Still improving, Urbana Tigers just misses their first win

The Urbana girls' varsity basketball team was just a stone's throw away from winning their first basketball game of the season on Saturday. Though they delivered a solid defensive effort, the Tigers (0-9) fell at home 42-32 to Peoria Manual (2-5).

McKenzie Sprague brings the ball down the court in the fourth quarter of the Tigers' home game against Manual. She finished the game with eight points.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

"Defensively, when you hold a team to 42 points that is a great defensive effort. Throughout the game we had some really great defensive moments with our press where we were forcing turnovers and getting points off of those turnovers," said head coach Bobby Boykin. "We just need to continue to be smarter defensively, and continue to work on our communication."

Urbana took a one-point lead, going up 4-3, midway into the first quarter. The home team later stretched their advantage to as many as three before Manual's Alexis Smith hit a jumper to erase the deficit and tie the score at 11-all with 1:39 left in the period.

After a free throw from Thiah Butler with 7:48 left in the half, the Tigers enjoyed a brief lead for the last time during the conference game at Oscar Adams Gym before falling behind at the end of the second quarter, 22-18.

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta played her best game of the season, collecting a season-high 12 points. By the end of the first half, she tallied all but two of her game-high finish.

Starting the second half with an 18-22 deficit, Urbana held the Rams scoreless for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Back-to-back steals, the first by junior McKenzie Sprague followed up another from Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta, helped fuel a 10-point run to put the Tigers up 28-22 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

Unable to sustain their dominance, Urbana gave up six unanswered points in the last two minutes and 42 seconds of the quarter only to fall behind, 34-30.

"We are improving as a team," Boykin added. "We just need to put everything together for four quarters."

Senior Zineria Edwards pulls down an offensive rebound in the fourth quarter for the Tigers. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Despite their best effort, the Tigers could not get a ball through the rim until Jasmine McCullough came off the bench with almost a minute left on the game clock to hit a field goal for the team's only points in the second quarter. The nearly nine-minute shooting drought starting in the third quarter quashed Urbana's chance to notch their first victory of the season.

"Offensively, we did a great job of getting the ball into their zone and then relocating. We just have to finish our shots." "As a team, this was probably our best performance of the season thus far," Boykin said.

Sprague was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and contributed eight points as the team's second-leading scorer. Butler and Destiny Barber added another four points apiece. Mboyo-Meta was also perfect from the charity stripe sinking the ball on both attempts.

The Rams were led on offense by sophomore guard Antaya Taylor who matched Mboyo-Meta's 12 points. Manual also got double-digit output from senior Jazzlyn Latta.

"This was a game that we were really close to pulling out," the first-year Urbana coach pointed out. "The turnovers at the end really took a toll on us. It just comes down to execution at the end."

Box Score

Final: Manual 42 - Urbana 32

Urbana --
Mboyo-Meta 10-2-12, Sprague 6-2-8, McCullough 2-0-2, Barber 2-2-4, Butler 2-2-4, McCullough 2-0-2, Hall 2-0-2

Manual --
Mack 4-3-7, Bryant 2-2-4, Taylor 8-4-12, Latta 9-1-10, Randle 3-0-3, Hinkle 2-0-2, Smith 2-0-2.

Urbana suffers non-conference loss at home, but still has room to grow

URBANA - Going toe-to-toe in the first quarter with St. Teresa (7-7), the Urbana girls' basketball team used three treys - one each from Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta, Jasmine McCullough, and McKenzie Sprague - for a competitive frame and 16-14 lead.

Unfortunately, plagued by too many turnovers and missed shots, the Tigers (2-9) dug a hole too deep to recover in the second quarter on their way to a 60-44 non-conference loss on Saturday. Destiny Baker's field goal and free throw along with another free throw from Mboyo-Meta were overshadowed by St. T's 18 points run before the half.

Urbana's Savannah Blanden wrestles the ball away St. Teresa's Zakyrie Mayes during second half action on Saturday. After a strong first quarter, the Tigers' could not make up a second-quarter deficit to snag another victory at Oscar Adams Gymnasium. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

"As a team, we got off to a great start in the 1st quarter. In the second quarter we just got into too much of a hurry and couldn’t finish our shots," said Urbana head coach Bobby Boykin reflecting on the miscues. "We also missed a few closeouts on (Lucy) Corley from St. Teresa. She is a great scorer for them and we just lost track of her a few too many times."

Corley led St. Teresa's offensive effort with 19 points. Two other Bulldogs also finished in double figures. Grace Lees knocked down 15 points, and senior Jaida Taylor contributed another 11.

"For the 2nd half, we tried to change things up defensively and St Teresa had answers for it. St Teresa just did a great job executing their game plan," said Boykin, praising the Bulldogs.

Urbana's Mia Schroeder is fouled while going up for a shot by St. Teresa's Grace Lees in the second half. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

St. Teresa used the third quarter to extend their 12-point advantage at the half to 20 by the time the game clock showed less than two minutes to play before the final quarter. Meanwhile, Mboyo-Meta, who finished with a team-high 13 points, converted four of her five free throw attempts and collected another bucket for seven points. McCullough, who closed out the contests with 10 points, hit a three-pointer, and Savannah Bladen made the second of two shots she earned from the line.

