SJO boys’ basketball looks to get back on track against Prairie Central

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team played a flurry of games to end December.

The steady, almost daily nature of the schedule has slowed to a halt, though, for the Spartans.
SJO will try to end a two-game losing streak when the Spartans play at Prairie Central on Tuesday night. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Fairibury for the Illini Prairie Conference game.

SJO (12-4, 0-1 Illini Prairie) sustained a 58-44 loss this past Friday night against Pontiac at home in its Illini Prairie opener. Ty Pence scored 30 points and Evan Ingram added 12 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Spartans.

Prior to the game against Pontiac, SJO lost 54-38 at Teutopolis in nonconference action last Tuesday night. Ingram scored a team-high 16 points for the Spartans against the Wooden Shoes, who led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter and 20-18 at halftime before taking a 38-26 lead into the fourth quarter.

Pence added 11 points, while Andrew Beyers chipped in with five points.

SJO picked up its first win of 2022 on Jan. 4 with a 62-55 home victory against Williamsville in nonconference action. Pence dropped in a game-high 25 points and grabbed six rebounds to pace the Spartans, with Logan Smith also hitting double figures with 11 points. Coy Taylor (eight points, four assists), Ingram (seven points), Beyers (six points) and Luke Landrus (five points) also chipped in key baskets for SJO.

After Tuesday night’s game at Prairie Central, SJO is slated to be back home for a 7 p.m. Illini Prairie game against Chillicothe IVC this Friday before traveling to Effingham to take on St. Anthony at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in a nonconference game.