St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball to face Bismark-Henning in Regional Championship
BY FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball took a double-digit lead in the first quarter of Wednesday’s Class 2A regional semifinal game in their gym and then had to hang on in the final period to collect a victory.
SJ-O opened up a 17-4 first-quarter lead and never lost the lead again despite Villa Grove/Heritage pulling within a 42-36 margin in the game’s last seven minutes.
The Spartans ended the game on a 14-4 run to capture a 56-40 triumph.
SJ-O (23-8) will take on state-ranked Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (31-0) in Friday’s 7 p.m. regional championship game.
Freshman Ty Pence led the Spartans to the postseason win with 19 points and seven rebounds.
Jordan Kelly chipped in with 12 points. Payton Cain and Payton Grimsley each ended with eight points.
Other top rebounders for SJ-O were Grimsley with six and Kelly with five. Izard contributed four assists and two steals.
On Tuesday, the Spartans scored 20 of the 22 first-quarter points – after opening the game on a 9-0 run – and overpowered Westville 70-22 in a Class 2A regional tournament quarterfinal game in St. Joseph.
Chance Izard tallied a game-high 17 points for SJ-O and for the season has made a team-best 80 three-pointers.
Lukas Hutcherson hit a season-high 10 points and became the seventh squad member to post a double-digit scoring performance this season.
Three other Spartans finished with nine points apiece: Dade Allinger, Cain and Pence.
Senior Brayden Weaver, who was injured in football and only returned to action in basketball on Senior Night, scored his first two points of the season.
Conner Hodge cleared a team-high seven rebounds. Cain and Drew Coursey handled six boards apiece.
Coursey added two assists as did Kelly.
Friday’s winner will earn a berth in the Pontiac Sectional and will face either Pontiac or Coal City at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
