The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball program has made it seem second nature
at this point of going on deep postseason runs.
The Spartans have two state tournament appearances in their record books and a third-place
finish in Class 2A in 2019.
SJO has made it a habit, too, of hoisting regional plaques in February, winning seven since
2011.
And while this year’s team has yet to enjoy a winning record at any point this season, opposing
coaches probably don’t want to face the Spartans anytime soon.
That’s because SJO is on a five-game win streak that was enhanced by three close victories in
the past week.
SJO (12-13, 4-2 Illini Prairie Conference) will aim for its sixth straight victory when it hosts
Rantoul on Monday night.
But before that 7 p.m. Illini Prairie game tips off in St. Joseph, here’s a roundup of what
happened last week for the Spartans:
SJO wins challenging game
The Spartans defeated South County/New Berlin 43-40 on Saturday afternoon, part of the Illini
Prairie/Sangamo Challenge that was held in Monticello.
SJO led the Pretzels 13-10 at the end of the first quarter, but trailed 22-20 at halftime and 35-32
after three quarters before making a fourth-quarter comeback.
Both senior guard Taylor Hug and junior forward Addy Martinie tied for game-high scoring
honors, with each SJO starter finishing with 14 points. Hug got there on the strength of four
three-pointers.
Junior guard Addie Seggebruch added six points, while junior guard Addison Frick (four points),
senior guard Kaytlyn Baker (three points) and freshman guard Katie Ericksen (two points)
rounded out the scoring for the Spartans.
Spartans earn Illini Prairie road win
The duo of Martinie and Frick keyed the Spartans during a 54-45 win at Bloomington Central
Catholic this past Friday night in Illini Prairie action.
Martinie scored a game-high 19 points, with 14 of those points happening in the first half. SJO
and the Saints were tied at 13 after the first quarter, with SJO holding a slim 25-23 halftime lead
that carried into the third quarter as the Spartans had a 36-35 lead before the start of the fourth
quarter.
Frick was a steady complement to Martinie, scoring 18 points. She was especially clutch in the
second half, scoring 13 of her points in the final two quarters and making all six of her free
throws after halftime.
Seggebruch also came up big for SJO with nine valuable points, while Hug (four points), junior
forward Ellie Ward (two points) and Baker (two points) chipping in as well.
Dramatic comeback lifts SJO past Mattoon
No matter how long this win streak goes for SJO, the Spartans beating Mattoon 52-49 at home
this past Monday night in a nonconference game will stand out.
The Spartans faced an 18-7 deficit at the end of the first quarter and trailed 32-19 at halftime.
But SJO responded in the second half, outscoring there Green Wave 26-9 in the third quarter to
take a 45-41 lead into the fourth quarter and fending off Mattoon during the final eight minutes.
Hug poured in a game-high 20 points and drained six three-pointers, including four in the
second half to propel the comeback.
Martinie joined Hug in double figures with 17 points, while Frick added eight points. Seggebruch
scored all six of her points in the second half and Baker chipped in one point.
What’s next
After Monday night’s game against Rantoul, the Spartans have one more Illini Prairie game this
week. SJO will hit the road and travel to Tolono for a 7 p.m. tip against rival Unity on Thursday
night.
SJO will also find out its postseason path this week, with seeds coming out on Thursday and
pairings on Friday.
The Spartans will head north to start their postseason, with Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley and
Momence serving as regional hosts in the sub-sectional that SJO is in.
Other teams besides GCMS and Momence that could find its way into the regional that SJO
ends up in are: Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, Clifton Central, Hoopeston Area, Iroquois
West, Kankakee Bishop McNamara, Oakwood, Paxton-Buckley-Loda and Westville.
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