One set of statistics helps to paint the most accurate picture of the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball team this season.

Ten squad members have led the team in scoring at least once. All 10 have also had games where they didn’t score a point.

“All season we’ve had girls step up,” SJ-O coach Kevin Taylor said. “It’s a credit to the girls for hanging tough.”

Thursday night was no exception.

The school captured its third successive girls’ basketball regional title on Thursday on its home court, topping Villa Grove/Heritage 50-34.

“Our defense was good all night and we had a stretch late in the third quarter where we had a good run,” Taylor said.

The Spartans led at halftime 24-18, but fell behind 27-26 before recovering.

The comeback began, Taylor said, “when we played hard and controlled the boards.”

SJ-O reaped the benefits from lessons learned during a late-season four-game losing streak.

“We were in most of those games, but lost focus and it cost us,” Taylor said. “In the postseason, we’ve done a great job of staying mentally tough.”

The Spartans’ score sheet looked different in the regional finals than it did in the semifinals.

On Thursday, Katie Cramer scored a team-high 12 points and Abby Behrens added nine points, including four fourth-quarter free throws. Payton Vallee also hit nine points.

In the semifinals, none of those three players scored. The top two SJ-O scorers in the semis, Ella Armstrong and Hannah Dukeman, were scoreless on Thursday.

The SJ-O defense held VG/H scoring leader Aliya Holloman to nine points, just the fourth game this season she didn’t hit double figures.

Payton Jacob was the primary defender on Holloman, with help from Dukeman.

“We wanted to keep her off the three-point line,” Taylor said, “and when she came off screens, we jumped out and helped.

“I’m happy for the girls. There were stretches they had to grind it out, but they have hung in there all year.”

SJ-O (21-10) returns to action on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the sectional semifinals at Paris against either the host school (which is undefeated and top-ranked in Class 2A) or Sullivan. Their regional championship game will be played tonight in Sullivan.

“It will definitely be tough, but we will prepare the best we can and go give it our best shot,” Taylor said.

VG/Heritage ends with a 25-6 season record.

Taylor enjoyed the enthusiastic crowd which helped fill the stands on Thursday for the Spartans’ final home game of the year.

“There were a lot of fans and we appreciated the support,” Taylor said. “It’s nice to be at home where you are more familiar with everything.”

SJ-O’s regional crown was its fifth in girls’ basketball in the last eight years.

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The Spartans continue to play teams close, salvaging a 34-32 win in Tuesday’s Class 2A regional semifinal game at home against Tuscola (17-10).

Seventeen of SJ-O’s 30 games have been settled by nine points, or less. The Spartans are 12-5 in those games.

SJ-O’s Ella Armstrong tallied a game-high 15 points, 12 in the opening half.

Taylor Barnes’ tie-breaking shot created the final margin for the Spartans, who overcame a 27-23 fourth-quarter deficit.

Hannah Dukeman, in her fifth game back following an injury that sidelined her during the first 25 games, scored six of her seven points in the fourth stanza.

The Spartans’ defense limited Tuscola to a pair of fourth-quarter field goals.

SJ-O (20-10) returns to action tonight at home at 7 o’clock in the regional championship game against Villa Grove/Heritage after snapping a four-game losing streak.

Tuesday’s win enabled SJ-O to reach the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season.

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St. Joseph-Ogden hit 5-of-5 fourth-quarter free throws on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to help the team to a victory in the Sangamon Conference/Illini Prairie Conference Shootout at Maroa.

Auburn edged the Spartans 42-40. The teams were tied at halftime, 18-18.

The game was the 15th this season for SJ-O settled by nine points, or less.

Katie Cramer tallied a team-high 11 points for SJ-O. Ella Armstrong had eight points and Hannah Dukeman totaled six points.

The Spartans will be the top-seeded team in a Class 2A regional they will host.  SJ-O’s postseason opener will be on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. between the winner of a Feb. 10 game between Tuscola and Clinton.

SJ-O (19-7) returns to action on Thursday in its regular-season finale at Bloomington Central Catholic.

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The Spartans’ four-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday as visiting Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin posted a 47-31 non-conference victory.

In a game where SJ-O made 7-of-7 free throws, senior Hannah Dukeman made her first appearance of the season and scored two points. In her return from an injury, Dukeman made 2-of-2 free throws.

