St. Joseph-Ogden used balanced scoring and composure on the road to beat Watseka 65-54. Brooks, Ericksen and Hayden Dahl combined for 45 points for the Spartans.
by Clark Brooks The Sentinel WATSEKA - St. Joseph-Ogden arrived at Watseka High School on Monday facing a Warriors team that had built its reputation on defense, but the Spartans left with a statement road win and a familiar formula: balance, patience and perimeter shooting.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Addie Brooks follows through on a shot during the Spartans home game against LeRoy. The senior scored 18 points in last Monday's game against Watseka.
Senior Addie Brooks made the outcome feel inevitable. Brooks earned Player of the Game honors after drilling five three-pointers over the first three quarters, finishing with a game-high 18 points to lift St. Joseph-Ogden to a 65-54 victory in the rescheduled Country Financial Shootout. The win pushed the Spartans’ record to 8-1 and reinforced their ability to execute away from home.
Watseka entered the matchup having held Centennial and Oakwood under 20 points, but the Warriors were unable to slow St. Joseph-Ogden’s long-range efficiency. The Spartans averaged three three-pointers per quarter and finished the night with 13 from beyond the arc, repeatedly stretching the defense and opening lanes for ball movement.
St. Joseph-Ogden set the tone early, knocking down five three-pointers in the opening quarter. Brooks accounted for three of them, while Hayden Dahl added a pair. Timera Blackburn-Kelley capped the run by sinking two free throws, giving the Spartans a 17-13 lead after one quarter. From there, St. Joseph-Ogden kept steady pressure on the scoreboard, carrying a lead through the first three quarters that Watseka could not erase.
Katie Ericksen delivered a strong second-half surge, finishing with 14 points behind four three-pointers after halftime and perfect shooting from the free-throw line. Dahl added 13 points, providing a consistent scoring presence, while Blackburn-Kelley narrowly missed double figures with nine points and key contributions on both ends of the floor.
Watseka countered with balanced scoring of its own. Senior Christa Holohan led the Warriors with 14 points and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Junior Rennah Barrett chipped in 11 points, and Leigha Covarrubias added 10 as three Warriors reached double figures.
Despite Watseka’s depth, St. Joseph-Ogden controlled the tempo and answered each push with timely shooting and composure.
Next up, St. Joseph-Ogden opens tournament play against El Paso-Gridley at Bloomington High School on Friday at 10:30 a.m.
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TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball Watseka game, Country Financial Shootout SJO Watseka, Addie Brooks Player of the Game SJO, St. Joseph-Ogden road win girls basketball, Watseka Warriors vs Spartans basketball
Unity improved to 6-1 with a road win over Effingham, powered by late free throws and balanced scoring.
EFFINGHAM - Unity didn't panic when they found themselves trailing a wee bit on the scoreboard agaisnt Hearts on Monday.
After hammering Pleasant Plains on the road Friday night, the Rockets continued riding their measured momentum and used a fourth-quarter surge to pull away from Effingham for a 66-57 road win. The victory extended Unity’s winning streak to four games and lifted the Rockets to 6-1 on the season.
Unity trailed by one at halftime but flipped the script after the break, outscoring the Hearts 35-25 in the second half. The decisive push came in the final quarter, where the Rockets poured in 19 points to create separation down the stretch.
Tyler Henry led Unity with 16 points, doing much of his damage late. The junior went 4-for-6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, helping the Rockets protect their lead when Effingham tried to close the gap. Colton Langendorf added 15 points, and the duo combined for 13 of Unity’s 19 points in the final frame.
Tre Hoggard rounded out the Rockets’ top scorers with 11 points, giving Unity three players in double figures in another balanced offensive effort.
Effingham, which fell to 3-8, was led by Jenner Pals, who scored 15 points, all in the first half. Jude Traub finished with 10 points and went 2-for-2 at the free throw line, while senior Cannon Bockhorn chipped in nine points as the Hearts dropped their fifth straight game.
Unity returns to action Dec. 30 at the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic, where the Rockets will face Central A&M.
Box Score
Unity 20 31 47 - 66
Effingham 13 32 43 - 57
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TAGS: Unity Rockets boys basketball fourth quarter rally, Unity vs Effingham high school basketball recap, Illinois high school basketball road win, Unity Rockets 2025 season recap, Effingham Hearts boys basketball loss
Centered on the death of a two-week-old baby in Gaza, this commentary condemns global indifference to civilian suffering.
by Yumna Zahid Ali, Guest Commentator
How can we have heated streets for cars, but not heated homes for babies? How can we build heated bus shelters for people waiting fifteen minutes, but not for families waiting a lifetime for housing? In Gaza today, life has become a battle against the elements, against hunger, and against despair. Among the ruins of bombed-out homes and flooded streets, a two-week-old baby named Muhammad Khalil Abu al Khair froze to death. Yes… You heard that right. FROZE TO DEATH.
Is there any excuse, any justification, that can explain a baby dying of a cold in a world with central heating, charity drives, and holiday fundraisers?