Invigorated by McCullough's trey, the Tigers' played an aggressive fourth quarter offensively and defensively, outscoring the visiting team 14-10. The outcome might have been significantly different if Boykin's squad could play with the same intensity and tenaciousness displayed in the final eight minutes on Saturday.

"Playing four quarters has been a struggle for us this season. We just need to be ready to play for 32 minutes," Boykin said. "We have room to continue to grow and we still have some great opportunities to get better."

An Urbana fan holds up a sign while spectators cheer after Tigers' Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta scores on hard-charging shot to the rim for two of her 13 points at Saturday's home game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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.

Urbana falls at Prairie Central

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta dribbles the ball during Urbana's road game at the Toyota of Danville Classic against Tri-County. The junior socred at team-high seven points at Prairie Central on Thursday.

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta led the Tigers against Prairie Central with seven points on December 2. Five other players contributed another 14 points in Urbana's scoring effort in the non-conference 48-21 loss.

Zineria Edwards, one of the five, drained one of two of UHS' three-pointers to finish with five points.

The Hawks led at the half 23-9 and added another 18 points in the third quarter to hold off the Tigers, who mustered six.

Still looking for their first win of the season, Urbana dropped to 0-5 on the season.

Box Score

Final: Prairie Central 48 - Urbana 21

Urbana --
Mboyo-Meta 7-0-7, Sprague 2-0-2, McCullough 2-0-2, Edwards 5-0-5, Davis 2-1-3, Howard 2-0-2.

Prairie Central --
C. Sisco 9-0-9, Davies 8-1-9, Whitfill 2-0-2, M. Sisco 11-0-11, Strong 2-1-3, Elderman 4-0-4, Ashmon 0-2-2, Curl 7-1-8.

Barber and Mboyo-Meta lead Tigers in conference win over visiting Danville

URBANA - It took 34 months, to the day, for the Urbana girls' basketball program to finally post a win on their home court at Oscar Adams Gym. A week ago Thursday, after holding visiting Danville to just eight first-half points, the Tigers (2-4) posted a 40-24 win over the Vikings.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Destiny Barber goes up for one of three first-quarter scores during Urbana's home game against Danville on December 8. Barber finished with eight points in the Tiger's first home win since 2020.

The last time the girls' program celebrated a victory on their hardwood dates back to a 64-47 win over visiting Bloomington High School when most of the squad were playing freshman ball back on February 8, 2020.

"It's been almost two and half years since we had a home win. They earned this one," Head coach Bobby Boykin said after the game. Despite their current record, he is pleased with the strides his team is making this season. "They have really grown and are starting to come together."

The Tigers return eight players who saw significant playing time from the previous season. Many of last season's familiar faces contributed to last week's win.

Destiny Barber and Gabreille Mboyo-Meta led the Urbana offensive effort with a game-high eight points a piece. Junior guard Aziyaha Davis finished with seven points, and Jasmine McCullough rounded out the top four scorers for the Tigers with six points.

Barber, a senior, scored six of her eight points in the first quarter with assists from Davis, who forced turnovers to create an abundance of scoring opportunites for UHS in the first half. With the help Mboyo-Meta and McCollough, the Tigers put up an 11-point lead on scoreboard.

Urbana continued to stretch the gap on the scoreboard all the way to the end of the third quarter boasting a 22-point advantage.

"Danville is definitely a hardworking team," Boykin said, acknowledging Danville's attempt to dig themselves out of an impossible situation. "We tried our best to be the same tonight."

Layla Johnson paced the Vikings with seven points.

Box Score

Urbana 40 - Danville 25

	1	2	3	4	F
Urbana	14	6	14	6	40
Danville	3	5	4	13	25

Urbana --
Barber 4(0)-2-0--8, Davis 3(0)-3-1--7, Mboyo-Meta 2(1)-4-1--8, Schroeder 1(1)-0-0--5, McCullough 2(0)-4-2--6, Sprague 1(0)-3-0--2, Hall 1(0)-0-0--2, Blanden 0(0)-2-0--0, Lange 1(0)-0-0--2, Hall 0(0)-2-0--0.

Danville --
Johnson 3(0)-2-1--7, Blandeo 0(0)-0-0--0, Rudy 0(0)-6-1--1, Berryhill 2(0)-4-2--6, Longfair 1(0)-0-0--2, Walls 1(0)-3-1--3, McFarland 0(0)-0-0--0, Brown 0(0)-0-0--0, Parker 0(0)-0-0--0, Johnson 0(0)-0-0--0, Taylor 1(0)-0-0--2, Foley 2(0)-0-0--4, Winston 0(0)-0-0--0.

Anemic roster fuels Tigers' conference loss to Wildcats

NORMAL -- Taking the court with a seriously depleted roster, the Urbana girls basketball team dropped their fifth conference game of the season on the road on Saturday, January 8. The Tigers, with just six players available players, suffered a 52-10 loss at Normal West.

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta led Urbana's scoring effort with six points. Junior McKenzie Sprague and freshman Jasmine McCullough rounded out their team's side of the scoreboard with two points apiece.

