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 built a 46-12 halftime lead on Wednesday in a makeup home game at Heritage against Argenta-Oreana and went on to overpower the Bombers 63-28.

Senior Sam Reno and junior Jake Eversole shared the VG/H scoring lead with 14 points apiece.

Reno reached his season’s high for points and also drained a season-high four three-point shots. Eversole has scored in double figures in 16 of the 20 games he has played.

Logan Nohren scored 12 points, Tanner Clodfelder contributed six points and teammates who chipped in with five points apiece were Anthony Arbuckle and Carson Howard.

The Hawks (19-10) conclude the regular season on Friday with a road game against Sangamon Valley. VG/H is attempting to reach the 20-win mark for the second consecutive season, a feat that last occurred 17 years ago.

Next week, VG/H is part of the seven-team Class 2A regional at St. Joseph. The Hawks will play in the 7:30 p.m. game on Tuesday against Tolono Unity.

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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.

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The Hawks trailed after each of the first three quarters on Tuesday at Arcola, but thanks to a 22-point fourth quarter, rallied for a 62-54 win over the Purple Riders.

Arcola led 28-22 at halftime and took a 45-40 lead into the final period.

Jake Eversole led a balanced scoring attack for VG/H with 16 points. Carson Howard scored 14 points and Logan Nohren added 12 points.

The Hawks hit 21 free throws in the win, including five by Ierik Sorenson, four by Sam Reno and two by Anthony Arbuckle. That trio accounted for all 11 of their points by virtue of free throws.

VG/H (13-8) returns to Arcola on Friday for first-round action in the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament.

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The Hawks were outscored 17-4 in the second quarter on Saturday and suffered a 62-55 loss to Judah Christian in Champaign.

Judah’s lead after one quarter was 16-13.

Logan Nohren made a team-high 18 points for VG/H. Jake Eversole, after missing the previous six games with an ankle injury, put in 12 points. Sam Reno scored 10 points and Carson Howard contributed nine points.

VG/H (12-8) returns to action on Tuesday at Arcola.

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Logan Nohren was the lone double-digit scorer for the Hawks in a Tuesday loss at home to Okaw Valley.

Nohren netted 20 points, but Villa Grove/Heritage dropped a 59-47 decision.

Okaw Valley jumped into a 24-9 lead after one quarter.

Issac Mahoe and Sam Reno each scored seven points for VG/H.

The Hawks (11-6) return to action tonight at Cerro Gordo.

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Villa Grove/Heritage Girls’ Basketball

The Blue Devils (4-1) overcame a halftime deficit on Tuesday to post a 49-43 victory at Tuscola. The host Warriors led, 22-20, at halftime, but VG/H went on a 17-5 tear in the third quarter and took control.

Aliya Holloman scored 18 points, Kyleigh Block had 15 and Samantha Campbell hit a season-high 12 points for the Blue Devils.

Block has nailed a team-high 10 three-pointers through five games.

The Blue Devils will play their home-opener tonight against Westville (0-5).

Villa Grove/Heritage Boys’ basketball

The Hawks (3-1) opened and closed the Cerro Gordo Thanksgiving Tournament with wins and captured third place.

VG/H topped Sangamon Valley 50-20 in Monday’s opener and followed with a 51-36 triumph over Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg.

A third-round loss on Friday to LeRoy, 49-23, set the stage for Saturday’s bounceback game, a 59-44 verdict over Cerro Gordo/Bement.

Jake Eversole canned a season-high 22 points against CG/B. Logan Nohren (12 points) and Issac Mahoe (11 points) also had their top-scoring performances of the week.

Mahoe canned three three-pointers and Eversole hit two treys.

VG/H led 40-33 after three quarters, but pulled away for the win.

Against LeRoy, the Hawks connected on only six second-half points. Mahoe had five points, Sam Reno had three points and Ierik Sorenson also scored three points.

The points by Reno and Sorenson came on three-pointers.

Against Windsor/SS, VG/H used a 13-2 third-quarter run to take control.  Nohren tallied a team-high 11 points. Contributing eight points apiece were Eversole, Reno and Blake Smith.

Eversole fired in 13 points and Nick Coffin had 12 points in the season’s first game, against Sangamon Valley. Smith added seven points.

The Hawks led 32-5 at halftime.

Eversole was picked for the all-tournament team after scoring 45 points for the week.

The Hawks play their home-opener on Tuesday at Heritage against Urbana University High School.

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