St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball took a double-digit lead in the first quarter of Wednesday’s Class 2A regional semifinal game in their gym and then had to hang on in the final period to collect a victory.

SJ-O opened up a 17-4 first-quarter lead and never lost the lead again despite Villa Grove/Heritage pulling within a 42-36 margin in the game’s last seven minutes.

The Spartans ended the game on a 14-4 run to capture a 56-40 triumph.

SJ-O (23-8) will take on state-ranked Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (31-0) in Friday’s 7 p.m. regional championship game.

Freshman Ty Pence led the Spartans to the postseason win with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Jordan Kelly chipped in with 12 points. Payton Cain and Payton Grimsley each ended with eight points.

Other top rebounders for SJ-O were Grimsley with six and Kelly with five. Izard contributed four assists and two steals.

On Tuesday, the Spartans scored 20 of the 22 first-quarter points – after opening the game on a 9-0 run – and overpowered Westville 70-22 in a Class 2A regional tournament quarterfinal game in St. Joseph.

Chance Izard tallied a game-high 17 points for SJ-O and for the season has made a team-best 80 three-pointers.

Lukas Hutcherson hit a season-high 10 points and became the seventh squad member to post a double-digit scoring performance this season.

Three other Spartans finished with nine points apiece:  Dade Allinger, Cain and Pence.

Senior Brayden Weaver, who was injured in football and only returned to action in basketball on Senior Night, scored his first two points of the season.

Conner Hodge cleared a team-high seven rebounds. Cain and Drew Coursey handled six boards apiece.

Coursey added two assists as did Kelly.

Friday’s winner will earn a berth in the Pontiac Sectional and will face either Pontiac or Coal City at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

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The Spartans moved closer to an undisputed Illini Prairie Conference championship after a Senior Night win at home on Friday over Chillicothe IVC, 60-54.

The win helped SJ-O improve to 9-0 in IPC games with one league game remaining.

Chance Izard posted 18 points, Ty Pence had 15 and Payton Cain finished with 12 as the Spartans hit the 20-win mark for the season.

Cain also cleared a team-high seven rebounds to go with three steals.

Drew Coursey contributed five rebounds. Izard and Payton Grimsley each registered three assists.

The Spartans led 18-11 after one quarter and 28-21 at halftime.

On Saturday, SJ-O dispatched West Hancock 72-37 in the Riverton Shootout for the team’s 11th consecutive victory.

Pence raised his career-high to 28 points, thanks to a 6-for-6 showing from the free throw line.

Izard tallied 18 points. Cain contributed eight points along with a team-high four rebounds and two assists.

Pence and Coursey each cleared three rebounds.

SJ-O led 19-8 after one quarter and 36-20 at halftime.

The Spartans (21-6) return to action on Friday in their conference finale at Bloomington Central Catholic.

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Chance Izard scored 29 points on Tuesday as the Spartans won their ninth consecutive boys’ basketball game, earning a 66-53 Illini Prairie Conference decision at Rantoul.

Ty Pence hit 14 points and Jordan Kelly contributed nine points.

Kelly and Conner Hodge shared the team lead in rebounding with five boards apiece. Payton Grimsley collected four rebounds and Izard handed out three assists.

SJ-O led 13-10 after one quarter and 32-28 at halftime.

The Spartans (19-6) return to action on Friday in its regular-season home finale against Illinois Valley Central. SJ-O remains unbeaten in Illini Prairie Conference play after eight games.

With one more win this season, SJ-O will have its eighth 20-win season in the past 10 years.

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With wins on back-to-back nights, the Spartans extended their winning streak to eight games.

On Friday, SJ-O improved to 7-0 in Illini Prairie Conference games with a 63-52 win at Pontiac.

On Saturday, the Spartans opened up a 44-16 halftime lead against Auburn and went on to a 71-47 triumph in the Sangamo Conference/Illini Prairie Conference Shootout at Unity’s Rocket Center.

Against Pontiac, Chance Izard drained six three-point shots and tossed in a game-high 26 points. Jordan Kelly scored 10 points. Conner Hodge ended with nine points.

Izard and Kelly each tallied six points in the third quarter as SJ-O used a 15-10 spurt to extend its lead.

Drew Coursey and Ty Pence both cleared five rebounds.

The Spartans made 12 of 17 free throws.

Against Auburn, Izard led the way with 18 points and was followed by Pence (15 points), Payton Cain (10 points) and Payton Grimsley (seven points).

Coursey captured seven rebounds. Pence hauled down five rebounds to go with three assists. Izard contributed five assists and four steals. Cain had three assists.

SJ-O (18-6) returns to action on Tuesday at Rantoul.

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The Spartans extended their winning streak to five games on Saturday with a 79-44 conquest at Westville.

SJ-O led 25-19 after one quarter, but scored the first 10 points of the second period in a 4-minute, 14-second span and took a commanding lead.

Ty Pence led the Spartans in scoring (19 points) and rebounding (eight).

Two teammates had their highest-scoring games of the season. Payton Grimsley tossed in 16 points and Jordan Kelly netted 14 points.

Payton Cain also scored 14 points.

Pence collected five steals and Grimsley grabbed four rebounds. Kelly chipped in with four steals and three assists. Chance Izard led with a team-high six assists.

