State-ranked Spartans split first two games of 2024
By FRED KRONER
St. Joseph-Ogden’s state-ranked boys’ basketball team was outscored 30-6 at the free throw line on Saturday (Jan. 6) and dropped a 72-57 decision to Pinckneyville in the SJ-O Christie Clinic Shootout.
The Spartans hit 6 of 20 free throws. Pinckneyville was 30-for-35 from the charity stripe.
SJ-O was ranked eighth in the latest Class 2A state poll. Pinckneyville was ranked 17th.
Tanner Jacob led SJ-O with 20 points. He sparked a fourth-quarter surge, draining four three-point shots in the last eight minutes.
The Spartans scored 25 of their points in the last period.
Tanner Siems finished with 11 points, Logan Smith delivered 10 points and Coy Taylor netted eight points. Collin Thomey totaled four points while both Parker Fitch and Luke Landrus added two points to the scoring column.
SJ-O led, 12-11, after one quarter, but trailed at halftime, 31-23.
Taylor pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Siems and Smith each grabbed five rebounds. Smith dished out seven assists. Jacob and Landrus both collected three assists.
On Wednesday (Jan. 3), the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team started the new year with a resounding victory at home, a 69-47 triumph over Williamsville.
Four players scored in double figures, led by Taylor with 16 points. Adding 13 points apiece were Jacob, Siems and Smith.
Siems cleared a team-high eight rebounds. Smith led all players with six assists and also pulled down five rebounds.
Other Spartan pointmakers were Thomey (eight points), Tim Blackburn-Kelley (two points), Fitch (two points) and Landrus (two points).
Landrus also registered two blocks and two steals. Blackburn-Kelley also had two steals. Logan Lackey gathered four rebounds.
On Saturday (Dec. 30), it took a last-second, buzzer-beating three-point shot by El Paso/Gridley to deny the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team a repeat championship in the small-school division of the State Farm Classic in Bloomington.
The Titans edged the Spartans, 49-48, in the title game, played at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center. The winning basket was by Chancesaya Maxon Jr., who made four three-pointers in the contest and finished with 14 points. His game-winner came from the right of the top of the key.
Landrus tallied a season-high 19 points for SJ-O and also meshed a season-high four three-point shots.
Taylor added 11 points, Jacob scored nine points, Siems hit seven points and Smith netted the team’s other two points.
Jacob and Siems shared the team-lead in rebounding with four. Smith handed out five assists and Taylor finished with four assists.
In his final two tournament games, Taylor made 15 of 18 shots from the field (including 7 of 9 three-point attempts) and was 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
The three teams that SJ-O defeated en route to the title-game berth all finished with 2-2 tournament records. Pecatonica took fourth, Rock Falls won seventh and East Dubuque placed fifth in the consolation bracket.
The Spartans’ top scorers for their four tournament games were Taylor (60 points), Jacob (56 points), Landrus (42 points), Siems (41 points) and Smith (32 points).
Jacob was the Spartans’ selection to the all-tournament team.
SJ-O is 13-3 for the season with two of the losses occurring by a combined margin of three points. The Spartans return to action on Tuesday (Jan. 9) at 18th-rankedTeutopolis.
