Talk to enough coaches and players in the area and across the state and one common sentiment seems to pop up in regards to the Illini Prairie Conference.
It’s a tough league. No matter the sport.
But it’s a tough league the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball team is on the verge of winning.
SJO carries a 23-6 record and a perfect 8-0 record in Illini Prairie games into Tuesday’s 7 p.m. tip at Paxton-Buckley-Loda. PBL is 5-21 on the season and 0-8 in Illini Prairie play.
Coach Kiel Duval’s Spartans already assured themselves of a share of the Illini Prairie title with a thrilling 73-72 overtime win at Unity last Friday night.
Senior guard Logan Smith helped carry SJO to the win in Tolono by scoring a career-high 29 points. Senior guard Luke Landrus added 13 points and junior guard Coy Taylor chipped in with 12 points as a back-and-forth game ensued. SJO trailed 17-13 at the end of the first quarter but went into halftime ahead 36-26 and kept its lead at double digits, 51-41, entering the fourth quarter. But Unity rallied and forced overtime, with the game tied at 67 at the end of regulation.
Prior to the win against Unity, the Spartans cruised to a 68-35 home win against Rantoul last Tuesday.
SJO had four players in double figures, led by senior guard Tanner Jacob’s 15 points. Taylor dropped in 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, junior forward Tanner Siems had 13 points and six rebounds and Landrus tallied 10 points to go along with eight rebounds. Smith (nine points), sophomore guard Kodey McKinney (three points), junior guard Logan Lackey (two points), sophomore guard Tim Blackburn-Kelley (one point) and sophomore guard Will Haley (one point) rounded out the scoring for the Spartans.
While the win against Rantoul was the final home game of the regular season for SJO, the Spartans will again play on their home court in the upcoming Class 2A postseason.
SJO is a regional host and earned a No. 2 seed. The Spartans will open the postseason at 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 against either 10th-seeded Westville or ninth-seeded Sullivan. Those two teams play a regional quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. next Monday in Sullivan. Third-seeded Shelbyville will play either 12th-seeded Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond or eighth-seeded Oakwood at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the second regional semifinal game. ALAH plays at Oakwood in a regional quarterfinal at 7 p.m. next Monday in Fithian. The regional championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 at SJO, with the regional winner advancing to the Shelbyville Sectional.
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