By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden spotted Watseka a 5-0 lead to start the Class 2A girls’ basketball sectional championship game, but then recovered to post a 55-48 win over the Warriors on Thursday at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School.
SJ-O clinched the win by sinking 14 of 18 free throws overall, including 11 of 14 in the fourth quarter and seven in the final minute.
Watseka (26-4) was 6-for-13 overall from the free throw line.
Peyton Crowe led the way for the Spartans with 22 points, including nine in the opening stanza.
Bree Trimble, who sunk eight consecutive free throws, added 19 points. Maclayne Taylor scored seven points.
The fourth-ranked Spartans (27-4) led 13-11 after one quarter and 27-22 at halftime. SJ-O has a 14-game winning streak and hasn’t lost since the calendar turned to 2019.
The sectional title was the sixth for the school in the sport and the first since the Class of 2007 completed a run of four in a row.
Now in the Class 2A Elite Eight, SJ-O plays a 7:30 p.m. super-sectional game on Monday at Pontiac High School against Chicago Christian (24-9). A berth in the state semifinals awaits the winner.
Boys’ basketball
St. Joseph-Ogden
Jack Cook tallied 25 points, but the Spartans dropped a 58-55 decision at home on Friday in the game that determined the championship of the Illini Prairie Conference.
Chance Izard and Joel Orcutt each added 12 points for SJ-O.
The Spartans (19-9) return to action on Tuesday with a Class 2A regional semifinal game at Heritage against an opponent to be determined. SJ-O, the top seed in its regional, is chasing a 20-win season for the eighth time in the past nine years.
Oakwood
The Comets had three double-figure scorers on Friday as they locked up the Vermilion Valley Conference championship with a 56-39 win at home over Schlarman Academy.
Oakwood is 19-9 overall and 12-1 in VVC action.
Zane Priest scored 17 points, Trevan Garrett had 12 points and Bryce Jones added 10 for Oakwood, which led 10-8 after one quarter and 22-16 at halftime against the Hilltoppers (7-19).
The Comets return to action at 7:30 p.m. on Monday with a Class 2A regional quarterfinal game at home against Westville (5-22). Oakwood is seeking to extend a six-game winning streak and reach the 20-win mark for the first time since 2015.
Villa Grove/Heritage
The Hawks (22-7) jumped into a 30-0 lead after one period and captured the Little Okaw Valley Conference Southeast Division championship with a 65-23 decision over visiting Martinsville on Friday.
Jake Eversole and Will Wilson each scored 11 points for VG/Heritage. Chipping in with eight points apiece were Logan Nohren and Jared Stevens.
The Hawks were 5-0 in conference play.
VG/Heritage returns to action on Monday with a 7:30 p.m. regional quarterfinal game at home against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond (3-22).