Though there were limited opportunities between numerous turnovers, neither team was able to score until there was 4:28 left in the opening quarter. Megan Williams sank a trey to put the Wildcats up 3-0.

Normal West then capitalized on an overthrown Tigers' pass to go up 5-0 thanks to a bucket in the paint from Meredith Bertsche. With a little more than three minutes to play in the quarter, Ashley Wilcox added two more points from under the basket to give the Wildcats a 7-0 advantage.

Urbana responded by stepping up their defensive effort. Next, the squad put their first points on the board with a free throw from Mboyo-Meta. A minute and 45 seconds later, the Tigers were back in the game down, 7-4.

The understaffed Urbana team was limited to just eight first-half points.

It was Normal West's Monie Howard and her two-quarter, ten-point run and the inability to rotate players in that sealed Urbana's fate.

The Wildcats had three players reach double figures. Williams had 11 points, Howard was good for 10, and Wilcox drained another 10 points in the Big Twelve Conference victory.

Mboyo-Meta and the Tigers are scheduled to play on the road for the next three contests starting Thursday at Danville, Saturday at St. Teresa in Decatur, and at Rantoul next Tuesday. Urbana's next home game will be against Mattoon on January 20.

Box Score

Final: Urbana 10 - Normal West 52

	1	2	3	4	F
Urbana	4	4	0	2	10
Normal West	7	16	21	8	52

Urbana --
Mboyo-Meta 1 (1) 1-2 -- 6, Sprague 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, McCullough 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, T. Hall 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Edwards 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, J. Hall 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0

Normal West --
Kobel 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Wilcox 4 (0) 2-2 -- 10, Wertheim 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Gale 1 (1) 1-1 -- 6, Wilson 1 (0) 0-1 -- 2, Howard 5 (0) 0-0 -- 10, Williams 1 (3) 0-0 -- 11, Tinsley 0 (0) 1-3 -- 1, Bertsche 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Patton 1 (0) -9 -- 2

Photo Gallery | Photos from Urbana's 40-24 win over Danville

Urbana's Jasmine McCullough dribbles the ball around Danville Diamond Landfair in the first half. Three-for-four from the free throw line, McCullough finished the game with seven points to help the Tigers log their first home win since February 8, 2020. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Aziyaha Davis dribbles around senior Diamond Landfair during first half action of their Big 12 Conference game on December 8, 2022. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tigers' Jasmine McCullough plays defense on Vikings' Jyah Parker. Urbana held Parker scoreless the entire game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Urbana's Gabreille Mboyo-Meta fights to keep the ball away from Danville's Ajia Johnson in the second quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

McKenzie Sprague is fouled going up for a shot between Danville's Diamond Landfair and Dajahnae Taylor. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Gabreille Mboyo-Meta goes up for a shot around Danville's Laila Johnson. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Urbana's McKenzie Sprague fires a jumper from the corner during the second half. The senior chipped in two points and four rebounds for the Tigers. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

McKenzie Sprague slides across the floor while try to get the ball away from Danville's Ajia Johnson. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tiger freshman Elizabeth Lange reaches for a loose ball. Lange chipped in 2 points and collected one board for Urbana. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Urbana's Gabreille Mboyo-Meta goes for a second-half shot. Meta-Mboyo shared team-high scoring with eight points, three steals, and one rebound. The senior leads the team in steals (3.3), assists (7), and scoring (9.8) per game. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Freshman Mia Schroeder sees minutes in the Tigers' first home win in nearly three years. She collected five points and tallied a pair of rebounds in the rout. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Urbana fans cheer for their team in the fourth quarter. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Urbana's Aziyaha Davis is fouled as she goes up for a shot in the second half of the game by Danville's Diamond Landfair. Davis contributed eight rebounds and three steals with her three field goals in the Tigers' home win. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tigers' Destiny Barber shares a funny story with teammates as the game clock with Danville passes the one minute to play mark. The senior forward finished the game with eight points, three steals, and five boards. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Photo of the Day | January 15, 2023

Urbana drops home stand to St. Teresa

URBANA - Tiger's Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta drives hard at the basket for a shot while being guarded by Bulldogs' Lucy Corley. Mboyo-Meta led the Urbana girls' squad with 13 points in the non-conference home game on Saturday. The senior converted six free throws out of her 13 attempts from the line as UHS's late-game burst was too late and not enough in the 60-44 finish.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Prep Sports Notebook: Rockets pick up two basketball wins, SJO celebrates all-conference players

Kimball averages 10pts a quarter

Senior Blake Kimball scored 31 points in the first three quarters of Unity's game at Arcola on Monday. Kimball's strong performance, along with Will Cowan's 12 points in the last three periods, the boys' basketball team won the away game, 69-41.

Jacob Maxwell hauled in 10 boards for the Rockets and Cale Rawdin snagged another seven for the cause.

Despite a scoreless first quarter against the Rockets, Arcola saw a balanced scoring effort with points from eight players. Beau Edwards led the Purple Riders' offense with 10 points.