Katie Cramer led the Spartans with 11 points. Ella  Armstrong ended with eight points. Payton Jacob contributed four points.

B-H/R-A (23-5) jumped into an 18-7 lead after one quarter and led at halftime, 22-14.

Armstrong scored a team-high 17 points on Monday as the Spartans won at Rantoul, 52-25.

Armstrong and Cramer netted five points apiece in the first stanza as SJ-O opened up a 13-6 cushion.

Cramer finished with 12 points and Taylor Barnes contributed nine points.

The Spartans led 24-11 at halftime.

SJ-O (19-7) returns to action on Saturday in the Sangamon/Illini Prairie Conference Challenge. The Spartans will play Auburn at 6 p.m. in a game held at Maroa-Forsyth High School.

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Life is full of unexpected twists and turns.

After the 2018-2019 St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team placed third in the IHSA 2A State tournament, Hannah Dukeman set her sights on leading the Spartans as point guard during her senior year.

But by the time summer rolled around, Dukeman knew that she would have to lead her team from the sidelines. An August surgery to repair torn ligaments in her wrist would keep her off the court for at least six months.

“I hope I can help the players just as much as if I were on the court with them,” Dukeman said. “Seeing the game from the outsides allows for so much more perspective of the game, and I hope that the girls are able to listen and take advice I may have about the game.”

For the last 15 years, searching for and accepting advice is what has helped Dukeman to become a leader in basketball and softball.

“I have more people than I can count that have been influential to my journey as a basketball player: Brett Melton, Keith Peoples, my dad, Kevin Taylor, and many others,” she said.

“All of them have pushed me to limits I didn’t know I was capable of reaching and they are all the reason why I am the player I am today.”

As a player and a “coach” Dukeman has her sights set on making that lasting impact on all she comes in contact with.

“Every practice and every game I want to bring energy and leadership onto the court,” she said.

“I love being able to guide people towards success and knowing I’m doing everything to do so. Being a leader and seeing others succeed is always a good feeling. With more energy, the game becomes more enjoyable to not only the players but the audience as well.”

According to Dukeman, the St. Joseph-Ogden community is the “hype man” for the teenaged athletes.

“People from all over the town come to support sporting events,” she said. “Whether it be boys or girls, there is always a great crowd.

“I have grown up in this program, and I don’t ever remember a year where the community wasn’t supportive about each and every sport. It’s important to all athletes because it gives us all a support system and another reason to play.”

Dukeman began her journey on the basketball court when she was three or four years old, participating in YMCA programs.

“Ever since I stepped foot on the court for the very first time, I have been in love with the game,” she said.

“There is something about the game that allows me get away from everything and just play. Just play the game I know and love. I have tried multiple other sports, but basketball was my first and has always been my favorite.”

The 5’7” guard became an instant asset to the Spartan squad.

So much so that the ball was in her hands when the score was close at the end of a State Farm Classic game against Rockford Lutheran and an important Illini Prairie Conference game against Monticello.

Dukeman went on to add what the Spartans needed with  8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists as they worked their way to Redbird Arena in 2019.

The disappointment of not being on the court during her senior year has not held Dukeman back from experiencing the gamut of experiences that come along with finishing out her high school career.

Dukeman said she wants to “enjoy the journey of it all. High school doesn’t last forever and the memories we have made so far, are ones that I will not ever forget.”

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Illinois State Scholars must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen who is also a resident of Illinois. The student must attend an approved high school, take the ACT or SAT between Aug. 1 and June 30 before the third semester of high school graduation, perform in the top one-half of the high school class at the end of the third semester prior to graduation and/or score at or above the 95th percentile on the ACT or SAT. They must also graduate from the high school during the academic year in which they were chosen as State Scholar.

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What does it take to realize your dreams?

Like many successful athletes, St. Joseph-Ogden’s Hannah Dukeman learned early on that a dream is only a dream without dedication and hard work.

“When I was younger, I wanted to play some sport at the professional level, I just didn’t know which one,” Dukeman said. “Sports consumed my time when I was younger, whether it was soccer, dance, basketball, football, volleyball, track or softball. I tried it all and I loved them all.”

But there was something special about softball.

“Compared to the others, softball was just a sport I found a passion for early on in my career; therefore, I have been playing it longer than most and been able to really develop a strong love for the game,” she said.

