Colts headed back to Miami

They've done it. The Indianapolis Colts beat the New York Jets, 30-17 Sunday, to qualify themselves for Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. It is the second time in four years in which the Colts are headed to the Super Bowl. Both times, it has been in Miami. 

I was very nervous before Sunday's game. Not that I didn't think they were going to win, but because the Jets were sure that they were. Every match-up seemed to benefit the Colts. They had the home field, the better quarterback, and they had been prepping for the Jets since they lost to them December 27 in the infamous "pull your starters" game.

But the Jets had fate. Every time the Jets and Colts had previously met in a big game when the Colts were big favorites, the Jets would pull the upset (See Super Bowl III). They had confidence. Rex Ryan was already planning the Super Bowl parade route. They were cocky and they were on a roll, winning four games in a row and seven of eight. They had the league's  number one defense and running game. 

Reasoning was for the Colts, but karma was certainly for the Jets. Which would win out?

Thankfully, reason would. 

The first half was pretty nerve wracking. Indy was unable to capitalize on good drives, settling for a pair of short range Matt Stover field goals, while the Jets had a big play touchdown from Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards. 

A Joseph Addai fumble put the Jets in prime position to take a commanding 21-6 lead, but were held to a field goal. 

The turning point in the game came on the Colts' last drive of the first half when Peyton Manning connected with Austin Collie four plays in a row, including a 15-yard touchdown throw. Manning was quickly figuring out the Jets defense.

The Jets missed a field goal in their first second half possession and the Colts responded with a Manning TD pass to Pierre Garcon, who broke an AFC championship game record with 11 catches. 

From then on out, the Colts defense held on. Another Manning TD pass to Dallas Clark with just over eight minutes to go pretty much clinched it for the Colts. Sanchez was having a good game, but there was no way he was going to conduct a 10-point comeback in eight minutes. Not against the Colts defense. Not this year. 

This win was as sweet as they come. Although I didn't have the overjoyed feeling that I had when they beat the Patriots in the AFC title game three years ago, this was as sweet in a number of ways.

ESPN praised the Jets all week. NFL "experts" were saying that they matched up well with the Colts and that Indy blew it by not eliminating the Jets when they had a chance. "Experts" picking against the Colts is nothing new. I actually hope they continue the Colts-hate because it has worked for us so far. 

When the Colts were ahead 20-17, Reggie Wayne caught a pass from Manning and was headed up the field before fumbling the ball and then quickly recovering. Immediately, I thought of the AFC Championship Game three years ago, when Wayne had a similar play with just two minutes to go in a game where the Colts trailed. Parallel? Yes. Maybe fate was on the Colts side. 

The Colts are a well-oiled machine. The model of consistency in the NFL. What a decade it has been. 115 wins, Manning's four MVPs, playoffs in nine of ten seasons and two Super Bowl trips. 

What they are missing is that second Super Bowl ring. That's all that's on their minds right now. The Saints are the best team the Colts will face all year. It will be a challenge. But it's a challenge the Colts are certainly up for. 

If the game is close, there is no QB I'd rather have than #18. There is no defense I'd rather have than the Colts' fast and furious. And there is NO coach I'd rather have than Jim Caldwell. The question before the season was if Caldwell could fill Tony Dungy's shoes. With one more win, he outgrows them. 

SXU wins with Barone out

CHICAGO - The Saint Xavier women's basketball team beat Indiana-South Bend 69-53 Saturday at the Shannon Center. With the win the NAIA's third ranked Cougars put themselves in second place in the CCAC. 

SXU had a relatively tough stretch before the win as they lost to conference rival St. Francis the week before in Joliet. But the Cougars responded with a big win over a good Titan team.

The most impressive aspect of the win was that they did it without point guard Alex Barone, who missed the game due to an illness. The team is clearly not as sharp without her in there. They seem to be less organized, but the defense carried them through Saturday.

Erin Hannemann had another big game, shooting 9-for-11 for 24 points. It didn't seem like she had that kind of a game, but you come to expect these types of performances from her. She quietly gets the job done each night. 

Sholanda Young has improved greatly over the last two years. She may be the hardest worker on this team. With Barone out, Marissa Young did a nice job finding open shooters. 

SXU is 20-1 and still ranked third in the NAIA. This very well might be the best Cougar team Head Coach Bob Hallberg has ever had. It seems like we say that every year, but it's true. 

I do not see SXU losing until Jackson, Tennessee. But nothing matters until then. The Cougars have to put together there best games that week in Mid-March. If they do that, they may not lose a game the rest of the way. 

Maroa-Forsyth 60, Clinton 36

Photo: Maroa-Forsyth's Wyatt Washburn (13) and Clinton's Aaron Ennis (25) are about to battle for a rebound during the Trojans' 60-36 victory over the Maroons Tuesday night in Clinton. 

Trojans dominate Maroons

CLINTON - It seems like any time a Clinton sports team has an opportunity to take down their rivals six miles to the south, they simply cannot do it. 

The Maroons lost to the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans, 60-38 Tuesday night in Clinton.

Clinton head coach Shawn Leischner admitted to the Decatur Herald and Review after the game that his team came out and played lackadaisical. Maroa jumped out to a 10-2 lead and held a 17-6 advantage after the first quarter. 

