Blackburn-Kelley leads SJO in road loss

Pleasant Plains – St. Joseph-Ogden opened the season on the road with one of the toughest foes on their 2024-25 schedule, falling to the Pleasant Plains Cardinals 54-19 on Thursday night. The defeat marks a challenging start for the Spartans, who finished last season with a commendable 16-12 record and a second-place finish in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Timera Blackburn-Kelley led St. Joseph-Ogden with 10 points, demonstrating persistence despite the team's struggles. Blackburn-Kelley also went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Addie Brooks finished with 5 points. Kara Osterbur and Atleight Moller each added 2 points to the Spartan tally.

On the opposing side, Pleasant Plains showcased a dominant performance, with Anna Webber leading all scorers with 23 points. Webber's scoring barrage included a remarkable stretch during the second and third quarters, where she scored all but five of her points. Bailey Leach also reached double figures, contributing 18 points and successfully converting 6 of 7 free-throw attempts.

Looking ahead, the Spartans have a challenging road ahead as they prepare for their next three games away from home. St. Joseph-Ogden will travel to Paris (1-0) next week, followed by matches at Tuscola on December 2 and Oakwood on December 4. The Spartans' first home game is scheduled for December 5, where they will host the Danville Vikings.

This season's Spartan team includes Katie Ericksen, Mia Jones, Sara Kearney, Timera Blackburn-Kelley, Abby Crider, Addison Brooks, Mackenzie Loschen, Hayden Dahl, Ashlyn Miller, Kenzie Atwood, Atleigh Miller, Kayla Osterburm, Lexi Lackey, and Kaitlyn Beyers.

Keywords: St. Joseph-Ogden basketball, Pleasant Plains basketball, girls basketball season opener, Spartans game recap, Anna Webber performance, high school basketball news.

Spartans shake off layoff, lock down LeRoy in a 19-point victory

After a nearly two-week layoff, St. Joseph-Ogden found its rhythm in the second half Friday night. Kayla Osterbur led the surge with strong post play. SJO pulled away for a 59-40 win.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Kayla Osterbur is all smiles after a 17-point game

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kayla Osterbur flashes a big smile as she heads to the locker room after dropping a game-high 19-point night in SJO's home win Friday night over LeRoy.

by Clark Brooks
The Sentinel

ST. JOSEPH - The rust showed early, but once it shook loose, St. Joseph-Ogden looked every bit like a team that had been waiting to play.

After nearly two weeks away from game action because of weather-related cancellations, the Spartans needed time to find their footing Friday night at LeRoy. Trailing by two at halftime, St. Joseph-Ogden flipped the switch in the third quarter, clamping down defensively and rolling to a 59-40 victory on their home court over the Panthers.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Timera Blackburn-Kelley takes a shot during the second half. The senior contributed 10 points in SJO's win.

LeRoy managed just four points in the third quarter as the Spartans seized control with back-to-back scoring runs, first a nine-point surge, then another eight-point burst that broke the game open.

“It was a good response,” SJO head coach Brian Brooks said. “We hadn’t played in a couple of weeks, and it probably showed in the first half. Our energy and effort just wasn’t very good, and we were fortunate to be only down two.”

Brooks made adjustments at halftime, leaning into opportunities inside with senior Kayla Osterbur. With the guards delivering the ball, Osterbur went to work in the paint, scoring eight points in the third quarter and closing the frame with a pair of free throws.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Hayden Dahl makes a second-half pass. The junior delivered four of SJO's 11 three-pointers.

Osterbur finished with a game-high 19 points, 17 coming in the second half.

While the post game opened the door, the perimeter slammed it shut. St. Joseph-Ogden buried 11 3-pointers, hitting three each in the first, second and fourth quarters. Hayden Dahl happily knocked down four from long range, and Katie Ericksen added three as both finished with 12 points.

Osterbur, Ashlyn Miller and Addie Brooks each connected from beyond the arc, while Timera Blackburn-Kelley chipped in a 3-pointer and finished with 10 points.

