July 8, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO girls’ basketball to host inaugural Country Financial Shootout on Saturday

The Christie Clinic Shootout has become an annual staple on the high school basketball calendar in St. Joseph.


Same for the Toyota of Danville Classic, previously the Leader Classic.


But both of those events are related to boys’ basketball.

Yet something different on the calendar will transpire this Saturday at SJO, with the inaugural Country Financial Shootout bringing in eight different teams from across the state for a one-day event.


SJO will host Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond at 4 p.m. in the third of four games on the day. The event tips off at 1 p.m. when Breese Central meets Pleasant Plains before Richland County plays Fieldcrest at 2:30 p.m. After SJO-ALAH ends, Mahomet-Seymour against Eureka starts at 5:30 p.m. to conclude the event.

The game against ALAH is another challenging one on the nonconference slate for SJO in a season that has already seen its fair share. The Spartans (2-5) are on a three-game losing streak heading into Thursday’s 6 p.m. home nonconference game against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.


SJO lost 68-26 at Peoria Richwoods on Monday night, falling behind 20-7 at the end of the first quarter and trailing 44-15 to star the second half. Senior forward Addy Martinie led SJO with 10 points, senior guard Addison Frick had five points, junior forward Sara Kearney had four points, sophomore guard Katie Erickson had four points, sophomore forward Katie Beyers had two points and sophomore guard Timera Blackburn-Kelley rounded out the scoring with one point.


Prior to the loss at Peoria Richwoods, SJO hung close with perennial power Teutopolis, but the Wooden Shoes left St. Joseph with a 59-50 victory last Thursday night.

The Spartans trailed 14-11 at the end of the first quarter, 32-28 at halftime and 43-42 to start the fourth quarter. Frick scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Spartans, while Martinie wasn’t far behind with 17 points. Senior Addison Seggebruch contributed eight points, while Ericksen (five points) and Kearney (two points) also chipped in.


The losing skid started for SJO with a 75-63 loss at Maroa-Forsyth on Dec. 4. The Spartans led the Trojans 59-56 to start the fourth quarter after going into halftime with a 40-37 lead, but couldn’t keep up the offensive production during the final eight minutes.


Martinie scored a team-high 17 points, Kearney contributed 16 points and Frick supplied 12 points, all on four three-pointers. Ericksen made it four SJO players in double figures with 11 points as Blackburn-Kelley (four points) and sophomore guard Addison Brooks (three points) rounded out the scoring.

The last win for SJO happened on Nov. 30, with the Spartans going on the road and winning 57-32 at Danville. The Spartans jumped out to a 22-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, increased it to 37-10 at halftime and went into the fourth quarter ahead 48-20. Martinie dropped in a game-high 18 points, with Frick providing a steady complement with 17 points. Brooks contributed nine points on a trio of three-pointers, while Ericksen (five points), sophomore forward Kayla Osterbur (four points), Kearney (two points) and Blackburn-Kelley (two points) also pitched in.


The win against Danville materialized after SJO recorded its first victory of the season, beating Tuscola 61-47 at home on Nov. 27.


The Spartans started strong, taking an 18-11 lead into the second quarter and holding a 31-19 advantage at halftime before expanding it even more to 51-33 by the start of the fourth quarter. Seggebruch scored a team-high 14 points for SJO as Martinie had 12 points, Frick added 10 points, Ericksen scored nine points and Kearney ended with eight points on a balanced scoring night. Brooks finished with six points and sophomore forward McKenzie Atwood joined the offensive fun with two points.


After this week’s slate of games, the Spartans will play at Cissna Park at 7:30 p.m. next Monday before hosting Oakwood at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 21. Those two nonconference games lead into the State Farm Holiday Classic that SJO will play in Dec. 27-30 in Bloomington-Normal. The Spartans open up the 16-team State Farm Holiday Classic with a first-round game against Kankakee Bishop McNamara at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27 at Normal Community High School.

Banner
Related Posts

Spartans fall to T-Town

February 23, 2019

February 23, 2019

NORMAL— All basketball teams have an off-night shooting occasionally. It’s just too bad that the St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans picked the...

Armstrong, Lannert key three-game win streak for SJO girls’ basketball

December 6, 2021

December 6, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team ventured away from its home gymnasium for the first time last week....

Spartan Classic up next after Mattsey, Plotner run well in Peoria

September 27, 2019

September 27, 2019

It’s the only chance for St. Joseph residents to see the St. Joseph-Ogden High School cross-country teams in action in...

Sjuts saving the best for last

May 9, 2019

May 9, 2019

Rylee Sjuts is starting her final month as a track athlete for St. Joseph-Ogden High School. If the past is...

McCarty hurls shutout, SJO baseball cruises to win at STM

April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019

Excellent pitching has defined the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team throughout much of its 2019 season. The trend continued...

What could district format look like for SJO football?

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

This decade has seen plenty of different conference opponents for St. Joseph-Ogden High School’s football team. Playing in three conferences...

Burnett, Bigger spark SJO volleyball on recent win streak

October 8, 2019

October 8, 2019

A big hitter. And a superb setter. Every quality volleyball team needs that combination, and the St. Joseph-Ogden High School...

Jacob, Cramer and Barnes help SJO girls’ basketball top Prairie Central

January 20, 2020

January 20, 2020

Needing a big win, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team delivered last Thursday night. The Spartans stopped a...

Thanks for the memories

November 9, 2019

November 9, 2019

We asked the St. Joseph-Ogden Cross Country team to share their favorite memories from the 2019 season. Here are their...

Martinie, Frick propel SJO girls’ basketball in two straight wins

January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023

More losses than wins have unfolded so far this season for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team.But the...

Nolan, Weaver help SJO football stay unbeaten

September 17, 2019

September 17, 2019

Two running backs topping 100 yards usually adds up to a good Friday night for a high school football team....

Get to know SJO volleyball player Josey Frerichs

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? We are all friends on and off the court which really...

Hug, Martinie help SJO girls’ basketball win regional title

February 21, 2023

February 21, 2023

Winning regional championships is nothing new for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’basketball program. But earning one during the 2022-23...

SJO girls’ basketball vies for sectional title tonight

February 14, 2019

February 14, 2019

Win on Thursday night and the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team achieves a milestone only one other team...

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...

Comments
Leave a Reply