Mustangs reach 20-wins in Class 1A regional game

By Fred Kroner

Prairieview Ogden’s seventh-grade boys’ basketball team reached the 20-win mark for the season with a 52-30 win at St. Malachy in an IESA Class 1A regional semifinal game.

The Mustangs are 20-2 overall and own a seven-game winning streak.

Airin Rash led the team with 15 points. George Hale contributed nine points, Lane McKinney and Lucas Waters each had eight. Royce Loschen finished with seven points.

PVO took a 15-2 lead after one quarter and enlarged it to 30-10 at halftime.

Hale connected on two three-point shots and Loschen made one.

The top-seeded Mustangs play Schlarman Academy in the championship game at Rantoul St. Malachy on Wednesday (Jan. 25), weather permitting.

On Thursday (Jan. 19), the PVO seventh-graders won at Heritage, 57-22, in their regular-season finale. Lane McKinney tallied a game-high 18 points.

Netting three-point shots were Jameson Ehler, Hale, Loschen, Connor McMahon and McKinney.

The Mustangs also won the eighth-grade game at Heritage, 52-14. Kaden Wedig led the way with 15 points. Jon Couture added 10 points.

Hitting three-pointers were McKinney, Wedig and Dalton York.

PVO led, 17-1, after one period and 29-9 at halftime.

PVO’s eighth-graders have a 16-5 season record. They open IESA regional play on Tuesday (Jan. 31) at St. Malachy against either fourth-seeded Rossville-Alvin or fifth-seeded Potomac. PVO is the No. 1 seed.