SJO girls fall short on the road

Peyton Jones goes up for a shot in SJO's Turkey Tournament game against Centennial. The junior sunk five three-pointers at Mahomet-Seymour on Monday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Jones had a huge night against Mahomet-Seymour hitting five treys and finishing with a team-high 19 points. Unfortunately, it was enough as the Spartans fell to the host Bulldogs, 58-46.

Payton Jacob and Ashlyn Lannert came alive in the fourth quarter to finish the night with eight points apiece.

The Bulldogs' Cayla Koerner led all scorers with 26 points. The 5-5 senior buried four three-pointers and was 6-for-8 from the free throw line against SJO.

Rockets pick up road win at Urbana

Erika Steinman and Lauren Miller scored eight points each in Unity's road game at Urbana. Raegen Stringer and Katey Moore chipped in another six apiece in the Rockets' 43-22 non-conference win.

Taylor Henry led the squad with a team-high 12 rebounds and a pair of assists. The Rockets also saw good rebounding numbers from Hailey Flesch (6), and Miller (5), also credited with four steals.

Stringer distributed six assists and harassed the Tigers taking the ball away with three steals.

Mboyo-Meta leads all scorers

Urbana's Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta scored a game-high 10 points against visiting Unity. Five other players contributed to the Tigers' 43-22 loss at home to the Rockets. Zineria Edwards was the second-leading scorer on her team with five points on Monday.

Urbana travels to Peoria on Thursday to face the Lions in their den and then host Peoria Manual on Saturday in Oscar Adams Gym at 2:30pm.

Wrestling results wanted

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Other area basketball scores

Uni-High girls defeated Arthur-Okaw Christian, 41-21.

St. Joseph-Ogden football players earn all-conference recognition

Joe Frasca boots and extra point during SJO's home game against Rantoul. The sophomore earned all-conference honorable mention for his efforts during the 2021 season.

Last week, St. Joseph-Ogden football player Tyler Burch earned First Team recognition from the Illini Prairie Conference. The junior defensive back was the only Spartan named to the top team.

Seven other SJO football players also receive recognition this season.

Conrad Miller (Lineman), Keaton Nolan (Running Back), and Griffin Roesch (Wide Receiver) were named on Second Team offense.

Lineman Owen Birt, linebacker Coby Miller and Ethan Vanliew at defensive back made the cut for Second Team defense.

Sophomore Joe Frasca, who handled kicking duties for SJO, earn honorable mention.

Correction: When this story was originally published it said Tyler Burch was a senior. The story was changed to reflect his actual status as a junior at St. Joseph-Ogden.

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO, Rockets add another win to their record.

Unity bounces back

With 16 points to her credit, Taylor Henry dropped points in all four quarters of the Rockets home game against Monticello on Monday. The senior was also credited with six rebounds as Unity picked up the conference win, 37-34.

Raegen Stringer delivered three assists and racked up four steals as the team's second-leading scorer with eight points.

Producing just a single free throw, Katey Moore led the Rockets' rebounding effort with seven boards to break a three-game skid.

Mboyo-Meta leads Tigers' scoring effort

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta scored 11 points in Urbana's 64-29 loss at home to Champaign Central. The junior was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Destiny Barber had 8 points and Jasmine McCollough scored seven in the Big 12 Conference loss rounding out the top three scorers for the Tigers.

Spartans notch 20th win

It didn't take long for first-year St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Drew Artega to notch his first 20-win season. The Spartan girls basketball team ended the conference season with a 50-28 win at home over Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

Draining four treys for SJO, Peyton Jones turned in a 16-point game-high performance on Monday. Addison Frick, who was 2-for-3 from the charity stripe, also finished in double-digits with 10 points. Senior Ella Armstrong chipped in another six.

Lorena Arnett spearheaded the Panthers' scoring effort with 8 points. The senior converted on all four trips to the free-throw line.

SJO boys win road game

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team still have their magic touch. The Spartans toppling Bloomington Central Catholic on the road 73-61 to earn their 19th victory of the season.

Missed opportunities fuels Urbana's home loss to Richwoods

Urbana took control of the opening tip on Judge Green Court against visiting Peoria Richwoods on Saturday, however was the Knights who lit up the scoreboard first in the early season meeting between the Big 12 conference schools. Despite aggressive rebounding and forced turnovers, the Tigers came up short, 42-20.

Despite several missed opportunities by both teams, it took just over a minute and a half for the Knights to drop the game's first field goal.

After another minute and a half passed, on the team's sixth possession, Urbana's Destin Barber scored on a putback to tie up the score. Fouled on the play, she missed her chance at the free throw line.

Forty-six seconds later, junior McKinzie Sprague found herself at the same line. She missed the first shot but sank the second to give Urbana their first and only lead of the game at 3-2. Sprague then added another field goal to her total after hitting a shot near the basket on an inbound pass play for a 5-2 lead.

Richwoods fought their way back immediately replying with a three-pointer from Alyssa Ross to tie up the score at 5-all. The Knights would score again to end the quarter with the scoreboard in their favor, 7-5.

