournament line up in 2014. SJO has won 18 of the 30 tournament titles and are one of favorites along with the state-ranked Timberwolves from Cissna Park.

Below is this year's tournament schedule.


SJO Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule

Thursday, Dec. 13
Game 1: Cissna Park vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Schlarman vs. Oakwood, 7:30 p.m.


Friday, Dec. 14
Game 3: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 7 p.m.


Saturday, Dec. 15
Game 4: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 10 a.m.
Game 5: Cissn Park vs. Schlarman, 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Oakwood, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Cissna Park, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Oakwood vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 5:30 p.m.
Game 9: Schlarman vs. St. Joseph-Ogden, 7 p.m.


Tuesday, Dec. 18
Game 10: Cissna Park vs. Oakwood, 5 p.m.
Game 11: Schlarman vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 12: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 8 p.m.


Friday, Dec. 21
Game 13: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Schlarman, 5 p.m.
Game 14: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Oakwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 15: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Cissna Park, 8 p.m.

Teams and schedule set for the 2024 Toyota of Danville Classic

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Taylor tries to force a turnover while playing defense on Oakwood's Brody Taflinger in the 2023 Toyota of Danville Classic championship game. SJO beat the Comets, the number one team from Pool A, 74-42.

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ST. JOSEPH - Months away, the eight-team lineup for this year's Toyota of Danville Basketball Classic was released earlier this week. The annual early season hoops tournament opens at St. Joseph-Ogden High School on December 2, and the championship games will take place five days later on December 7.

New to the tournament this year, Kankakee Bishop McNamara will join Cissna Park, Oakwood, and Paxton-Buckley-Loda in Pool A.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Charleston's Mikey Myers and ALAH's Colin Smith go up for a rebound at last year's pool play. The Trojans defeated the Knights, 59-26.

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Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond, Charleston, and Watseka return to Pool B with last year's champions St. Joseph-Ogden. The Spartans defeated Oakwood in the title game in the high school's main gym, 74-42.

Once again, spectators and basketball fans can expect 16 exciting, fast-paced games with the return of the 35-second shot clock.

Admission fees for this year's tournament are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets will be available at the ticket booth at the main entrance before each game.

2024
Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule

Pool A:
Cissna Park
Oakwood
PBL
Kankakee Bishop McNamara

Pool B:
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond
Charleston
St. Joseph-Ogden
Watseka

Monday, 12/2/24:
5:00 PM: Kankakee Bishop McNamara vs. Oakwood
6:30 PM: ALAH vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
8:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. PBL

Tuesday, 12/3/24:
5:00 PM: Charleston vs. ALAH
6:30 PM: Watseka vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
8:00 PM: Oakwood vs. PBL

Wednesday, 12/4/24:
5:00 PM: Watseka vs. Charleston
6:30 PM: PBL vs. Kankakee Bishop McNamara
8:00 PM: Oakwood vs. Cissna Park

Friday, 12/6/24:
5:00 PM: Cissna Park vs. Kankakee Bishop McNamara
6:30 PM: ALAH vs. Watseka
8:00 PM: Charleston vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

Saturday, 12/7/24:
1:00 PM: 7 th Place Game
2:30 PM: 5 th Place Game
4:00 PM: 3 rd Place Game
5:30 PM: 1 st Place Game

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Varsity basketball picks up second win

To pick up their second win of season St. Joseph-Ogden had time on their side during their second game of pool play at 2nd Annual Toyota of Danville Classic.

In the comfy confines of their home court, the Spartans held Norte Dame de LaSalatte to just five points for nearly a nine minute in a stretch to win 48-36 on Wednesday.

Spartans' Payton Cain goes up for a shot against LaSalette during his team's second game at the Toyota of Danville Classic on Wednesday. Cain finished the contest with a team-high 10 points. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Payton Cain led SJO in scoring with ten points. The senior, who also booked a team-high seven rebounds, wasn't satisfied.

"We've got a lot of work to do on our offense," Cain said. While it is only the second game of the season for the Spartans, he made it clear that team needs to solidify their identity to be successful. "We've got to find our dignity."

