The Villa Grove/Heritage boys’ basketball season ended in Wednesday’s semifinal round with a 56-40 loss to the host Spartans.

After three lead changes in the early minutes, SJ-O shot ahead 5-4 as part of a 16-0 run. The Hawks were unable to recapture the lead although they pulled within six points (42-36) in the game’s final seven minutes before SJ-O went on a 14-4 run to end the game.

Jake Eversole nailed a team-high 16 points. Logan Nohren added 11 points.

On Tuesday, the Hawks picked a great time to earn their first overtime win of the season.

VG/H used the extra four minutes to power past Tolono Unity 67-63 and secure a spot in the Class 2A regional semifinals.

Eversole led the way for the Hawks, hitting the 30-point mark for the second game in a row. His 30 points included four three-point baskets.

Nohren added 16 points to the VG/H cause and Blake Smith contributed 12 points.

Unity led 15-6 after one quarter and 27-22 at halftime. VG/H took a 40-36 lead into the final period. The teams ended in a 55-55 deadlock after regulation.

Until Tuesday, VG/H was 0-2 for the season in overtime games.

VG/H ends the season with a 21-11 overall record. SJ-O snapped the team’s season-best five-game winning streak in the regionals.

For the season, Eversole was the team’s top scorer in 17 of the 23 games in which he played, including the final nine.

Nohren led – or shared – the team lead in scoring in nine games. Both Eversole and Nohren hit the 30-point mark in two games.

Blake Smith was the scoring leader in five games, Issac Mahoe in two games and Ierik Sorenson in one game.

Eversole (40), Smith (22), Mahoe (17) and Sam Reno (16) were the team’s top three-point marksmen.

Coach Corey White didn’t know what to expect coming into a season where four starters from the previous year’s 20-win team had to be replaced and one of those candidates – Ezra Ely – never played basketball this season following a football injury that sidelined him throughout most of the winter.

“For the first month, we were trying to see the best combination,” White said. “By mid-January we figured it out and took off from there (winning nine of 11 games before Wednesday).”

For the majority of the season, four juniors and senior Sorenson were in the starting lineup.

“We’ll have a nice nucleus back,” White said. “It’s great to have back-to-back 20-win seasons and we hope to make it three in a row next year.

“We’ll keep building and try to get to the point where we can play for a regional championship and win one.”

In addition to the underclassmen who played prominent roles this season, Ely is expected to return next year along with junior Nick Coffin, who suffered a season-ending injury in December.

In addition to Sorenson, Reno and Anthony Arbuckle were the other seniors who were a part of the Hawks’ regular rotation this season.

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The Hawks completed the regular season with a season-best four-game winning streak following Friday’s 56-34 triumph on the road against Sangamon Valley.

Jake Eversole hit a season’s high for points (32) and three-pointers (seven) to lead VG/H. Blake Smith contributed nine points and Logan Nohren added eight points.

The Hawks led 21-9 after one quarter and 36-13 at halftime.

The Hawks (20-10) are part of the seven-team Class 2A regional at St. Joseph. VG/H will play in the 7:30 p.m. game on Tuesday against Tolono Unity.

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Jake Eversole scored 16 points and Blake Smith had 10 Tuesday night as the Hawks overcame a slow start to defeat Decatur Lutheran 46-33 at Heritage High School.

VG/H trailed 13-8 after one quarter, but shot into a 21-20 lead at halftime.

Carson Howard contributed nine points.

The Hawks (17-10) return to action on Friday in their regular-season home finale at Heritage against Blue Ridge.

The VG/H seniors are Anthony Arbuckle, Gage Dunn, Sam Reno and Ierik Sorenson.

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For the second time in seven days, the Hawks suffered an overtime loss.

The most recent setback came in Friday’s road game against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond.

The teams were tied 62-62 after regulation, but A-L/A-H scored all nine of the points in the extra session to capture the 71-62 triumph.

