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The Illinois Valley Central basketball team closed the North Central Illinois Conference season with a 63-48 win at Princeton Friday night.
“We played pretty well in that game,” coach Jim Thornton said. “We got into foul trouble early, but our guys did a nice job coming off the bench.”
Things went right for the Ghosts from the beginning when the team had a strong opening quarter on offense.
Jeremy Brown knocked defenders out of the way on his path to the hoop.
Thanks to his ability to score over Tiger defenders, Brown led the team with 20 points.
Princeton, however, also had no problem scoring and IVC held a slim, 17-14 lead after the opening frame.
The Ghost offense only got better in the second quarter when Bryce Jackson helped the squad by knocking down shots on the perimeter and near the hoop.
IVC built a 38-28 lead at halftime.
“We shot 59 percent for that game and were really in control the entire second half,” Thornton said.
In the third quarter, the Ghosts threw off the Tiger offense by using intense pressure and double teams.
The Tiger defense did not slouch in the third quarter either and held the Ghosts to their lowest point total of the game.
IVC led, 49-35, heading into the fourth quarter.
Sherrarr Tate kept the IVC offense running smoothly in the final quarter by sending the ball to open teammates and sinking shots when the opportunities came.
IVC held on in the final frame to win.
Based on how St. Bede does against Princeton, IVC will either win the conference outright or tie for the title with the Bruins.
The Ghosts hosted United Township Saturday for senior night.
Before the game, Bryce Jackson, Nolan Seiler, Jordan Seele, Brown, Tate and team manager Tyler Thacker were honored for their contributions to the program.
“This senior class has meant a lot to our team,” Thornton said. “They have been one of the better classes to come through IVC and not just because of their basketball ability. They are hard workers, encourage each other and are just a tight knit group that has been a real pleasure to coach.”
The Ghosts had success from the perimeter to start the game, with their first two baskets coming from three-pointers.
The charged Ghost offense continued to succeed from the perimeter but also racked up points near the hoop.
“Once again we shot really well at 58 percent,” Thornton said. “We had 37 rebounds in that game and that was a concern going into the game because they are a really athletic team.”
The Illinois Valley Central basketball team closed the North Central Illinois Conference season with a 63-48 win at Princeton Friday night.
“We played pretty well in that game,” coach Jim Thornton said. “We got into foul trouble early, but our guys did a nice job coming off the bench.”
Things went right for the Ghosts from the beginning when the team had a strong opening quarter on offense.
Jeremy Brown knocked defenders out of the way on his path to the hoop.
Thanks to his ability to score over Tiger defenders, Brown led the team with 20 points.
Princeton, however, also had no problem scoring and IVC held a slim, 17-14 lead after the opening frame.
The Ghost offense only got better in the second quarter when Bryce Jackson helped the squad by knocking down shots on the perimeter and near the hoop.
IVC built a 38-28 lead at halftime.
“We shot 59 percent for that game and were really in control the entire second half,” Thornton said.
In the third quarter, the Ghosts threw off the Tiger offense by using intense pressure and double teams.
The Tiger defense did not slouch in the third quarter either and held the Ghosts to their lowest point total of the game.
IVC led, 49-35, heading into the fourth quarter.
Sherrarr Tate kept the IVC offense running smoothly in the final quarter by sending the ball to open teammates and sinking shots when the opportunities came.
IVC held on in the final frame to win.
Based on how St. Bede does against Princeton, IVC will either win the conference outright or tie for the title with the Bruins.
The Ghosts hosted United Township Saturday for senior night.
Before the game, Bryce Jackson, Nolan Seiler, Jordan Seele, Brown, Tate and team manager Tyler Thacker were honored for their contributions to the program.
“This senior class has meant a lot to our team,” Thornton said. “They have been one of the better classes to come through IVC and not just because of their basketball ability. They are hard workers, encourage each other and are just a tight knit group that has been a real pleasure to coach.”
The Ghosts had success from the perimeter to start the game, with their first two baskets coming from three-pointers.
The charged Ghost offense continued to succeed from the perimeter but also racked up points near the hoop.
“Once again we shot really well at 58 percent,” Thornton said. “We had 37 rebounds in that game and that was a concern going into the game because they are a really athletic team.”
The Panthers, however, also had no problem scoring and IVC held a slim lead at 30-26.
IVC’s offense slowed in the third when the Panther defense tightened and took a one-point lead after the quarter.
Jackson sent in shots from all over the court, as he did all game, to help the Ghosts keep things close throughout the final frame.
Jackson led the team with 20 points.
At the end of regulation, neither team could take the lead and the game headed to overtime.
In overtime, the teams played close like they had all game, but the Ghosts took charge in the final ticks to pull off the win.
“We made some big shots in overtime to win,” Thornton said. “It was a really good win for us.”
IVC was scheduled to play Canton Tuesday.
“We have another tough game before the Regional,” Thornton said. “It’s always difficult to go and play at Canton so we want to have a good game there.”
IVC (17-7, 3-1) next plays at 8:10 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Ottawa Regional against Metamora.
“We have exactly two weeks off before we play again,” Thornton said. “We had a 10 day layoff before we played this weekend so we’re used to that. We are going to try to change up our practices and stay ready to play. That’s all we can do.”