With 31 seconds left in the second quarter, LaSalette's Steven Deister hit a free throw to take a small nibble out of St. Joseph-Ogden's 21-14 lead. For nearly the next 10 minutes the Lions mustered just five points as the Spartans widen the scoring gap by 20 points at 39-19 with just 6:51 to the final buzzer.

Thanks to a strong defensive effort, SJO followed up a 6-0 run at the start the second frame with 12 unanswered points before the Lions' Joseph McCall hit two free throws to put the score at 39-21.

"On the defensive end we've done a great job getting stops," said Cain, who had 10 steals and used them to tack points on the scoreboard for the host team. "If we stop teams, our offensive will come up and finish out the game strong."

Once again, and it looks to be a regular theme this season, the Spartans enjoyed a nice balance of scoring from starters and the bench. All four classes did their part to secure the win.

Frosh starter Ty Pence was the second leading scorer with eight points. He went 4-for-4 from the free throw line - all of them in the second quarter - and had four rebounds.

Spectators react as SJO's Drew Coursey rolls across the floor after diving for a loose ball during first half action. Coursey, who played linebacker during the football season, was unfazed and quickly picked up by teammates moments later. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Andrew Beyers came off the bench to score five points against the Lions. The sophomore shot 50% from the line making his first one in the first half of the game and missing his second half attempt.

Junior Lukas Hutcherson rotated into the fray during the fourth quarter to finish with a trey for the Spartans while Cain and the class of 2020, who combined for 22 more points, did the heavy lifting.

LaSalette's offensive effort was bouyed by David Carlisle. The senior was the only player with double figures, thanks to three three-pointers, capping the evening with 14 points. He was responsible for five of his team's 24 boards.

The Lions' senior was aided by Joseph McCall with eight points. Joseph Martin and Thomas Brauner added another five points apiece.

"They were pretty tough," said Spartans' Drew Coursey. While the three-sport athlete's stats were meager with three points and a rebound, his aggressive presence on the floor created turnover opportunities. "They were physical dudes. They played hard."

Tonight, St. Joseph-Ogden squares off against last year's Classic champions Cissna Park tonight at 8pm. SJO goes into the contest with the hopes of continuing their unblemished record and avenging the 66-37 loss to the Timberwolves, who were also the Class 1A state runner-up back in March.

Here is tonight's Toyota of Danville Classic schedule:

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.

Prep Hoops |Wednesday Basketball Scores

Boys' Basketball

Charleston 55 - Watseka 30
Charleston's Tyler Oakley needed just three quarters of play to score 18 points during the team's second pool game at the annual Toyota of Danville Classic at St. Joseph-Odgen High School. Luke Bonsetter drained three treys to finish with 16 points.

Payton Schaumburg and Quinn Starkey paced the Warriors with six points each. Watseka is back on the hardwood Friday night at 6:30 against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (ALAH).

The Trojans will play in the following game looking to beat the host St. Joseph-Ogden, also 2-0 in tournament play, to punch their ticket into the title game on Saturday.

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Bishop McNamara 65 - Paxton-Buckley-Loda 42
The Fightin' Irish continued to dominate the competition at the Toyota of Danville Classic. Cole Czako scored 17 points and Wille Felton added another 10 points in the win over the PBL. A win Friday night over Cissna Park will put Bishop McNamara in their first-ever tournament championship appearance.

The Panthers, who will play in Saturday's third-place game, had a solid first-half performances from Robert Boyd-Meents and Tyler Cole with 11 points each. Carson Goss and Ethan Williams bolstered the scoring effort, combining for 16 points, each each.

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Cissna Park 69 - Oakwood 68
The Timberwolves rallied back from a 56-49 third-quarter deficit to beat the Comets by one at the Toyota of Danville Classic. Dierks Neukomm went for 5-for-6 from the free throw line on his way to a tournement-high 30 points. Teammate Seth Walder nearly duplicated the feat, finishing with 29 points.

Carson Dudley led the Comets with four quarters of scoring, finishing with 23 points. Jackson Dudley came up with key shots all in all four periods to contribute 15 points in the loss. Brandt Hobick also finished in double figures with 13 points.

Neukomm, Walder and Cissna Park play again on Saturday in the 5th place game against the winner of Friday night's showdown between ALAH and Watseka. Oakwood gets a day of rest to prepare for Saturday's 7th place contest against the loser between the Warriors and the Knights, starting at 1 PM.

