Not only was Friday night’s home game against Mendota a chance to bolster the Ghosts’ swagger, it was also an occasion to celebrate the team’s three seniors and their Illinois Valley Central careers.
“It’s been great because I’ve been on the varsity team for all four years, and I’ve always looked up to the seniors,” senior Chris Martin said. “And now I get the chance to be one of the leaders.”
Seniors Keegan Horack, Jared Johnson and Martin were all honored before the start of the North Central Illinois Conference game, which IVC won, 70-31.
“Our three guys have been really hard workers throughout their four years here,” coach Jim Thornton said. “They all have a great work ethic.”
Emotions ran high as the three seniors were led out on the court with their parents to commemorate their final regular-season game at IVC.
“I love playing basketball and being around the guys on this team,” Martin said. “It’s been great.”
Mendota scored the first basket when the game got underway, but then IVC turned on the heat and went on a 20-0 run.
During the run, Horack hit a wide-open three to help the offense.
“We started off really well with Keegan making shots,” Martin said. “Then myself and Jared, the other senior, got going and helped out.”
The Ghosts used a press on the Trojans early in the game, which forced turnovers when Mendota had trouble advancing the ball.
At the last second, Martin fired home a two pointer to give IVC a 22-5 lead after the first quarter.
The speed and pressure of the Ghosts prevented Mendota from finding an offensive rhythm, and IVC’s size advantage in rebounding kept the Trojans’ second-chance opportunities to a minimum.
Sophomore Jordan Seele helped the offense when he grabbed a pass in the low post and extended his arms to lay the ball in.
Horack again knocked in a shot at the buzzer to put IVC up, 41-16, at halftime.
“We wanted to get off to a good start,” Thornton said. “When they have the lead, they tend to hold the ball. We wanted to make it an up-tempo game from the start.”
When the action resumed, IVC kept up their intensity, despite the lead.
Junior Alex Koch used a post-up move to back down a defender and put in a shot to put IVC up, 53-22.
The same defensive pressure that gave Mendota fits in the first half continued to keep them from creating momentum and mounting a comeback.
“We have done a much better job defensively since the Kewanee game,” Thornton said. “Our pressure did a nice job creating turnovers that we turned into points.”
The Ghosts were up, 53-22, heading into the third quarter.
Martin missed a close-range shot, but tracked down the rebound and put it in for two to start the final quarter.
No matter who came into the game for IVC, the intensity level never dropped, even late into the game.
Midway through the quarter, Seele did his best impression of Kareem Abdul Jabar’s skyhook shot when he took the ball and lobbed it in for two.
The Ghosts (14-6, 6-1) next play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Rock Falls.
“We have to have mental toughness because we’re going on the road into some tough environments,” Thornton said.
Chillicothe, Ill. —