Before a professional career could become a possibility, Dukeman had to focus on the early years, succeeding at the high school level and setting herself up for the possibility of playing in college.

“Throughout the years, I have dedicated the majority of my time to softball,” she said. “I drove all over to tournaments, I lived in the gym to get stronger and faster, but I also have always cared about my grades because that is also a big deal in regards to college.”

Last week, she signed a letter of intent to play softball at Ball State University, in Muncie, Ind.

Although Dukeman has been committed to keeping her options open throughout the recruitment process, she said that the decision was simple.

“As time went on, no school compared to the way I felt about Ball State,” she said. “I went on my unofficial during the fall of my junior year, and fell in love with the campus but most importantly the coaches and the atmosphere they provide for their players. I felt at home and that was what was important.

“I knew where I wanted to go on the day of my unofficial. My family agreed with how I felt about Ball State and gave me more support than I could have ever asked for. There wasn’t a single person in my family that opposed my decision, as a matter of fact, they all supported me greatly.”

The fact that Dukeman has committed to playing in college doesn’t alter her determination to continue to excel in the classroom and on the field.

Currently, Dukeman is working her way back from an August surgery to repair torn ligaments in her wrist.

“Originally, the doctor had said I’ll be out for six months, which would sit me on the bench for my senior season of basketball,” she said. “I have had a cast on for three months and will soon get that off, and began physical therapy.”

Instead of leading the Spartans as the point guard, Dukeman is known to her peers as “coach.”

“Being on the bench is rough, but the girls are all willing to listen and are very welcoming to me as a coach rather than a player,” she said. “I hope that I am able to impact them with feedback in a way that they can become not only a better player, but also a better person.”

Her coaching philosophy has been molded by the countless coaches who have spent hours showing her what it means to be a great leader.

“I have been blessed with phenomenal coaches that not only want to win, but want to see us all succeed,” she said. “Their support is endless and I am so appreciative of everything they have done for me through this process. I have created a stronger love for the game, but also been able to create bonds with others that will last forever.”

As soon as the cast comes off, Dukeman said that she will not push herself past medical advice, but rather do what she needs to do to fully recover.

“As of right now, softball is looking like a yes for my senior year, and if things still continue to go as planned, then I will be able to play,” she said.

For Dukeman, that means playing with integrity.

“My coach Krisiti Paulson has always stressed that someone is always watching us,” Dukeman said. “That a little girl somewhere is looking up to us and desires to be just like us. Therefore, I want to be an example to anyone that is watching. There won’t be a time on the field when I won’t hustle or leave it all out there.”

The 2019 IHSA Regional Champions have their sights set on something bigger this year.

“This upcoming season at SJO is full of potential, I believe,” she said.

“There are some new faces that are a part of this team and I am very excited, to say the least. My goal is to lead this team, as a captain, to win a championship. I want Zoey Witruk, Bailey Dowling and I to be able to end our senior years off with a very big win.”

As with many programs at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, the consistency of playing multiple sports with one another over a long period of time has fostered something special for the athletes.

“Some may think that after being together for a long time, that we will soon grow tired of one another; however, chemistry between the girls at SJO has never been an issue,” Dukeman said.

“It’s not that I have forced myself to get along with all of these girls, rather that I truly enjoy being around them and we get along because we have truly created strong friendships throughout the years. In other words, we really have become a family and created long-lasting bonds and memories.”

Whether it is as a coach, a captain or just an upperclassman, Dukeman has her sights set on more than just the win.

“Each individual on the team is important to me, and I wish to be someone they come to whenever they need a friend,” she said. “So, I guess to me it’s important that they know that, yes, I am a captain/coach and want to win, but I also that I am someone who has their back and is willing to talk about anything.”

Now that her dream to play collegiate sports will come true, she’s setting her sights on working towards her next dream: to enter the medical field.

“Ever since I was young, I wanted to have a job that worked with kids,” she said. “I asked my mom when I was in kindergarten if a teacher or doctor made more money because both jobs dealt with kids.

“I matured and fell in love with the idea of being a pediatrician or neonatal nurse practitioner. I have been tossing around lots of medical careers that deal with kids the past few months so I am not 100-percent sure, but I am certain I want to practice medicine and help kids.”

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