“I thought Katie was great tonight at the point, especially in the second half,” Brooks said. “She made some really good reads.”

Ericksen expected the slow start.

“I knew it was going to be a mind game for us being off for two weeks,” she said. “We knew we were going to have to put in a lot of effort to get back to where we were.”

The Spartans (6-1) face a quick turnaround, traveling to Charleston for a 12:30 p.m. nonconference game before hosting Watseka on Monday ahead of the State Farm Classic.

LeRoy was led by Parker Mann with 15 points and Annie Coon with 11. The Panthers fell to 8-3 and play Saturday at El Paso-Gridley.

Box Score

SJO 12 15 19 13 - 59
LeRoy 9 20 4 7 - 40

St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball win over LeRoy, SJO Spartans second-half comeback basketball, Kayla Osterbur scoring performance SJO, Illinois high school girls basketball road win, LeRoy vs St. Joseph-Ogden basketball recap

Pleasant Plains evades loss to SJO

Timera Blackburn-Kelley and Addisyn Martinie playing basketball at SJO

SJO's Timera Blackburn-Kelley and Addisyn Martinie try to wrestle the ball away from Pleasant Plains' Anna Weber during second-half action of their non-conference game on Saturday. St. Joseph-Ogden (0-1) lost their home season opener 48-41 to the visiting Lady Cardinals. The Spartans play their next two contests at home, starting with the Paris Tigers on Tuesday, and take to the court again after Thanksgiving to face the Tuscola Warriors on Monday, November 27. Pleasant Plains improved to 2-1 after the road win.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Area high school basketball scores for Thursday, January 15

Here is a quick roundup of basketball scores and performances for area teams on Thursday, January 15.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Timera Blackburn-Kelley looks for an open teammate in the Spartans' home game against LeRoy in December. The senior led all scorers with ten points in SJO's 38-20 road win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Thursday.

Girls Basketball

Scoring struggle sinks Tigers

Lai'yonna Harper led the Tigers with nine points and seven rebounds in the team's conference game at home against Bloomington. Kaya Hill finished with five points and eight boards in the 54-25 loss.

The Raiders had four players finish with double figures. Maddie Embry led all scorers with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Senior Bianca Ellis added 13 points, Tina Lenard chipped in 11, and junior Josie Skeate finished with 10 after her 22 minutes.

Urbana (1-11) travels to Decatur to take on the Panthers on Tuesday while Bloomington (6-13) hosts East Peoria at 9 a.m. for an early MLK day contest.

Spartans prevails in low scoring affair

St. Joseph-Ogden held Paxton-Buckley-Loda to an average of just five points a quarter in their conference win on Thursday. Timera Blackburn-Kelley finished the road game with a game-high ten points. Fellow seniors Katie Ericksen added eight and Kayla Osterbur chipped in six more. The Spartans (11-6) travel to Williamsville on Monday for a non-conference matchup against the Bullets.

On the other side of the court, Emmy Bagwell scored a quarter of the Panthers (4-13) scoring effort with a field goal and three free throws for five points. PBL faces Bloomington Central Catholic at home on Tuesday.

Strong rebounding effort helps Heritage roll Blue Ridge

Hawks' Addison Harper made 50% of her shot from beyond the arc to finish with 16 points in Heritage's 55-8 home win. Freshman Ryann McComas was fierce in the paint, grabbing 13 rebounds while adding four points in her 27 minute varsity appearance. Sophomore's Kalyn Miller and Violet Chesnut got in on the rebounding fun with seven and five, respectively against the Knights (2-3).