On Friday, the Spartans posted a come-from-behind 56-49 verdict over visiting Prairie Central in an Illini Prairie Conference game.

Cain tallied a team-high 14 points and also contributed seven rebounds, four assists and three steals to the SJ-O cause.

Izard scored 13 points and Pence added 10 points. Izard collected four assists and Pence grabbed four rebounds.

The Spartans’ top rebounder, with eight, was Drew Coursey. Kelly finished with three assists.

SJ-O (15-6) returns to action on Tuesday at home against Monticello. The Spartans are 5-0 in IPC action.

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The Spartans stayed unbeaten in Illini Prairie Conference play with Tuesday’s 54-46 win at Tolono Unity.

Payton Cain led SJ-O with 15 points and also grabbed six rebounds to go with four steals.

Chance Izard hit four three-pointers in a game for the sixth time as a senior and ended with 14 points. Ty Pence scored seven points and Payton Grimsley netted six points.

Conner Hodge pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Drew Coursey collected six rebounds.

The Spartans led at halftime, 26-20.

SJ-O (13-6) will seek its fourth win in a row on Friday when it plays host to Prairie Central. SJ-O is 4-0 in IPC contests.

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Payton Cain and Ty Pence both reached their season’s high for points scored in a game on Tuesday as St. Joseph-Ogden’s boys’ basketball team won at home over St. Thomas More, 66-45, in an Illini Prairie Conference game.

Cain and Pence each tallied 23 points.

Teammates Conner Hodge and Chance Izard chipped in with seven points apiece.

Hodge gathered a team-high nine rebounds, but had plenty of support on the boards. Payton Grimsley had eight rebounds, Cain had seven rebounds and Pence collected seven rebounds.

Pence had a team-best two assists.

SJ-O (11-6) snapped a two-game losing skid and returns to action, weather permitting, on Friday at Stanford Olympia.

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The Spartans were outscored 18-5 in the third quarter on Saturday at home and lost a 65-51 decision to unbeaten Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

Chance Izard netted a season-high seven three-point shots and scored 25 points, leading the team in scoring for the 11th time in 16 games.

At halftime, SJ-O trailed 26-24 against an opponent which now has an 18-0 season record.

In the third quarter, the Spartans were limited to one field goal apiece, scored by Jordan Kelly and Ty Pence.

Payton Grimsley finished the game with six points.

SJ-O (10-6) returns to action on Tuesday at home against St. Thomas More.

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The Spartans produced their best defensive effort of the season on Tuesday in front of the home crowd, limiting Williamsville to 22 points in a 50-22 SJ-O triumph.

SJ-O held a slender 8-6 lead after one period, but had extended its margin to 22-10 at halftime.

Chance Izard was the top Spartan scorer for the ninth time in 14 games, tossing in 21 points. It was his fifth 20-point game of the season.

Ty Pence scored 15 points and produced five steals in the team’s second consecutive win.

Payton Cain and Drew Coursey shared rebounding honors with six apiece. Payton Grimsley cleared five rebounds. Cain also had three steals.

SJ-O is 10-4 and returns to action on Saturday in the final game of its own Christie Clinic Shootout. The Spartans will play in the 8 p.m. game against Farmington.

Saturday’s complete Christie Clinic Shootout schedule:

11 a.m., Crete-Monee vs. Mahomet-Seymour
12:30 p.m., Kankakee vs. Danville
2 p.m., Rich Central vs. Champaign Central
3:30 p.m., Cissna Park vs. Monticello
5 p.m., Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame de LaSalette
6:30 p.m., Maine South vs. Normal Community
8 p.m., Farmington vs. St.  Joseph-Ogden

NOTE: A junior varsity game between the same schools will take place 2 hours prior to the varsity game, starting with a 9 a.m. contest between Crete-Monee and Mahomet-Seymour. The JV games will be played in the SJ-O Practice Gymnasium.

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The St.  Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team started the New Year with a resounding victory at home on Friday.

The Spartans overcame a 16-8 first-quarter deficit and handed visiting Cissna Park a 68-51 loss.

SJ-O led at halftime, 31-28, and built its lead thereafter.

Chance Izard was one of four Spartans in double figures, hitting a team-high 18 points.

Ty Pence, who hit a three-pointer for the ninth consecutive game, added 13 points. Teammates Payton Cain and Payton Grimsley each scored 12 points.

Grimsley was 6-for-6 from the free throw line and shared the team-lead in rebounding with Cain. Both collected five boards. Grimsley and Izard each handed out three assists.

SJ-O (9-4) returns to action on Tuesday at home against Williamsville.

SJ-O will host the seven-game Christie Clinic Shootout on Saturday (Jan. 11).

The schedule:

–11 a.m., Crete-Monee vs. Mahomet-Seymour
–12:30 p.m., Kankakee vs.Danville
–2 p.m., Rich Central vs. Champaign Central
–3:30 p.m., Cissna Park vs.  Monticello
–5 p.m., Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame de  La Salette
–6:30 p.m., Maine South vs. Normal Community
–8 p.m., Farmington vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

NOTE: Junior varsity games between the same schools will be played in the Practice Gym, starting 2 hours before the scheduled varsity contest.

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