By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden’s Spartans (9-6) bounced back from a first-round loss at the 40th State Farm Classic boys’ basketball tournament to win three consecutive games and capture the consolation championship.
SJ-O upended Kankakee Bishop McNamara 61-52 in Friday’s consolation title game at Normal West.
The Spartans reached that game by virtue of a consolation semifinal verdict over Winnebago, 72-49.
Against McNamara, Jack Cook nailed a game-high 22 points.
Three teammates joined him in double figures: Chance Izard had 13 points, Payton Grimsley had a season-high 11 and Joel Orcutt also ended with 11 points.
Cook grabbed five rebounds and Keanen Swanson had five assists
The Spartans trailed, 17-12, after one quarter, but had surged into the lead at halftime, 30-25.
Against Winnebago, Cook bagged 29 points, Izard chipped in with 15 and Orcutt had 10.
SJ-O led, 37-21, at halftime.
Swanson and Payton Cain each delivered three assists. Orcutt (seven rebounds) and Cook (six rebounds) led the way on the boards.
On Thursday, the team ended a two-game losing streak, topping Peoria Christian 61-53.
Cook tossed in 16 points against Peoria. Izard and Orcutt each added 13 points.
SJ-O hit 14 of 21 free throws and expanded a lead that was 19-14 after one quarter. Orcutt hauled down nine rebounds and Cook claimed six.
The Spartans return to action on Saturday in the SJ-O Shootout.
Villa Grove/Heritage
The Hawks (13-3) had three double-digit scorers in each of its first two games of the BSN Classic and won all five games in the three-day event to capture the tournament championship.
Playing every game at Heritage High School in Broadlands, VG/H topped Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 64-39, and Blue Ridge, 55-42, on Thursday.
Will Wilson had 17 points to lead the offense against G-RF. Jared Stevens hit 14 and Jake Eversole added 10.
VG/H used a 21-10 second-quarter run to take control against the Buffaloes.
Against Blue Ridge, Stevens was the top scorer with 16 points. Wilson had 15 and Evan Wilson netted 10.
VG/H started strong against Blue Ridge, zipping into a 22-6 lead after one period.
VG/H continued its winning ways on Friday, handling Lexington 56-43 thanks to a 24-9 getaway in the opening stanza.
Evan Wilson had 13 points and Bryce Dalle chipped in with 11 points.
The Hawks secured a berth in the championship game by virtue of a 53-38 triumph over Salt Fork.
Will Wilson scored a team-high 16 points, Stevens had 15 and Eversole drilled three three-pointers on the way to a 10-point outing.
In the title game, VG/H outscored Milford in every quarter en route to a 67-48 triumph.
All-tournament picks Will Wilson (20 points) and Stevens (17 points) led the Hawks. Also scoring in double figures was Eversole with 13 points. Dalle added nine points.
Eversole hit nine three-point shots in the tournament. Will Wilson was the team’s top scorer during the week with 77 points. Stevens had 71 points in the five games.
VG/H built a 19-11 lead after one quarter against Milford.
Oakwood
The Comets (8-7) dominated Argenta-Oreana in the seventh-place game at Monticello, posting a 63-21 win on Friday.
Bryce Jones scored 16 points to lead Oakwood’s balanced offensive attack. Zane Priest had 12 points and Trevan Garrett finished with 11.
Oakwood led, 21-7, after one quarter.
In Thursday’s final pool play game, Paxton-Buckley-Loda dealt Oakwood a 57-28 loss.
PBL led, 9-2, after one quarter. Garrett had the only Oakwood points in the quarter and scored a team-high 14 points.
Oakwood returns to action on Friday at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.
Girls’ basketball
St. Joseph-Ogden
The Spartans (13-4) fell just short in the third-place game of the State Farm Classic, at the Shirk Center, on Saturday.
Kankakee Bishop McNamara rallied in the final 30 seconds to overtake the Spartans, 50-46.
Bree Trimble was the lone SJ-O player in double figures with 18 points. In four tournament games, she scored a team-best 59 points.
SJ-O led McNamara 13-7 after one quarter and carried a 36-34 lead into the final eight minutes.
SJ-O hit all six of its free throw attempts.
The Spartans made the plays under pressure in the quarterfinals, but suffered a narrow loss in the semifinals.
SJ-O needed a last-second basket by Maclayne Taylor to pull out a 51-50 overtime triumph over Camp Point Central in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Spartans lost to Bloomington Central Catholic, 57-51, in the semifinals on Friday at Normal Community High School.
SJ-O limited BCC to a pair of fourth-quarter field goals, but couldn’t overcome a 45-35 deficit in the last eight minutes.
Against BCC, Hannah Dukeman hit a team-high 14 points and Taylor netted 11 points.
SJ-O led, 13-7, after one quarter.
Against Camp Point, Peyton Crowe’s 14 points led the Spartans. Bree Trimble added 13. Taylor had six points, including the game-winner.
Camp Point led after each of the first three quarters, but SJ-O regrouped to force a 44-44 deadlock after regulation.
SJ-O returns to action on Thursday at Olympia.
Oakwood
The Comets (14-5) dropped a 28-26 decision to Rock Island Alleman in the consolation championship game of the State Farm Classic.