Much of the second quarter, thanks to controlling the paint, was a pretty even ball game until the Richwoods' Kamryn Heider sank a three-pointer for the last score in the half with 55 seconds left on the clock. Heider would go on to score a game-high 16 points after hitting three more shots from outside the arc in the second half. For the moment, heading into the locker room for the mid-game break, her team would enjoy a 20-10 advantage.

The second-half point production was identical to the first half for Urbana scoring another ten points against the Knights' 22 in the ledger.

After the final buzzer, Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta's seven points were a team-high. Junior Destiny Barber added six points, all from the first half. Meanwhile, Zineria Edwards had drilled a couple of field goals for four points and senior Thiah Butler found the net in the third quarter to finish with two. McKenzie Sprague rounded out the team's scoring effort with a free throw during the first quarter.

Box Score

Final: Richwoods 42 - Urbana 20

Urbana --
Barber 6-0-6, Mboyo-Meta 5-2-7, Sprague 0-1-1, Edwards 4-0-4, Butler 2-0-2.

Richwoods --
Spratttling 2-1-3, Thomas 4-0-4, Alyssa Ross 7-0-7, Alana Ross 3-0-3, Heider 16-0-16, Lana 2-0-2, Haines 4-0-4, Hickson 0-3-3

Sentinel 2021-22 All-Area girls basketball team

Welcome to the Sentinel's 2022 All-Area Girls' Basketball Team. Our list is a compilation of the best players from three of the four area high school programs we cover.

Among the top 15 players selected for the first and second teams, four are from the Class of 2023, and three are sophomores who we expect to rise to prominence this fall.

The performances of our first-team members were the cornerstones to each of their team's success this season. These player's leadership, commitment, and contributions on offensive or defensive was key to earning a spot on this year's Sentinel All-Area Girls Basketball Team.

Sentinel All-Area First Team

St Joseph-Ogden basketball player Payton Jacob

First Team

Ella Armstrong, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Taylor Henry, Senior
Unity

Payton Jacob, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta, Junior
Urbana

Lauren Miller, Junior
Unity

Maddie Reed, Senior
Unity

Taylor Wells, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Second Team

Destiny Barber, Junior
Urbana

Zineria Edwards, Senior
Urbana

Addison Frick, Sophomore
St. Joseph-Ogden

Peyton Jones, Junior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Ashlyn Lannert, Senior
St. Joseph-Ogden

Katey Moore, Sophomore
Unity

Raegan Stringer, Sophomore
Unity

Erika Steinman, Senior
Unity

Honorable Mention

St. Joseph-Ogden:
Alyssa Hamilton (Sr), Alison Kearney (Sr), Kaytlyn Baker (Jr)

Unity:
Hailey Flesch (Sr), Gracie Renfrow (Sr), Savannah Alagna (Sr), Calli Chandler (Sr), Bridget Henry (Sr), Addison Ray (So)

Urbana:
Amarah Howard (Sr), McKenzie Sprague (Jr), Teri Hall (So), Savannah Blanden (So)

Editor's Note:

A Certificate of Recognition is available for each of the players listed above. Players, coaches, or parents/guardians can email us at sports@oursentinel.com to receive their 2021-22 certificate.

Turkey Tournament All-Tourney Team

Members of the first-ever Toyota of Danville Turkey Tournament all-tournament team (left to right) Peyton Jones (St. Joseph-Ogden), Kennedi Ramshaw (Centennial), Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta (Urbana), Taylor Wells (SJO), Caroline Smith (Tri-County), Josie Armstrong (Tri-County), Ella Armstrong (SJO) and Bella Dudley (Tri-County) pose for a photo during the tournament awards ceremony on Thursday. Dudley was named the tournament MVP. St. Joseph-Ogden won the inaugural tournament title going 3-0 against the Tri-County Lady Titans, Urbana Tigers and the Chargers from Centennial High School.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Photo Gallery |
Urbana picks up home win over Danville

URBANA - McKenzie Sprague is fouled going up for a shot between Danville's Diamond Landfair and Dajahnae Taylor. See 13 more photos and a recap of the Tiger's first home win since 2020. Destiny Barber and Gabreille Mboyo-Meta led the Urbana offensive effort with a game-high eight points a piece. Junior guard Aziyaha Davis finished with seven points, and Jasmine McCullough rounded out the top four scorers for the Tigers with six points.

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New RF technology can make you look years younger in as little as 10 weeks

NewsUSA - With the holiday season upon us, and the return to attending in-person events, everyone wants to look their best. But many people who might consider a skin-tightening treatment shy away from needles, and have concerns about fillers and chemicals.

Taking care of yourself during the holidays, steps you can take

StatePoint Media - With seasonal stressors like end-of-year work deadlines, gift shopping and hosting potentially weighing on you, plus all those extra sweets and indulgent foods to nibble on, the holiday season may be the happiest time of year, but it’s not always the healthiest. Here’s how to take better care of yourself to feel your best this holiday season.

Photo of the Day | December 24, 2022

RANTOUL - St. Joseph-Ogden's Garrett Siems leaps above a Rantoul defender to shield ...

See the photo »

Denied a home loan? Steps you can take to avoid it

StatePoint Media - You have researched the best areas to live within your budget. Spent countless hours visiting homes or viewing them online and talked to seasoned homeowners to ensure you haven't missed anything. You finally make an offer on your dream home that is accepted, and then the worst happens, the bank won't okay your loan.