Girls' Area Scoreboard

St. Joseph-Ogden 38, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 20
Georgetown-Ridge Farm 46, Oakwood 22
Bloomington 54, Urbana 25
Calvary Christian 36, Urbana University 26
Heritage 55, Blue Ridge 8
Mahomet-Seymour 74, Sacred Heart-Griffin 46

Boys Basketball

Urbana holds first-half lead to squeak past Bloomington

Nursing a three-point advantage at the half, the Tigers (6-8) engineered an explosive 30-point third quarter outburst to an eight-point win over the visiting Purple Raiders (8-8). The Urbana seniors stood tall, leading the way to extend the team's win streak to two games. Jessie MfWamba posted a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Landyn Hannah delivered 18 points and Kyree Hillsman contributed 13.

Boys' Area Scoreboard

Unity 67, St. Thomas More 53
Urbana 79, Bloomington 71
Monticello 48, Rantoul 38

TAGS: Jessie MfWamba scores 26 points, Ryann McCommas grabs 13 rebounds, SJO boys basketball team beats PBL on the road, Urbana girls basketball loses to Bloomington, Mahomet beats Sacred Heart-Griffin

100 SJO freshmen start prep academic career on the Honor Roll

St. Joseph -- At the end of last month, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the first quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. Seventy-eight first-year high school students earned High Honors recognition. An additional 22 members of the freshman class made it on the Honor Roll list.

To receive honor roll recognition at SJO, students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.

High Honor Roll

Caroline Aden
Trevor Ames
Kylie Barrowman
Lexie Barrowman
Kaitlyn Beyers
Emily Bird
Aiden Bonny
Addison Brooks
Sara Bytnar
Shelby Campbell
Jacob Carlson
William Carlson
Rudra Chaudhary
Adelyn Childers
Cade Crozier
Adreona Cruz
Caleb Dwyer
Callie Evans
William Franklin
Abigail Getty
Camden Getty
William Haley
Erica Hardimon
Zachary Harper
Claire Hartman
Bryson Houchens
Lydia Huckstadt
Adalyn Jannusch
Kaelyn Jolley
Sophia Kasper
Madilyn Kelley
Sami Kelso
Cooper Kietzman
Alexis Lackey
Ryker Lockhart
Mackenzie Loschen
Vance McComas
Michael McDaniel
Isabelle McGinnis
Kodey McKinney
Patrick McMahon
Ava Midkiff
Ashlyn Miller
Hannah Mock
Delaney Nekolny
Allison Ochs
Brennan Oleynichak
Kayla Osterbur
Colton Overstreet
Garrick Page
Branson Pearman
Kaleb Peoples
Asher Pruemer
Ainsley Rhoton
Lily Rice
Landon Roberts
Logan Rosenthal
Amber Ruppel
Ethan Sanders
Cameron Schlueter
Allison Schmitz
Gracyn Sjoken
Lucas Smith
Tao Smith
Karleigh Spain
Quinn Stahl
Sydney Steinbach
Hadley Sweet
Carlee Taylor
Luke Tranel
Hunter Van Meenen
Sophia Vliet
Ryan Watts
Emma Wells
Madeline Wells
Wyatt Wertz
Logan Xiao
Cyrus Zadeh

Honor Roll

Matthew Alexander
Josiah Beals
Tim Blackburn-Kelley
Timera Blackburn-Kelley
Bella Brooks
Christopher Coffey
Nathan Daly
Katherine Ericksen
Jeffrey Gossett
Charles Hale
Coy Hayes
Bryanna Hood
Amelia Huckstadt
Nick Jackson
Emma McKinney
Grace Preston
Graham Ray
Lance Retz
Jaxson Reynolds
Trevor Sexton
Jacek Slowikowski
Landon Smith

St. Joseph-Ogden 3rd Quarter Honor Roll

ST. JOSEPH - Last week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the third-quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll recipients. Over 270 students at the high school earned third-quarter Honor Roll recognition.

To make the honor roll at SJO, students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.

