April 19, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Pence, Ingram lead SJO boys’ basketball off to superb start


After having the season delayed more than two months and then missing
the first week of the condensed season while dealing with positive
COVID-19 cases within the program, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’
basketball team is making up for lost time.


In a big way.


The Spartans have won their first two games, winning 66-52 at home
against nonconference foe Oakwood on Wednesday night and opening the
season with a 73-54 win at Rantoul last Friday night in Illini Prairie
Conference action. SJO (2-0, 1-0 Illini Prairie) continue league play
with a 7 p.m. tip at rival Unity on Friday.


Sophomore standout Ty Pence is leading the way so far for the
Spartans, following up his solid freshman season in an even bigger
way. The 6-foot-6 guard dropped in 40 points and grabbed 19 rebounds
during Wednesday night’s win at Oakwood. This jaw-dropping performance
came after he supplied a game-high 24 points to go along with 20
rebounds in the win against Rantoul.


Junior guard Evan Ingram also contributed significantly in the win
against Oakwood, delivering 18 points and five assists. Junior forward
Andrew Beyers also chipped in with eight points.


Aside from Pence’s 24 points at Rantoul, Ingram and junior guard
Cameron Costa each supplied 15 points against the Eagles.


Friday night’s game at Unity marks the first Illini Prairie game this
week after Tuesday night’s game at Bloomington Central Catholic was
postponed because of inclement weather. The Spartans will stay on the
road on Saturday, too, with a 2:30 p.m. tip at nonconference foe
Robinson before returning home for a scheduled 7 p.m. tip next Tuesday
against Pontiac.

You can watch basketball games here.

Banner
Related Posts

Kaiser’s positivity a plus on court

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Lacey Kaiser is a positive presence on the volleyball court. So much so, that her coach Abby McDonald nominated her...

SJO5k Results for July 30, 2022

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Name City Bib No Age Gender Age Group Total Time Pace 1 Austin Bridgman Potomac IL 632 22 M 1:Open...

Dowling, Dukeman power SJO softball to home win

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

So far, so good this season for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team. The Spartans (10-0) kept their undefeated...

SJO girls’ basketball looks to bounce back against Tuscola

November 29, 2021

November 29, 2021

Playing the Paris girls’ basketball team is always a challenge, with the Tigers as one of the premier small-school programs...

Ward, Martlage and Immke help SJO softball get back in win column

May 5, 2021

May 5, 2021

A flurry of games is usually the norm for St. Joseph-Ogden softball.But usually, at this juncture in the calendar, the...

A numbers game: Interest in golf, girls’ tennis at SJO increase, but both aren’t
board-approved sports

September 9, 2022

September 9, 2022

 St. Joseph-Ogden High School doesn’t want to be mediocre. To Athletic Director Justin Franzen that means making sure student athletes...

Behrens, Vallee help Spartans continue strong start

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021

So far, so good for the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball team. The Spartans made the short drive to Champaign on...

‘There is no one more deserving of this honor’

June 26, 2020

June 26, 2020

Glenn Fisher loves St. Joseph-Ogden High School. For decades, Fisher’s main concern was that the facilities and sports fields at...

Wells, Armstrong help balanced Spartans to strong showing in Illini Prairie

March 11, 2021

March 11, 2021

Performing well in conference games is about the best outcome a high school basketball team can consider during this pandemic-abbreviated...

5 Question Friday with senior Jackson Greer

September 2, 2022

September 2, 2022

Every Friday we are asking an SJO junior or senior athlete five questions. This week we talked to Jackson Greer....

Plotner’s positive attitude key to success

April 30, 2019

April 30, 2019

Jillian Plotner is having an amazing track season. The St. Joseph-Ogden junior helped the 3,200 relay team win first place...

Smith, Wertz shine as SJO football wins homecoming game

September 26, 2022

September 26, 2022

It was a happy homecoming for the St. Joseph-Ogden football team.And with the Spartans defeating Nokomis 42-12 this past Friday...

5 Questions with ASHER PRUEMER

March 1, 2024

March 1, 2024

How would you describe your team? I would say that this is very team-oriented and is one that is always...

Getting to know SJO football Captain Aidan McCorkle

October 29, 2022

October 29, 2022

We asked the SJO football team captains five questions. Here are Aidan McCorkle’s responses. Why is being a team captain...

Spartans hope to raise the bar

August 27, 2021

August 27, 2021

By Jim Cotter St. Joseph-Ogden football hopes raise the bar this season.Last season, the Spartans finished 2-4. The Spartans are...

Comments
Leave a Reply