The Sentinel

Hungry? Order a pizza with the world's most expensive sneakers

(NewsUSA) -- March Madness returns this year, after a pandemic-imposed hiatus in 2020.

As a result, basketball fans, sneaker fans, pizza fans, and anyone else might be feeling a little extra crazy.

How crazy? Enough to consider a 2.2-million-dollar basketball shoe supported by Pizza Hut that not only looks stylish and feels great, but actually helps the wearer order pizza via cellphone.

The Pizza Hut Pie Tops hit the market in 2018 as part of a March Madness promotion from Pizza Hut. The company enlisted renowned "Shoe Surgeon" Dominic Chambrone to design approximately 50 pairs of a very limited-edition custom sneaker.

During the 2018 March Madness basketball tournament, the few individuals wearing the Pizza Hut Pie Tops could press one button inside the tongue of one shoe that would pause the game they were watching, press a button on the other shoe to order their favorite Pizza Hut pizza, and then resume the game.

Impossible? Apparently not. The shoes were made available in two color schemes, all red or wheat brown with red (or as Pizza Hut puts it, "marinara") highlights.

According to a description on the uber-shoe website, Godly Soles, "Atop a completely rubberized sole, the upper of the wheat iteration consists of a tumbled nubuck, while in contrast, the red version consists of mostly full-grain leather with hints of suede on the toe cap and heel."

In addition, "A patent leather splash of 'marinara' accents the medial and lateral while white translucent webbing, or 'cheese grater mesh', cages the emblazoned PIZZA HUT lettering."

The iconic Pizza Hut logo appears on an embossed hangtag, as well as on the lace lock, tongue, heel, and ankle collar. Even the insoles and laces reflect the pizza theme.

Guess what? Drake, the Toronto-based global rap star and sneakerhead, does not have a pair of Pizza Hut Pie Tops II in his collection. But you can.

Godly Soles is offering a new, in-the-box, unworn pair of the wheat Pizza Hut Pie Top IIs in a men's size 11. They can be yours for $2.2 million dollars, and you can claim ownership of the most expensive sneakers in the world.

With that, your purchase would top Drake's custom OVO x Air Jordan 10's, which are considered the most expensive sneakers in existence with a worth of $2.1 million dollars.

Godly Soles is offering these sneakers for sale through StockX. Visit godlysoles.com for more about the world's most expensive sneakers, and how to get them.

The drought ends, Urbana girls enjoy first win of the season

RANTOUL -- It finally happened. The Urbana girls basketball team earned their first win after beating Rantoul Township, 38-35. It took 14 games this season for the Tigers to finally sample the taste of victory.

"It is a great feeling for all of the team," said head coach Bobby Boykin. "They have worked so hard, and their dedication finally paid off. We are hoping to build upon this win, and just continue to work as a team to get better."

Urbana used a 14-point second-quarter run to erase a two-point deficit in the first quarter. Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta, Zineria Edwards, and Jasmine McCullough contributed two points each in the frame. Kenzie Sprague and Destiny Barber dumped four points apiece during the quarter to give the Tigers a 21-14 halftime lead.

Rantoul's Tashay Jackson-Roper was the leading scorer in the non-conference matchup with 13 points, 11 manufactured in the second half. Sheila Navarette buried three treys for nine points to help the Eagles' cause.

Barber led the Urbana (1-13, 0-6 Big Twelve) offense with 11 points. Mboyo-Meta chipped in nine points, and Edwards was good for another eight points.

Rantoul (0-9, 0-3 IPC) went to the free-throw line 31 times. Jackson-Roper, who found herself on the charity stripe 22 times, made seven of the team's 10 free throws.

Meanwhile, Urbana's McCullough was the only player who made 100% of her free throws, draining both in the second quarter. Mboyo-Meta was 3-for-6 from the line, and Barber found the net during three of her eight trips to the line.

While pleased with the outcome, Boykin knows there is a lot of work to be done and hoops to be played.

