Spartans pick up conference win over St. Thomas More
By Fred Kroner
Ty Pence continued his dominating sophomore season on Wednesday (March 10) in his home finale of the season, scoring 36 points to lead the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team to a hard-fought 59-51 Illini Prairie Conference win over St. Thomas More.
The game was the sixth in a row that Pence has scored at least 23 points. For the season, it was his 10th 20-point game, his 11th straight game hitting a three-pointer and his eighth double-double. Pence hauled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
SJ-O held slender leads after each of the first three quarters: 13-12, 24-20 and 40-38. The Spartans took command with a 9-0 run over the first 3 minutes and 8 seconds of the fourth quarter and the Sabers were not able to get closer than five points thereafter.
Jackson Rydell tallied eight points while Andrew Beyers and Evan Ingram notched six points apiece. Logan Smith got all of his points on a three-pointer.
Ingram cleared five rebounds and Rydell handled four rebounds. Pence also had a game-high five assists.
St. Thomas More has an 8-4 season record.
The win enabled SJ-O to bounce back from a 69-48 loss at home to Teutopolis on Saturday (March 6).
Pence posted 29 points in that game. Beyers tallied six points.
The Spartans hit five three-pointers in the game. Pence had three treys. Cameron Costa and Nolan Grindley each hit one.
T-Town led, 17-8, after one quarter and 31-23 at halftime.
Beyers had team-high totals of seven rebounds and three assists. Ingram and Pence each pulled down three rebounds.
SJ-O (9-3) will close out its abbreviated, COVID-19-shortened season on Friday (March 12) at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (11-4).
