Spartans to face Unity in Regional Championship game

By Fred Kroner

Ty Pence scored 23 points and Andrew Beyers added 10 points – all in the second quarter – as St. Joseph-Ogden dispatched Oakwood, 43-34, on Wednesday (Feb. 23) in a Class 2A boys’ regional semifinal basketball game at Tolono Unity.

SJ-O led, 8-3, after one quarter and expanded its advantage to 25-14 at halftime. Oakwood (24-8) held a 20-18 edge in points scored during the second half.

Coy Taylor scored eight points for the Spartans and Logan Smith tallied the team’s other two points.

Pence has scored 20, or more, points in 23 games thus far in his junior season.

SJ-O (22-9) will face Tolono Unity (19-9) in the Friday (Feb. 25) regional championship game on the Rockets’ court. The teams played on Feb. 11 – also in Tolono – and the Rockets carved out a 23-point victory.

The Spartans are seeking their seventh regional crown in the past 10 seasons that the IHSA has conducted a postseason series.