We have the technology to alert a phone when a package is left in the rain, but no alarm bell rings when a child’s core temperature plummets in a city of millions. We deliver hot food to our doorsteps in minutes. Why is delivering basic warmth to a doorstep a logistical impossibility? We have weather satellites that can track a storm forming over an ocean. Do we not have the moral foresight to track the storm of deprivation gathering over a human being? We build submarines that can explore the crushing depths of the Mariana Trench and rovers that photograph the dust of Mars. But we claim it is a “complex challenge” to deliver a solar-powered heater and a tarp to a family sleeping in a rain-soaked tent.
Our priorities are not flawed; they are corrupt.
Yes! Little Khalil did not “die.” He was murdered by the policy of a blockade that values the security of a border more than the life of a child. He was murdered by a vote in a parliament that funded more weapons but choked off medicine. He was murdered by the cowardice of every world leader who calls for “restraint” while children freeze to death. His autopsy would list hypothermia, but the truth is murder by political decision.
We have air-conditioned dog kennels and data servers that never dip below 70°F. But we lack the basic humanity to guarantee that a human child does not succumb to the elements. Explain that hierarchy of compassion. Name one justification. Go ahead. Try to explain why a box of donated blankets sat undistributed while a newborn froze.
There is none. Only evil.
About the author ~
Yumna Zahid Ali is a writer and educator who spends her free time reading, analyzing literature, and exploring cultural and intellectual debates. When she’s not writing for global audiences, she enjoys reflecting on societal issues and using her voice to challenge inequities, especially those affecting women. She also loves diving into history, believing that remembering the past is an act of defiance and a way to hold power accountable.
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TAGS: opinion on baby freezing to death in Gaza, Gaza humanitarian crisis civilian suffering, moral responsibility of world leaders Gaza, political decisions and civilian deaths opinion, war displacement and infant mortality Gaza
ST. LOUIS – #20 Illinois took Missouri out to the woodshed for an old fashion 91-48 whooping in the annual McBride Homes Braggin' Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Monday night.
Photo: Fighting Illini Athletics
Andrei Stojakovic delivered 16 points and three boards in Illinois' win over the Tigers on Monday. Making double-digits for his third straight game, it was Stojakovic's seventh for the Fighting Illini. The junior tied his season-high with two 3-pointers.
What began as a measured rivalry matchup quickly turned into a one-sided showcase of depth, physicality and shooting as the Fighting Illini overwhelmed the Tigers in every facet. Illinois outscored Missouri 50-23 in the second half, turning a competitive early contest into the most lopsided result in the history of the series.
Illinois asserted itself on the glass and never let go. The Illini finished with a commanding 43-24 rebounding edge, including 15 offensive boards that fueled 29 second-chance points. Missouri managed just five second-chance points and struggled to find any rhythm inside, scoring only 18 points in the paint.
After four ties in the opening minutes, Illinois began to create separation midway through the first half. A five-point burst gave the Illini a 19-14 edge, and moments later an 11-2 run stretched the margin into double digits for the first time. Illinois knocked down three 3-pointers during that surge and carried a 32-20 lead before closing the half on a 9-3 run to take a 41-25 advantage into the locker room.
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler set the tone early and never cooled off. Wagler finished with a game-high 22 points, scoring 16 in the first half while shooting with confidence from the perimeter. He connected on a career-high five 3-pointers, grabbed eight rebounds, handed out four assists, blocked two shots and added two steals in a complete performance that reflected Illinois’ dominance.
Photo: Fighting Illini Athletics
Illinois' Kylan Boswell dribbles around Mizzou's Jacob Crews. Boswell finished the game with six points and three rebounds.
Any thought of a Missouri response vanished quickly after halftime. Illinois opened the second half with an 11-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Tomislav Ivisic, forcing a Missouri timeout less than two minutes in. The Illini continued to apply pressure, holding the Tigers without a field goal for nearly six minutes during one stretch and steadily widening the gap.
Ivisic finished with 14 points, five rebounds and an assist, while Andrej Stojakovic added 16 points on efficient shooting. Zvonimir Ivisic provided a spark off the bench with a season-high 11 rebounds and three blocks, and Ben Humrichous chipped in nine points with three 3-pointers.
Shooting 52% from the field and controlling the tempo throughout, Illinois improved to 9-3 and extended its winning streak in the rivalry to three straight games. The Illini return home Dec. 29 to host Southern at State Farm Center in their final nonconference game.
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Illinois basketball vs Missouri Braggin Rights game, Illinois 91 Missouri 48 Braggin Rights recap, Keaton Wagler breakout game Illinois, Illinois Missouri rivalry basketball St Louis, Illinois basketball second half domination
Here is a recap of the headlines published on this day in December in the Sentinel from Champaign‑Urbana and surrounding communities. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year. Read this day's articles on healthy tips for a New Year's Resolution, Illini basketball huge win over Missouri and inexpensive hobbies you can start today.
In a 6-3 decision Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a lower court order barring President Donald Trump from deploying Nationa...
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On This Day
Discover the headlines published on each of these days from our news and sports coverage from Champaign‑Urbana and the wider community. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year.
by Clark Brooks 