Recipe |
Jalapeno Sweetpotato Chowder

Family Features - Colder, shorter days call for a little comfort. Cozying up with a hearty meal on brisk winter evenings can help fight off the chill while savoring favorite flavors alongside the ones you love.

Avoid venturing into the cold for a trip to the store by turning to a pantry staple like sweetpotatoes. As one of the most versatile veggies, they’re easy to add to a variety of recipes while enhancing both flavor and nutrition.

Eye on the prize

RANTOUL - Urbana middle blocker Sammi Christman passes the ball to the front in our December 26 Photo of the Day.

The person who investigates suspicious deaths in your town may not even be a doctor

When a group of physicians gathered in Washington state for an annual meeting, one made a startling revelation: If you ever want to know when, how — and where — to kill someone, I can tell you, and you'll get away with it. No problem.

That's because the expertise and availability of coroners, who determine cause of death in criminal and unexplained cases, vary widely across Washington, as they do in many other parts of the country.

"A coroner doesn't have to ever have taken a science class in their life," said Nancy Belcher, chief executive officer of the King County Medical Society, the group that met that day.

5 tips to shed those extra holiday pounds

According to a recent poll of 2,000 U.S. adults aged 30 and above commissioned by Nutrisystem and conducted by OnePoll, two in three Americans credit the past two years with teaching them how important their health really is. And 71% believe the pandemic has taught them to be more observant of their health. The poll also revealed that two-thirds of Americans said weight loss is a “top health goal” for them over the next year.

However, for many, losing weight can seem like a difficult task. The truth of the matter is it doesn’t have to be. Courtney McCormick, corporate dietitian at Nutrisystem, offers the following tips to help you take that step toward a healthier you.

McGwire Atwood propels SJO to title game

Bloomington - St. Joseph-Ogden's McGwire Atwood celebrates his team's 72-69 win over Rockford Lutheran at the State Farm Holiday Classic on Thursday. With less than four seconds on the clock and Crusaders ...

Urbana returns to the hardcourt

Under the watchful eyes referee Mark Brooks behind her, Tigers' junior Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta dribbles the ball down the court looking for a way around St. Joseph-Ogden's Kaytlyn Baker during the team's first game of the season. After four quarters, Urbana fell to the host Spartans at the Toyota of Danville Turkey Tournament, 55-8.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO, Unity open girls basketball season with victories

SJO wins season opener

St. Joseph-Ogden's Abby Behrens attacks the basket while Urbana's McKenzie Sprague guards her during their Toyota of Danville Turkey Tournament game on Monday. The tournament opener was also the first game of the season for both teams. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph, IL - Ashlyn Lannert scored 11 points to lead the Spartans in their 55-8 win over the Urbana Tigers at the First Annual Toyota of Danville Turkey Tournament at St. Joseph-Ogden High School on Monday. Payton Jacob added another 10 points while Taylor Wells hit three second-quarter field goals and one in the first to start the season off with eight points in the season opener.

The Tigers' leading scorer was junior Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta with four free throws. Destiny Barber, who hit the team's only field goal, finished with two points. Mc Kenzie Sprague and Zineria Edwards each made one free throw to round out Urbana's scoring effort.

St. Joseph-Ogden takes Tri-County on Tuesday, while Urbana will face Big 12 rival Centennial on day 2 of the tournament.

Henry starts 2021-22 season with a double-double

Fisher, IL - Unity cruised to a 52-22 win behind Taylor Henry, who delivered an 18 points, 11 rebound performance in Unity's first game of the season over at the Lady Falcon/Bunnie Tip-Off Classic on Monday. The senior scored all by one of her points in the second and third quarters against Fisher.

Starting at forward, Katey Moore scored nine points in the first quarter and added two more in the third period to finish with 11 points and seven boards.

Unity football players earn All-State recognition

Wide receiver Dillon Rutledge and defensive lineman Austin McDaniel were named to the 2021 IHSFCA Class 3A All-State team.

The pair will be in action again this Saturday in Unity's home semifinal against Mt. Carmel. Kick-off is at 2pm.

Prep Sports Notebook: Urbana boys and girls drop games, SJO picks up win

Edwards leads Tigers in non-conference loss

Zineria Edwards scored seven second-half points to lead Urbana's scoring effort in the road game at the Arthur "Buz" Sievers Center at Monticello on Monday. Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta added another five points in the last half of the game in the 57-17 loss.

SJO's Jones scores 14

Junior guard Peyton Jones hit a pair of treys in the second on her way to a game-high 14 points in St. Joseph-Ogden's 55-42 win over visiting Tuscola.

Alyssa Hamilton came off the bench for an 11-point finish in the non-conference contest. The senior shot 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Ella Armstrong and Payton Jacob each chipped in seven points apiece.

Unity suffers first loss of the season

A second-quarter drought dug a hole too deep for the Rockets to climb back in their 38-20 loss in the Rocket Center to Clinton (4-1).