"We still have a ways to go and are going to face some great teams down the home stretch of our season."

Box Score

Final: Urbana 38 - Rantoul 35

	1	2	3	4	F
Urbana	7	14	7	10	38
Rantoul	9	6	10	10	35

Urbana --
Mboyo-Meta 3 (0) 3-6 -- 9, Sprague 4 (0) 3-8 -- 11, J. Hall 0 (1) 1-4 -- 4, McCullough 0 (0) 1-4 -- 1, T. Hall 4 (0) 0-3 -- 8, Blanden 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Blanden 0 (0) 0-1 -- 0, McCullough 0 (1) 2-2 -- 5, T. Hall 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Blanden 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.

Rantoul --
Walton 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Emery 0 (0) 0-2 -- 0, Jackson-Roper 3 (0) 7-22 -- 13, Polk 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Dixon 0 (0) 3-6 -- 3, Sutherland 0 (1) 0-0 -- 3, Autman 1 (1) 0-1 -- 5, Martin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Sheila 0 (3) 0-0 -- 9, Naverette 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Ortiz 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.

Photos | MLK Walk for Peace sends message to young people

URBANA -- Late Monday morning on January 17, just over 100 walkers came together to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speakers also talked about the work in the community that still needs to be done, especially with a focus on the escalation of gun violence not only in the Champaign-Urbana area but around the country.

"What we want to utilize (this day) for is not only to commemorate him but to actually put a highlight on some of the things going on now in our own communities," said Maurice Hayes, Executive Director of HV Neighborhood Transformation. "We are facing the pandemic of gun violence and death in all of our high hope areas. We want to take this opportunity to let our kids know we are riding with them the same way Dr. King road for us."

The MLK Walk for Peace was a collaboration between HV Neighborhood Transformation, Urbana Rotary Club, Housing Authority of Champaign County/YouthBuild, Urbana Free Library and Park District, as well as the City of Urbana.

Hayes told the audience he and others have made their life's purpose to saving kids from the gun violence seen "every day in Champaign-Urbana, and in every high hope area across the United States of America."

"This, too, has to be a reason we stand and fight. This too has to be a reason why we march," he said. "This, too, has to be a purpose-driven mission that we as a community must take on ourselves. We stand with these young people."

Walkers set out from Crestview Park in Urbana along Cottage Grove for the 2022 MLK Walk for Peace on Monday. A diverse group of children and adults of all ages used the walk to Larson Park to discuss issues of concern and what they can do to improve life in the Champaign-Urbana community.

Photo: PhotoNews Media

Despite frigid temperatures on Monday, peaceful walkers reach Larson Park in Urbana where they heard a brief presentation from Maurice Hayes, Executive Director of HV Neighborhood Transformations, and Youth Build student Asia Mitchell.

Photo: PhotoNews Media

Maurice Hayes gives a keynote speech at Larson Park. Hayes told the gathering, "Today, we tell him thank you. Today, we show a small bit of sacrifice being out here in this cold to the major sacrifice not only he but a bunch of others showed in the betterment of our lives. So we thank Dr. King and we say God Bless you, continue to rest in heaven and continue to rest peacefully."

Photo: PhotoNews Media

Participants at the march stay socially distant while singing an impromptu rendition of Lift Up Every Voice and Sing during the rally at Larson Park.

Photo: PhotoNews Media

Asia Mitchell talks at the Urbana MLK Walk for Peace

During her talk, Asia Mitchell told listeners that Dr. Martin Luther King civil rights movement was an inspiration to her. "We are living his dream," she said. " There is still a lot of violence and crime, but we live in freedom. It is a free world. He had a dream all this nonsense would go away. Even though it is still here, as a family we are still making it work."

Photo: PhotoNews Media

"We have to know how to lead them and where we are leading them to," Hayes said about the future of young people of today. "So often our kids are misled by the some of the wrong things. It's going to take us as adults in the room to lead them in a different direction to prosperity and to grow success."

Photo: PhotoNews Media