St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball squad secures first win of the season

TUSCOLA - The St. Joseph-Ogden girls' basketball team notched its first win of the season Tuesday night, defeating Tuscola 38-30 in a hard-fought road game. The Spartans used a strong second-half surge to seize control after a tightly contested opening.

The Spartans (1-3) were paced by standout Kayla Osterbur, who delivered a game-high 17 points, including nine in a decisive fourth-quarter performance. Timera Blackburn-Kelley added nine points, while Hayden Dahl provided a crucial spark off the bench, sinking four of six free throws en route to seven points. Contributions from Addie Brooks and Katie Ericksen rounded out the Spartans’ balanced attack.

Tuscola (2-3) held a slim 7-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and remained in front by a point at halftime, 16-15. Ava Boyer led the Warriors with 15 points, while Reese Davis added six. However, Tuscola struggled to maintain momentum as St. Joseph-Ogden turned up the defensive intensity in the second half.

The third quarter saw the Spartans shift gears, holding the Warriors to just five points while gaining a 24-21 lead. Key three-pointers from Osterbur and Dahl, combined with Blackburn-Kelley’s field goal and plus one free throw, fueled the rally. In the final period, the Spartans found their offensive rhythm, tallying their highest-scoring quarter with 14 points to seal the win.

Looking ahead, and still on the road, St. Joseph-Ogden faces Oakwood (2-5) on Wednesday before hosting their first home game of the season Thursday against Danville.

---

---

Haas and Meharry lead Unity in tough loss at Clinton

CLINTON - In their first game following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Unity girls basketball team struggled to gel on offense, falling 54-30 on the road to Clinton on Monday night. The Rockets were unable to contain the balanced attack from Clinton's offense while facing difficulty generating scoring opportunities.

After trailing 19-7 after the first quarter, the Unity was unable to generate enough momentum to close the initial gap on the Maroons. The loss drops the Rockets to 4-2 on the season, ending a three-game win streak. Meanwhile, Clinton improved to an identical 4-2 record. The victory marks the second straight win for the Maroons after a pair of tough losses to Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Decatur MacArthur.

The deficit was engineered by Clinton's Clara Dempsey, who poured in a game-high 16 points. Teammates Regan Filkin and Avery Smith added nine points each, while Lilah Cluver contributed eight to round out the team's scoring effort. The victory marks Clinton’s second consecutive win after two earlier losses against Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Decatur MacArthur.

For Unity, seniors Lauren Haas and Clair Meharry each scored nine points, providing much of the Rockets' offensive output. However, the team couldn’t find consistent scoring support, with McKinley Weller and Mackenzie Pound adding three points each. Josie Cler, Grace Bickers, and Emily Decker scored two points apiece.

The loss marked a temporary setback for the Rockets, who now turn their focus to a four-game home stand starting tonight against Cissna Park. The Rockets look to rebound by capitalizing on their home-court advantage, facing Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond on Thursday before hosting Urbana next Monday and Watseka the following Saturday.

---

---