The Unity (4-1) offensive effort was limited to three players. Taylor Henry led the team with 12 points and sophomore Reagen Stringer finished with six points. Katey Moore's first-quarter field goal rounded out the Rockets' effort.

Clinton was led by Mallory Cyrulik's 23 point performance. The senior was sent to the free-throw line 22 times and converted on 17 attempts.

SJO basketball tournament starts tonight

Boys hoops action starts tonight at the annual The Toyota of Danville Classic at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Six of the eight teams in the tournament begin pool play for the 2021 title starting this evening.

This evening's lineup includes:

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

The tournament ends on Saturday with the championship game starting at 8pm.

Other area sports scores:

Arcola 64 - Uni-High 54

Southeast 75 - Urbana 70

Photo of the Day - November 18, 2021

Taking her best shot

Spartans Ashlyn Lannert takes a shot over Tigers' Gabrielle Mboyo-Meta during the first half of their Toyota of Danville Turkey Tournament game on Monday. St. Joseph-Ogden defeated Urbana, 55-8. Both teams are in action again tonight at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. The Tigers (0-2) open the last evening of tournament play against 1-1 Tri-County at 6pm. SJO (2-0) squares off against the Chargers of Centennial High School 1-1 at 7:30pm. Follow this link to see more photos from Monday night's game in the PhotoNews Media photo vault.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Academic Honors |
Parkland Fall 2024 Dean's List

CHAMPAIGN - Parkland College announced the names of students whose academic performance landed them a spot on the Fall 2025 Dean's List. One of the highest honors a student can receive for their academic performance, the Dean's List is awarded to Parkland College students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale for the semester in 100-level courses or higher.

Below is a list of students in our area who earned academic honors last fall. The complete current list can be found on the Parkland College website.

Broadlands
Kayla Pickett

Catlin
Jackson Dines
Joseph Kedas
Christine Wyant

Champaign
Amira Abedelsalam
Dalal Abudayya
Elana Abudayya
Anahi Alanis
Jonathan Alanis
Elizabeth Allen
Saad Al-Zoubi
Charlie Anderson
David Ard
Grace Bailey
Maya Baker
Josiah Barlow
Alyssa Bartolome
Stretton Beal
Shane Beard
Makenna Beaulin
Robin Betka
Selena Bien
Brady Boatright
Thomas Bradley Jr
Mackenzie Britton
Heidi Brya
Lonnie Buggs
Manny Cabrera-Paredes
Jaden Campbell
Katrina Catizone
Franklin Chen
Yijun Chen
Jonathan Chen
Taylor Clark
Ry Cline
Carly Coats
Jazzmine Cole
Oscar Contreras
Melissa Corley
V H Cronenberg
Valencia Crosby
Andrea Dalton
Conrad Damrau
Ryan Delehanty
Alex Deluna
Jasmine Diep
Consolet Djamba
Jerome Isaac Domingo
Kylan Dorner
Gavin Dorsla
Laney Duden
Megan Eastham
Tanaja Edwards
Nickoy Edwards
Amina Fairley
Jesse Fewkes
Addison Fisher
Sierra Foltz
Destiny Frickensmith
Ayanna Fuller
Dalila Garcia
Tristin Gardner
Victoria Garrett
Rachael Goekler
Jake Green
Abigail Grena
Keira Hadley
William Hansen
Curtis Harvey
Miles Haug
Leo Havey
Zoey Hayes
Kaia Helbling
Marlen Hernandez
Delaney Hesch
Ariana Hopkins
Yufei Hu
Charlene Huang
Harold Indra
Weddie Jackson
Sarah Jacobson
Sofiyyah Jempeji
Araceli Johnson
Abigail Johnson
Chai Jones
Minjoon Kang
Shounok Kar
Fefe Kayembe
Cupid Keiper
Selena Kim
Sani Kimura
Mathias Kirkland
Jarred Koerner
Gianna Kreps
Kasie Lajeunesse
Eunseong Lee
Dohyung Lee
Mackenzie Leigh
Rebekah Leighton
Evan Li
Joshua Loftus
Kristin Lopez
Daniel Lopez
Jakob Luhrsen
Ruth Mambo
Cass Marino
Erica Markell
Emmanuela Martinez
Rayane Marzouqi
Madison McCoy
Greyson McDonald
Bailey McMahon
Melissa Meza
Sylvia Middleton
Richard Miller
Zoey Mitchell
Kennadie Mitchell
Colin Monti
Allison Morenz
Ian Moriarty
Jessica Mueller
Gina Naumann
Angelica Ngoho
Ngoc Tran Qua Nguyen
Tiffany Nguyen
Jesse Nguyen
Tommy Nguyen
Kenny Nham
Timothy Norcross
Immanuel Nwosu
Tyler Odom
Jessica Palmberg
Clare Pate
Mahi Patel
Cameron Patten
Arthur Pawlik
Lawanda Peeples
Joviane Pembele
Kylia Pierson
Jude Pisarczyk
Ethan Plankell
Taniya Reinhart
Riley Ries
Craig Riggle
Theresa Rollings
Alyssa Rosborough
Brian Rose
Jenna Royer
Elijah Ruggieri
Cody Rummenie
Burak Safaker
Martha Samuel
Lauren Sanders
Landon Sanders
Lizbeth Serrano-Betanzos
Anya Shannon
Ayush Sharma
Fedor Shemetov
Yu-Chen Shih
Michael Skaj
Ryan Slifer
Avery Smith
Skyler Smith
Jason Smith
Rasidat Sodiji
J.J Standerfer
Isabelle Swanson
Tommy Thi
Elaysha Thomas
Pierce Thompson
Jaden Tohill
Julian Torres
Gavin Tousignant
Lucius Tran
Johnny Tran
Thuan Trinh
Jasmine Turnbo
Kaitlyn Valentine
Tori Ann Vandegraft
Erik Walk
Shawn Walker
Lyssa Walker
Jack Walters
Julia Wang
Calvin Wetzel
John White
Lauren White
Bayleeella Whitney
Sarah Whittington
Inyzhe Wilson
Jason Winters
Winter Wolford
Syafino Yunalfian
Allen Zhang
Yixing Zhang
Artie Zhang