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Springfield 64 - Central 50
Sophomore Daniel Sago and Senior Chris Bush scored 12 points each in the Maroons' loss at Combes Gym. Central (4-2).

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Collin Thomey leads Spartans in win over ALAH at Toyota of Danville Classic

St. Joseph-Ogden's Ryker Lockhart and Tim Blackburn-Kelley try to grab a loose ball during their team's season opener at the Toyota of Danville Classic on Monday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden opened their season in commanding fashion Monday, defeating Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 77-33 in the Toyota of Danville Classic. Led by senior Collin Thomey’s 20-point performance, SJO utilized decisive scoring runs to overpower the Knights and showcase their explosive offensive сapabilities.

With ALAH's Kendall Schrock guarding him, Spartan Collin Thomey slashes to the basket. The senior led all scorers with 20 points.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

The Spartans (1-0) jumped out to a 9-0 lead before Will Hilligoss put ALAH on the board, setting the tone for the game. A six-point run midway through the first quarter, highlighted by strong interior play from Tanner Siems, pushed the score to 22-11. Another six-point burst in the second quarter stretched the lead from 22-14 to 31-14, creating a cushion that the Knights could not overcome.

SJO’s dominance peaked in the third quarter with an 11-point scoring run out of the halftime break. Siems fueled the charge with back-to-back buckets before Thomey scored three consecutive baskets to put the game out of reach at 53-21.

SJO’s offensive firepower was evident, with four players finishing in double figures. Thomey led all scorers with 20 points, converting six of seven free throws. Siems contributed 13 points, including pivotal moments during the Spartans' runs. Lane McKinney provided a spark off the bench with 11 points in the fourth quarter, while Tim Blackburn-Kelley added 10 points in limited action.

SJO's Tanner Siems swats a shot attempt by ALAH's Will Hilligoss during the second half. The senior finished with 13 points in the team's first game of the season.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

The Spartans’ defense stifled ALAH (0-2), holding the Knights to just five points in the third quarter and forcing numerous turnovers. Nate Hale led ALAH with 11 points, followed by Hilligoss with eight, while Brennon Hutson and Kendall Schrock chipped in four apiece.

SJO faces Watseka tonight at 6:30 PM in the Main Gym after ALAH's 5 PM matchup against Charleston, who also seeks redemption after a 59-44 loss to Triad last week.

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Cain and Izard make Toyota of Danville Classic all-tournament team

St. Joseph-Ogden guard Chance Izard was selected as this year's Most-Valuable-Player by participating coaches at the Toyota of Danville Classic.

Izard, who had a season high 24 points in his team's final tournament game against Watseka, was also responsible for five of the team's 11 steals in that game. Over the first five games this season, the senior has tallied 93 points for an average of 18.6 per game. He put up a career-high 25 points in SJO's 74-39 win over Schlarman Academy.

From the free throw line Izard drained 10 of 16 attempts. After a lukewarm 4-and-9 start over the first three games this season, he has not missed a free throw in his last two outings, making all six attempts.

Payton Cain also received well-deserved recognition from coaches.

The senior guard finished the tournament with 42 point over four days. Not a frequent visitor to the charity stripe, Cain was 2-for-4 on free throws.

Members of this year's Toyota of Danville all-tournament team are listed below.

2019 All-Tournament Team:
Emmanuel Garcia Camilo, Notre Dame de La Salette
Jamal Taylor, Schlarman Academy
Conner Curry, Watseka
Cale Steinbaugh, Georgetown-Ridge Farm
Ian Rogers, Cissna Park
Payton Cain, St. Joseph-Ogden

All-Tournament Team MVP:
Chance Izard, St. Joseph-Ogden

Rematch: Oakwood, St. Joseph-Ogden face off in Toyota of Danville Classic championship game

Charleston's Luke Bonsletter goes up for a shot on a fast break against ALAH. The junior scored 26 points in his team's 48-41 loss to SJO Friday night. The Trojans will be play for third place at the TODC tonight starting at 5pm.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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ST. JOSEPH - The field is set for championship day at the Toyota of Danville Classic. St. Joseph-Ogden and Oakwood went undefeated in pool play and will face each other on the hardwood in a rematch of last year's title game starting around 6:30 PM tonight in the Main Gym at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Before that, St. Teresa and Charleston, who earned two wins against one loss in pool play, square off in the third-place game starting at 5pm. The markings of an exciting contest, St. Teresa's Raheem Tyus and Charleston's Luke Bonstetter will lead their respective teams for the in the prelude to the championship game. Tyus and Bonstetter led their teams in Friday's game, scoring 26 points.

