Team Dinner

Team dinner night before Moline game at Wharton FH.

Central over IVC

From the PJS...

Chillicothe — Five games into the season and Central is trending in the right direction.

The Lions held off Illinois Valley Central for a 56-45 nonconference girls basketball win on Tuesday night. With the victory, Peoria High (4-1) matches its win total from last season.

“We have new personnel,” Central coach Meechie Edwards said, “but the strategy is the same — work hard every single day, stay disciplined and stay consistent.

“We have a long way to go, but this is a good start.”

Leading 29-19 at halftime, Central went on a 9-2 spurt in the first 1:32 of the third quarter, extending its lead to 17 points. Osha Rutherford scored six of those points by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers from the left corner.

IVC (2-3) committed nine of its 30 turnovers and scored just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting in the frame.

Dunlap over Limestone

From the PJS....

A buzzer-beating finish got the Mid-Illini Conference girls basketball season off to a flying start Tuesday night in Bartonville.

Trailing at Limestone by a point with just over six seconds left to play, Damilola Taiwo made a last-second layup to help Dunlap snatch away a 45-44 victory.

Brianna Henson scored a game-high 13 points for the Eagles (4-2, 1-0), who trailed by seven with three minutes to play. Krysten Wallace scored 10 to lead the Rockets (4-1, 0-1).

Grant Gibson over 1000

The following is from the Quincy Herald Whig....

Scouting the State: Galesburg junior forward on pace to join 2,000-point club

Only three boys basketball players in the history of the Western Big Six Conference have scored more than 2,000 career points.
Could it become a foursome in the near future?
Well, Galesburg junior forward Grant Gibson is halfway there a little more than halfway through his prep career. Gibson eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau last weekend during the Galesburg Thanksgiving Tournament, leading the Silver Streaks to a 4-1 mark and second-place finish.
Gibson averaged 21.6 points in the tournament with a high-water mark of 28 points against Peoria Notre Dame, and figuring the Silver Streaks reach at least the regional championship this season, he could score around 600 more points this season. It would put the 2,000-point mark within his reach.
Galesburg all-state Joey Range is the WB6's career scoring leader with 2,390 points, while Rock Island's Chasson Randle (2,159) and Quincy High School's Bruce Douglas (2,040 points) are in the club.
Quincy fans will get the chance to see Gibson when the Silver Streaks visit Blue Devil Gym on Feb.14. The Blue Devils travel to Galesburg and John Thiel Gym on Dec. 20.

Reaction to IHSA

The following is an interesting essay by Barry Rozner of the Chicago Tribune...

Break out the cotton candy, collect the Bengal tigers and get your clown face on, because there's a circus coming to your local gym.
Yeah, Illinois high school basketball coaches better couch their words and count their steps this season, because officials are watching them — and the IHSA is watching officials.

Geneseo Tops Alleman

From the Argus....

GENESEO — At a moment when the Geneseo girls' basketball team could have crumbled, it stood tall.

After Alleman overcame a nine-point third-quarter deficit to tie the game midway through the fourth on Monday night, the Maple Leafs made plays when it counted. Buoyed by solid defense and foul shooting down the stretch, Geneseo secured a 44-40 win over the Pioneers.

"Alleman did some really nice things in the second half," Geneseo coach Scott Hardison said. "They made a run at us. Last year, we may have backed down and not won. We got ourselves together and got the win."

Geneseo (2-3) did not convert a field goal in the fourth quarter, relying on eight foul shots to secure the victory after a nine-day layoff. The Maple Leafs ended the game by scoring eight of the final 12 points after Alleman (2-5) tied it at 36.

Championship Culture

The following is good article on the 6 Traits of a championship culture.

http://www.janssensportsleadership.com/resources/janssen-blog/6-key-components-of-a-championship-culture/

Morton Wins Own Title

From PJS....

       Morton — Chandler Ryan used the Potterdome to put on a shooting clinic Saturday morning.
The Morton sophomore scored 35 points en route to a 73-50 victory over Richwoods at the Morton Thanksgiving Tournament. The Potters (4-1) entered the girls basketball contest ranked No. 5 in the Class 3A Associated Press preseason poll, while Richwoods (2-2) is rated No. 8.
“When she catches fire, we want to ride that for as long as it will last,” Morton coach Bob Becker said. “She’s got that green light.
“I’d be silly not to give it to her, right?”
A pair of free throws by Olivia Elger cut Richwoods’ gap to 45-43 on the opening possession of the final quarter. 

Limestone Wins/ Morton Loses

From the PJS....

Just about everybody got in on the fun for the host team Tuesday at the Limestone girls basketball tournament.

Receiving contributions from all 11 players that saw action, the Rockets rode a second-quarter surge to a 55-37 victory over Illinois Valley Central in the tournament opener in Bartonville.

McKenna Weaver had a game-high 12 points for Limestone, which took control of the game with an 18-3 rally before halftime. Leading 32-20 at the half, the Rockets sealed it with a 16-7 rush in the third.

“Good overall balance of play,” Limestone coach Kevin Metzger said.

Candis Rudolph, Hallie Shirley and Katelyn Heinz each scored eight to pace IVC.

CHATHAM GLENWOOD 49, MORTON 42: It was all downhill after the first quarter for the visiting Potters, who were outscored in each of the final three periods.

Chandler Ryan scored a game-high 16 to lead the Potters. Maggie Juhlin scored 13 to

UT over Moline

From the Argus....

MOLINE -- On opening night of the Western Big 6 Conference girls basketball season, United Township hunkered down on defense to secure the win over Moline.

The Panthers held the Maroons scoreless for the first 4:39 of the fourth quarter while extending to a 10-point lead and never looked back en route to a 61-51 victory at Wharton Field House.

The Maroons (1-1, 0-1 WB6) had trailed by seven and eight at different points in the third quarter, but rallied both times to get within a basket of the lead. The drought to start the final frame ended up being the tipping point.

Rocky Blasts Q

From the Argus....

QUINCY — Mariah Hoover didn't look at the Rock Island High School girls basketball team's slow start as a bad thing.

If anything, it helped confirm her previous belief. The Rocks were tied with Quincy High School three minutes into the game, with the hosting Blue Devils trying to slow down the tempo. After a timeout, the Rocks went on an 11-0 run, not slowing down until the final horn in an 86-26 Western Big 6 Conference victory here Tuesday night at QHS Gym.

Rock Island forced the Blue Devils into 34 turnovers.

Alleman Over the Streaks

From the Argus....

GALESBURG – Though Doris Hatch passed away Monday evening, there was no doubt in the mind of her son, Alleman girls' basketball coach Jay Hatch, that he would make the trip to John Thiel Gymnasium on Tuesday night to coach the Pioneers in their Western Big 6 Conference opener against the Galesburg Silver Streaks.

"She would have kicked my butt if I wouldn't have coached," said Jay, admitting that the day was rough, but it was one that ended with his team pulling out a hard-fought 48-39 victory.

Still, the Alleman players were taken aback a bit by having their coach with them for their basketball game when the game of life had dealt him a setback.