Kylie Neuman (13 points) and Kaitlyn Young (11 points) were the only Oakwood players with a field goal in a game played at Bloomington High School.
The teams were tied at halftime, 12-12. The Comets took a 17-16 lead into the final quarter.
To reach the consolation finals, Oakwood handed Rockford Lutheran a 57-35 loss.
Neuman tossed in 22 points. Young added 17. Aaliyah Denius had 11 points.
Oakwood led, 30-19, at halftime.
On Thursday, Oakwood upended Peoria Christian, 62-25. The Comets led, 40-7, at halftime and had allowed the Peoria school just two field goals after 16 minutes of action.
Young scored 13 of her team-high 25 points in the first quarter.
Neuman scored 13 points. Paiton Frerichs and Ashlynn Pinnick each had eight points.
The Comets return to action on Thursday at Milford.
Villa Grove/Heritage
VG/H split its first two games in the Blue Devil Classic on Thursday in Bismarck, dropping a 42-39 decision to Salt Fork and then overpowering South Vermillion (Ind.) 59-45.
Against South Vermillion, Aliya Holloman tallied 20 points and Samantha Campbell was close behind with 19.
VG/H led, 16-8, after one quarter and overall made 14 of 22 free throws.
The Blue Devils couldn’t keep the 36-28 lead they held after three quarters. Salt Fork outscored VG/H 14-3 in the last quarter.
Kyleigh Block led VG/H with 13 points, Campbell hit 12 and Holloman had 10. Block scored all three of the team’s fourth-quarter points.
On Friday, VG/H also finished with a split for the day.
VG/H dropped a 51-33 decision to the host Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin squad before Block and Holloman each scored 19 points in a 55-13 conquest of Washington Catholic.
Campbell’s 10 points and Holloman’s nine points led the way against B-H/R-A.
In Saturday’s third-place game, North Vermillion (Ind.) topped VG/H 56-29.
The Blue Devils (12-5) were within five points (20-15) at halftime, but were outscored 36-14 after intermission.
Holloman had 12 points and Block finished with 10 for VG/H.
In five tourney games, Holloman totaled 70 points, Block had 54 and Campbell finished with 44.
Wrestling
St. Joseph-Ogden
The Spartans won five of nine dual meets during Abe’s Rumble in Springfield, which ended on Saturday.
SJ-O placed 15th overall.
SJ-O’s wins were against Normal University High (60-9), Anna-Jonesboro (38-37), Quincy Notre Dame (58-20), Riverdale (43-30) and Beardstown (38-30).
The losses were to Coal City (66-3), Auburn (54-30), Wilmington (48-24) and Prairie Central (60-22).
A.J. Wagner (106 pounds) won eight matches, six by pin. Peyton Holt (138 pounds) won seven matches, five by pin. Holt was the lone winner against Coal City.
Winning six matches apiece were Isaiah Moore (113 pounds) with three by pins; Isaiah Immke (132 pounds) with one by pin; Brodie Sullivan (170 pounds) with four by pins and Cole Zaccarelli (220 pounds) with three by pins.
Overall, 12 Spartans won at least one match.
Other team leaders included: Chase Chapman (120 pounds) with five wins, one by pin; Nat Nosler (126 pounds) with five wins, one by pin; Trevon Carr (152 pounds) with three wins, two by pins; Matt Falls (138 pounds) with two wins; Max Shonkwiler (182 pounds) with two wins, one by pin; and Ramsey Primmer (120 pounds) with one win.
The Spartans return to action on Thursday at home with dual meets against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin and Hoopeston Area.
Oakwood
The Comets compiled a 6-2 dual-meet record in the St. Thomas More New Year’s Challenge, in Danville.
Oakwood (13-8 record overall) defeated Clinton (45-35), Westosha Central (52-21), Ridgeview (51-21), Kankakee Bishop McNamara (54-17), Herrin (63-18) and Seeger, Ind., (52-21).
The narrow losses were against West Carroll (42-33) and Christian Life (39-36).
The Comets filled 13 varsity weight classes and every wrestler earned at least one win.
Compiling 8-0 records were Mason Ajster (160 pounds) and Brennen Lehmkuhl (285 pounds).
Three teammates wound up with 7-1 marks: Connor Hutson (132 pounds), Caleb Lashuay (145 pounds) and Caide Borden (220 pounds).
Winding up with six wins in eight matches were Gage Reed (113 pounds), Joe Lashuay (120 and 126 pounds) and Colby Smiley (182 pounds).
Records for the team’s other competitors were: Max Branigan (5-3 at 195 pounds), Bri Hafner (3-5 at 106 pounds), Brian Reagan (3-5 at 120 and 126 pounds), Tate Johnson (3-5 at 152 pounds) and Isaiah Reeves (1-7 at 138 pounds).
For the season, Caleb Lashuay has 18 wins while Ajster and Reed each have 16 wins. Hutson has 15 wins
In junior varsity matches, 285-pound Jamison Vanvickle was 2-0.
Oakwood placed seventh in the team portion of the competition.
The Comets return to action Thursday at home with dual meets against Westville and Danville.