The fifth place game features Paxton-Buckley-Loda against Evan LaBelle and the Watseka Warriors. LaBelle had an outstanding night, scoring 24 of his team's 51 points against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (ALAH).

ALAH will be the home team against Cissna Park, opening the final day's competition at 2pm.

Toyota of Danville Classic
Championship Day Schedule

2:00 PM: 7th Place Game-Cissna Park vs. ALAH

3:30 PM: 5th Place Game-PBL vs. Watseka

5:00 PM: 3rd Place Game-Decatur St. Teresa vs. Charleston

6:30 PM: 1st Place Game: Oakwood vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

Spartans beat Cissna Park at Toyota of Danville Classic

Spartan Ty Pence floats above the paint on a second half shot against Cissna Park during their Toyota of Danville Classic game on Friday. Pence notched his first varsity double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the Spartans defeat last season's Class 1A state runner-up Timberwolves, 65-49. SJO moves to 3-0 on the season. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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With the lightning fast Chance Izard on the floor and 48% shooting from the field, St. Joseph-Ogden fought to a 64-49 win over Cissna Park in Game 9 of the Toyota of Danville Classic on Friday night.

Izard finished the nightcap with 18 points. The senior guard and emerging team leader had a pair of steals and two rebounds for his team.

The Spartans also received double-digit scoring from Ty Pence and Drew Coursey.

Pence notched the Spartans' only double-double 14 points and 12 boards.

In best game so far this season, Coursey made 71% of the shots he took to finish the night with 10 points in the paint.

"I thought we played really, really well together tonight," said Spartan head coach Kiel Duval. "We did some good things - effort stuff that we were asking them to do in practice - it carried over to the game."

Cissna Park senior Penn Stoller was 4-for-4 from the free throw line racking up 13 team-high points for the Timberwolves. Ian Rogers, a junior, added another 11 and sophomore Malaki Verkler had 10 points.

McNamara Overpowers Oakwood in Toyota of Danville Classic opener

Oakwood's Brandt Hobick tries dribble into the paint past McNamara's Teddy Fogel during their first game in Toyota of Danville Classic at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Hobick delivered a game-high 11 points for the Comets.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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ST. JOSEPH — In a battle of unbeaten teams, Bishop McNamara stormed past the Oakwood, 74-31, in the opening round of the Toyota of Danville Classic on Monday. McNamara's dominant performance highlighted their offensive depth and resilience on defense, while Oakwood’s struggles tarnished their previously unbeaten record.

The Fightin’ Irish (4-0) set the tone early, racing to a 20-point first quarter and maintaining pressure with 23 and 21 points in the second and third quarters, respectively.

Willie Felton led the charge with 17 points, delivering all his scoring by the end of the third quarter. Trey Provost added 12 points, while Coen Demack and Callaghan O’Connor contributed eight apiece. McNamara’s 34 baskets, all but two from inside the arc, showcased efficient ball movement and consistent finishes at the rim.

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Bishop McNamara's Teddy Fogel tries to block a fourth-quarter shot by Oakwood's Jaethan Perez.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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Oakwood (5-1) struggled to match McNamara’s pace, scoring just seven points in the first quarter and eight in the second. Brandt Hobick paced the Comets with 11 points, while Carsen Dudley scored nine and Alex Wallace added six. Despite hitting five three-pointers, Oakwood was unable to find its range at the free-throw line, going 4-for-13 and managing just two points in the final quarter.

The win solidifies McNamara’s place as an early favorite in the tournament. Next, they face Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Wednesday, a team coming off a solid 60-37 win over Cissna Park.

Oakwood looks to regroup quickly for their nightcap matchup against PBL in the round-robin tournament tonight at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

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