Jake Eversole registered his third 20-point game in a row, dropping in a team-high 22 points for the Hawks.

Logan Nohren scored 14 points, Carson Howard totaled 12 points and Blake Smith contributed 11 points.

VG/H (16-10) returns to action on Tuesday at Heritage against Decatur Lutheran.

Eight squad members have hit three-pointers this season, led by Eversole (24) and Smith (21).

Smith leads in assists (102) and steals (69). Nohren (258) and Howard (153) are the Hawks’ top rebounders.

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In a rematch between teams that played on Saturday, the Hawks gained revenge for the earlier two-point defeat by edging Cumberland 55-53 on Tuesday at Heritage High School.

Jake Eversole tallied a team-high 21 points. Carson Howard made 15 points, Logan Nohren added 10 points and Blake Smith finished with nine points.

VG/H held an 18-9 lead after one quarter.

The Hawks (16-9) return to action on Friday in a road game against Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond.

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The Hawks won’t need to wait long for revenge to the opponent they lost to in Saturday’s Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament championship game.

Sixth-seeded Cumberland handed fifth-seeded VG/H a 63-61 overtime loss in the finals at Arcola. The same two schools will play on Tuesday at Heritage.

In Saturday’s game, the Hawks (15-9) used a furious 18-6 fourth-quarter run to force the overtime.

Jake Eversole scored a season-high 26 points for VG/H. Blake Smith hit 12 points and Logan Nohren chipped in with nine points. Issac Mahoe ended with seven points.

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The Hawks avenged a regular-season loss to Okaw Valley by 12 points by garnering a 60-57 triumph on Tuesday at Arcola in the semifinals of the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament.

Logan Nohren bettered his previous high game by a point, sinking a game-high 33 points.

Carson Howard had nine points, Blake Smith had eight points and Jake Eversole added seven points.

Top-seeded Okaw Valley led after the first quarter, 16-10, and at halftime, 31-30.

Fifth-seeded Villa Grove/Heritage (15-8) returns to action on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the championship game against sixth-seeded Toledo Cumberland.

Those same two schools will play a rematch on Tuesday at Heritage in a game that will count in the conference standings.

Toledo Cumberland reached the finals by upsetting the No. 2 seed, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, in overtime 59-55.

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Against an opponent it had lost to 14 days earlier, the Hawks salvaged a 55-54 opening-round win on Friday in the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament at Arcola.

Blake Smith matched his season’s high with 22 points. His total included hitting four three-point shots.

Logan Nohren scored 12 points and Jake Eversole had 10. In all, the Hawks hit seven three-point shots.

VG/H carved a 17-6 lead after one quarter and still maintained a double-figure advantage at halftime.

Through 22 games Nohren (215) and Caron Howard (121) are the team’s top rebounders. Smith has the most assists (78) and steals (63). Sam Reno (76.2 percent) has been the most accurate free throw shooter.

The Hawks (14-8) return to action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a semifinal game.

The post Smith’s 22-points puts Hawks over Arcola first appeared on SJO Daily.

Three players scored in double figures on Tuesday as the Hawks broke a two-game losing streak with a 64-47 win at Tri-County.

Blake Smith tallied a game-high 19 points to lead VG/H, which led 20-6 after one quarter and 36-15 at halftime.

Carson Howard generated a season-high 16 points and Logan Nohren contributed 10 points.

VG/H is 12-7 overall and returns to action on Friday at Heritage against Argenta-Oreana, weather permitting.

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The Hawks lost their second successive Lincoln Prairie Conference game on Friday, 51-48, at Cerro Gordo/Bement.

It was the team’s fourth loss of the season by no more than eight points.

Issac Mahoe and Logan Nohren each scored 13 points for VG/H. For Mahoe, it marked a season-high point total. Carson Howard added 10 points and Blake Smith scored nine points.

VG/H held a 25-24 halftime lead, but was outscored 11-4 in the third period.

The Hawks (11-7) return to action on Tuesday at Tri-County.

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