Freshman High Honor Roll

Lillian Ahart
Samuel Albrecht
Zhou Barbee
Zachary Benoit
Colin Burnett
Elizabeth Clark
Abigail Crider
Hayden Dahl
Iris Davis
Nick Ditchfield
Madison Farber
Nathaniel Farney
Nolan Franzen
Leah Gaines
Skyler Graham
Anna Hammond
Mark Harbourt
Nicholas Harris
Tyler Hess
Maggie Hewkin
Brynn Ikemire
Mia Jones
Alivia Learned
Chase Mabry
Hadley McDonald
Finnegan Miller
Maddux Musselman
Mason Ramm
Peighton Reim
Kiah Riesel
Dennis Rineberg
Sophie Schmitz
Ava Smoot
Adeline Stevens
Ani Stine
Isabella Turner
Brayden Waller
Jack Wear
Kaden Wedig
Emerson Williams

Freshman Honor Roll

Yadiel Acosta-Reyes
Alec Bowlin
Willis Canamore
Brenda Castro Gutierrez
Jaxson Colvin
Justin Downs
Aiden Hundley
Waylon Jones
Garrett Loschen
Avrianna Lyttle
Steven Newman
Mason Olinger
William Ricketts-Royer
Lilly Sollars
Cameron Wagner
Shelby Warns
Declan Yohnka
Dalton York

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Trevor Ames
Kylie Barrowman
Lexie Barrowman
Kaitlyn Beyers
Emily Bird
Tim Blackburn-Kelley
Aiden Bonny
Addison Brooks
Sara Bytnar
Jacob Carlson
William Carlson
Adelyn Childers
Katherine Ericksen
Callie Evans
Abigail Getty
Camden Getty
Zachary Harper
Claire Hartman
Bryson Houchens
Amelia Huckstadt
Lydia Huckstadt
Adalyn Jannusch
Kaelyn Jolley
Sophia Kasper
Madilyn Kelley
Samantha Kelso
Cooper Kietzman
Alexis Lackey
Ryker Lockhart
Mackenzie Loschen
Michael McDaniel
Danny McGinnis
Emma McKinney
Kodey McKinney
Patrick McMahon
Ava Midkiff
Ashlyn Miller
Hannah Mock
Delaney Nekolny
Allison Ochs
Brennan Oleynichak
Kayla Osterbur
Colton Overstreet
Garrick Page
Branson Pearman
Kaleb Peoples
Asher Pruemer
Ainsley Rhoton
Lily Rice
Landon Roberts
Logan Rosenthal
Amber Ruppel
Cameron Schlueter
Allison Schmitz
Gracyn Sjoken
Lucas Smith
Tao Smith
Karleigh Spain
Quinn Stahl
Sydney Steinbach
Hadley Sweet
Carlee Taylor
Sophia Vliet
Madeline Wells
Wyatt Wertz
Logan Xiao
Cyrus Zadeh

Sophomore Honor Roll

Caroline Aden
DeAva Barnett
Timera Blackburn-Kelley
Shelby Campbell
Rudra Chaudhary
Wade Clark
Christopher Coffey
Cade Crozier
Caleb Dwyer
Brandon Goodwin
William Haley
Erica Hardimon
Nick Jackson
Kylan Kincaid
Vance McComas
Jackson Mohr
Graham Ray
Lance Retz
Ethan Sanders
Trevor Sexton
Landon Smith
Lucas Truong
Hunter Van Meenen
Emma Wells

Junior High Honor Roll

EJ Beckett
Audrey Benoit
William Besson
Sul Bonny
Holden Brazelton
Arely Castro Gutierrez
Richi Chimal
Preslee Christians
Madison Clampitt
Ella Dietiker
Luke Ditchfield
Nolan Earley
Jackson Ennis
Savanna Franzen
Addison Funk
Tayton Gerdes
Olivia Getty
Makennah Hamilton
Lauren Harris
Haley Hesterberg
Maebree Houston
Kendrick Johnson
Dylan Jones
Sara Kearney
Amilliya Kindle
Madison Lankster
Logan Mills
Gabriel Mortlock
Grace Osterbur
Sonia Patel
Nathan Phillips
Sydney Reitmeier
Audrey Ruppel
Charles Schmitz
Tanner Siems
Kyler Swanson
Collin Thomey
Samantha Uden
Reese Wheatley
Charley Wright
Fiona Xiao

