By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
St. Joseph-Ogden Girls’ basketball
The Spartans won three of four games at the State Farm Classic, taking fifth place in a tournament where none of the games were decided by more than eight points.
In Saturday’s fifth-place game at Bloomington High School, SJ-O (13-4) trailed after each of the first three quarters before rallying past Bloomington Central Catholic 43-39.
Katie Cramer hit 6 of 6 free throws – all in the fourth quarter – as the Spartans salvaged the win.
Taylor Wells hit a team-high 10 points. Cramer and Payton Jacob each contributed nine points. BCC led at halftime, 26-21.
To reach the fifth-place game, the Spartans dispatched Annawan 43-35 earlier on Saturday at Normal Community.
SJ-O led 25-24 at halftime, but limited Annawan to four second-half baskets.
Ashlynn Lannert notched eight of her team-high 12 points in the second quarter, helping SJ-O gain a 25-24 edge at halftime.
After intermission, the Spartans had nine field goals and they came from seven different players. Taylor Barnes finished with seven points and Wells had six.
On Friday, SJ-O suffered its lone tourney loss, 41-35 to Normal University High in a game played at Bloomington High School.
The Spartans built a 26-16 halftime lead, but managed just nine second-half points and only two field goals.
Payton Vallee led SJ-O with nine points. Jacob totaled six points.
U-High made 10 of 18 second-half free throws.
In Thursday’s opening round, the Spartans needed overtime to decision Kankakee Bishop McNamara, 46-42.
Lannert led with 16 points and Barnes chipped in with 10 points.
In overtime, all four SJ-O points were from the free throw line. Abby Behrens was 3-for-4 and Lannert was 1-for-2. Behrens ended with five points.
Overall in the game, SJ-O was 11-for-19 on free throws.
Of SJ-O’s first 17 games, nine have been determined by margins of nine points, or less. The Spartans have won eight of those games.
The Spartans return to action on Saturday (Jan. 4) at home against Illinois Valley Central.
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ basketball
SJ-O was 2-2 in the State Farm Classic and finished sixth, the same place where it was seeded.
In Saturday’s fifth-place game at Normal West High School, the Spartans dropped a 67-36 decision to El Paso/Gridley, which led 22-7 after the first period.
Payton Cain, Conner Hodge and Ty Pence all finished with six points. Hodge had a team-high four rebounds.
SJ-O reached the fifth-place game thanks to Chance Izard’s season-high 36-point outburst – which included six three-pointers – in a 75-63 triumph over Bloomington Central Catholic at the Shirk Center in Bloomington.
Cain ended with 15 points and Pence collected eight points. Cain cleared a team-high eight points.
The Spartans hit 7 of 8 free throws en route to their highest team point total of the season.
On Friday, third-seeded Rockford Lutheran topped the Spartans, 57-53. The game marked the third in a row for SJ-O settled by five points, or less.
Pence drilled three three-pointers and led SJ-O with 13 points. Cain tallied 12 points and Izard contributed 11.
SJ-O led, 19-13, after one quarter, but the teams were tied at halftime, 31-31.
In Thursday’s first round, the Spartans edged Annawan 47-42 at Normal West thanks to connecting on 18 of 28 free throws. The teams were tied, 31-31, after three quarters.
Cain led a balanced scoring attack with 10 points. Pence made nine points. Izard and Hodge had eight apiece. Jordan Kelly chipped in with seven points.
Hodge (10 rebounds) and Pence (six rebounds) led the effort on the boards.
SJ-O (8-4) returns to action on Friday (Jan. 3) at home against Cissna Park.