Fithian
Kayla House

Homer
Renate Alant
Lilli Montgomery

Ivesdale
Quinn Flavin

Oakwood
Shelby Doggett
Dylan A Dillow
Carlie Reitz

Ogden
Bridget M Blackburn

Philo
Nathan Bleecher
Brenlee Dalton
Bailey Grob
Jocelyn Lefaivre
Reagan Little
Amy Ray
Isabel Rivera
Kyleigh Weller

Sadorus
Hayden Hudson
Victoria Wells

Saint Joseph
McGwire Atwood
Mason Behrens
Taylor Burch
Kennedi Burnett
Shanice Edwards
Hailey Gaines
Cailey Horatschki
Kya Jolley
Hayden Lewis
Sam McDade
Jack Robertson
Addison Roesch
Rylee Stahl
Jill Uken
Andrew Wells
Emily Wheeler
Raegan Young

Savoy
Edith Ahondju-Olela
Evy Atkins
Patrick Brand
Siarah Brown
Charlie Cekander
Grace Chong
Kalissa Davis-Milam
Sean Flom
Rebecca Fonner
Ludvig Granlund
Mahillan Kalaimani
Moon Su Kang
Daniel Kang
Katelyn Kennedy
Gaelle Mayala
Leyton McGeary
Isaac Molloy
Kyle Moon
Erica Mueller
Marcos Park
Hyunjune Seong
Davi Yoo

Sidney
Lauren Cooke
Emma Fish
Emma Graham
Jodi Hamilton
Tyler Liffick-Worrell
Carson Parker
Piper Steele

Tolono
Maria Buffo
Calli Chandler
Hunter Duncan
Brooke Hewing
Shelby Hoel
Jayci McGraw
Jolie Meyer
Tatum Meyer
Julia Ping
Gabriel Pound
Meredith Reed
Maci Richmond
Reece Sarver
McKayla Schendel
Sara Steffens
Raena Stierwalt
Lynndsay Talbott
Jeremy Wells
Luke Williamson
Emberly Yeazel
Madysen York

Urbana
Rachel Aders
Dilichukwu Agu
Jose De Jesus Aguilera Contrera
Arifat Alabi-Taiwo
Luciana Alvarez
Deanna Auxier
Tevi Balekita
Ciel Baptiste
Yael Beretta
Pilar Bernad Ortega
Brandon Bianco
Ebenezer Boti
Audrey Boudreau
Janai Brown
Evan Bullock
Ryan Burns
Ariana Chambers
Charles Chambers
George Clancy
Yali Cohen
Tom Compere
Jeron Coulter
Jalyssa Crede
Lisa Curtiss
Breanna Davis
Jordan Ennis
Sofiia Fedina
Morgan Frush
Aaron Gabel
Lisette Gasser
Abigail Gillespey
Ella Gilmore
Santiago Gonzalez Ahuerma
Jessica Hamilton
Shion Hayashi
Tony Heckenmueller Drew Howard
Hoda Ismail
Robert Jenkins
Joanna Jiang
Amari Johnson
Marcus Johnson
Benjamin Joselyn
Lorris Kanteng
Kaya Karabeyaz-Cowling
Iver Krogstad
Carmen Lopez-Irineo
Sebastian Major
Jennifer Marquez Ramon
Gabrielle Mboyo Meta
Keith McAbee
Lauren Miller
Shaylie Miller
America Moreno-Duran
Lea Nicky Mar Nkenlifack Miaffo
Christophin Ngassam
Fabio Daniele Novais Da Rocha
Rebekah Olheiser
Oscar Orozco
Santiago Pinilla Leon
Dragos Popa
Matteo Puli
Justin Pulver
Lula Randolph
Bruce Rexroad
Leire Rodriguez Najera
Megan Rucker
Dakoda Sabin
Yu-Chen Shih
Joseph Solava
Sumaya Islam Tonney
Umberto Tucceri
Chioma Ugwu
Evan Unzicker
Stacie Vonderheide
Willow Weisman
Cora Welch
Alexandria Westfall
Maurion Wicks
Gage Dorian Wiggins
Lera Wilson
John Winter
Qilin Xie
Nathan York