Junior Honor Roll

Jared Altenbaumer
Rylie Barton
Eli Birt
Landon Brown
Landen Butts
Hayden Coffey
Joshua Courter
Lauren Dewese
Lyla Frerichs
Kaiden Gaines
Paige Johnson
Owen Knap
Aiden Krall
Logan Lackey
Gabe Mata
Brenden Maury
Chayse Palmer
Logan Patton
Haley Rudolph
Corbin Smith
Thea Smith
Coy Taylor
Ava Worley
Zoe Wright

Senior High Honor Roll

Edward Alewelt
Chloe Allen
Logan Allen
Aden Armstrong
Samantha Beetz
Chloe Burkhalter
Payton Carter
Garrett Denhart
Mia Frederick
Addison Frick
Grace Getty
Chloe Harper
Rachel Harris
Brody Hausman
Annabelle Hueber
Tanner Jacob
Kya Jolley
Helene Jones
Quinn Lewis
Taylyn Lockhart
Addisyn Martinie
Ethan McElroy
Shannon McMahon
Talan Miller
Isaiah Mock
Rowan Musselman
Caleb Ochs
Macy Reed-Thompson
Addison Roesch
Addison Ross
Daniel Santiago
Addison Seggebruch
Lucas Skelton
Logan Smith
Dylan Smoot
Zoey Sweet
Drew Thurman
Emma Thurman
Braxton Waller
Elissia Ward
Colin Wayland
Corbin Wells
Hayden Williams
Peyton Williams
Spencer Wilson
Mitchell Wright

Senior Honor Roll

Kaden Allinger
Owen Baltzell
Mya Bott
Halle Brazelton
Kyler Brown
Tyler Buss
Maya Chahine
Cameron Dressen
Sadie Ericksen
Joseph Frasca
Alana Frerichs-McCurry
Grace Goldenstein
Ray Gutierrez
Jayci Hayes
Emmitt Holt
Ella Jones
Holden Jones
Tori Kibler
Luke Landrus
Lauren Lannert
Hayden Lewis
Connor Little
Carson Maroon
Seth McBride
Aescton Slowikowski
Brody Weaver
Nicholas Wetzel

Addie Brooks powers St. Joseph-Ogden past Watseka in shootout win

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.

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

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.

SJO girls fall in opener at State Farm Holiday Classic, Ericksen leads scoring effort

NORMAL - Two minutes and 41 seconds into the first quarter of the St. Joseph-Ogden girls' first game at the State Farm Holiday Classic, the Spartans took a one-point lead over Bishop-McNamara (9-4). For the next 46 seconds, the Spartans enjoyed their only advantage in the 41-29 loss to the Lady Irish in their tournament opener at Normal Community High School.

Katie Ericksen looks for an open teammate during SJO's Country Financial Shootout game. The senior led the Spartan scoring effort in their first game at the State Farm basketball tournament.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Katie Ericksen led the hardwood effort with three treys for nine points. Kayla Osterbur finished with seven points, Timera Blackburn-Kelley contributed four points, and Addison Brooks was held to just three points for SJO.

Down 24-12 at the half, the Spartans pulled it together, matching McNamara point for point with 17 second-half points. Despite a much improved defensive effort, the first-half drought proved too much.

Moving to the consolation bracket, Ericksen & Company have a day to regroup. The Spartans return to tournament action tomorrow at Bloomington High School to face the loser between Eureka and Normal U-High at 2 PM. The Lady Irish advance to face the winner from that game at 9 PM at BHS.

Bishop McNamara duo Jaide Burse and Trinity Davis combined for 16 points, scoring eight each. Leigha Brown rounded out the top three contributors with six points to advance to the quarterfinals.

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Blackburn-Kelley leads SJO in road loss