The Trojans led by 10 and halftime and really  put away Clinton in the third quarter, outscoring the Maroons by 10 in the frame. 

The Maroons are most successful when Aaron Ennis has a big game from beyond the arc. He did not have that kind of impact Tuesday as the Maroons hit only one of eleven shots from long distance. 

Wyatt Washburn had 18 points to lead the Trojans, who improve to 2-1 in the Okaw Valley Conference. 

Leischner also admitted that Maroa dominated the game offensively and defensively. 

Both teams are very much improved from last year. But it is apparent that the Trojans have made the greatest strides. 

Clinton should take the approach Lovie Smith did when he took over as head coach of the chicago Bears in 2004. Goal Number 1: Beat Your rival, Goal Number 2: Win conference.

Before the Maroons can put themselves on the list of Okaw contenders, they must defeat Maroa-Forsyth. 

Baltimore blunders aid Colts in win

The Colts beat the Ravens 20-3 last night to qualify for the AFC Championship Game for the third time in seven seasons. They will host the winner of today's New York Jets-San Diego Chargers game next Sunday.
The Indianapolis defense was the star of the day, forcing four turnovers and holding the Ravens to three consecutive three and outs in the first half. The Ravens could only muster a field goal on their first possession and did not score the rest of the way.
The Colts were in control from the outset. Every time Baltimore had an opportunity to sthe shift the momentum, they were hurt by either a penalty or a fumble. The most memorable play of the game will have to be when Ed Reed intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in the third quarter only to have the ball stripped from him by Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon.
Another Reed interception was called back due to a pass interfearance penalty. When Ray Rice had a big run in the fourth quarter for the Ravens, he fumbled the ball and the Colts recovered. Even in the first half, Baltimore had a 60 yard kick return called back for holding. And of course there was the Ray Lewis helmet to helmet hit on Austin Collie near the end of the first half that gave the Colts a first and goal.
Collie caught a touchdown pass from Manning to put the Colts up 10-3 late in the second quarter. After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Colts came back down the field and scored with three seconds remaining on a four yard pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne.
Tired of hearing media criticism that they would be too rusty and unable to win with so much time off, they came out and played one of their best games of the season. The two weeks of practice definitly paid off.
The fun continues. Regardless of who wins today, the Colts will be at home, and that is a very good place for them to be.

Lady Maroons can't find 'O'

CLINTON - Points were hard to come by Thursday night as the Clinton Lady Maroons fell to conference rival Tuscola 41-28. 

Clinton took an early 4-2 lead, but would not lead the rest of the game. The Warriors went on a 7-0 run and led 13-6 after the first. The Lady Maroons' offensive troubles continued in the second, only scoring four Brooklyn Gregory points. 

Most of what plagued the offense was unforced turnovers. Meghan Matthews was not having a great night, nobody was. The Clinton defense forced enough turnovers to give the offense opportunities they never cashed in. 

Gregory led the team in scoring with 13 points. 

With two losses in a row, the Lady Maroons drop to 3-5 in the Okaw Valley. They are still much better than they were a year ago, but they must not be happy with the way things have gone this week.

After a tough loss to Tolono in which they competed for three quarters, the Lady Maroons responded with perhaps their worst game of the year. 

Faced with the first big challenge of the Josh Williams era, the Lady Maroons now much show they are tough enough to rebound from a bad game and have no carryover. 

I think they will be fine. 

Photo: Clinton freshman guard Morgan Hickman had a few nice steals, but was one of a few Lady Maroons that were held out of the scoring column Thursday night. 

Bell shines for Eureka

LINCOLN - By the time I arrived at Wednesday night's college basketball game between Eureka College and Lincoln Christian University at the Laughlin Center, Clinton native Kameron Bell had already put on a show. In front of a number of family members and friends making the short trip to Lincoln, Bell scored 26 points in the first half to give the Red Devils a 52-44 lead at the break.

Bell cooled off in the second half, letting his teammates pull through with a 86-84 nonconference road win. I wish I could have watched the first half because Marty DeJaynes, one of the Clinton residents at the game, said that Kameron was "on fire."

Kameron ended up with 32 points, which is not that much more than what he averages this season. He has a great chance to be named Player of the Year in the SLIAC conference. 

The game itself was a great one to watch, especially in the closing minutes. Eureka's Michael Zasada broke a tie by hitting two of three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt with 4.3 seconds remaining. 

Bell and the Red Devils will look for Eureka's 1,000th win in program history Saturday in Eureka, Illinois. 

Photo: Eureka College's Kameron Bell (44) drives to the hoop past a pair of Lincoln Christian University defenders. 

My ballot for Clinton end of year awards

The voting has ended and the results have been sent off to press. Clintonians will find out tomorrow morning who won the awards for story, team, coach, college player, and athletes of the year. The following is who I would have voted for if my vote counted.

Male Athlete of the Year - Byron Conner.....The most consistent player on the Clinton High School football team, also a state qualifier in the 100 yard dash. I've never met him personally but I've heard nothing but great things about him. Ian DeJaynes is a great athlete as well but I think most of what he did was pre-2009.

Female Athlete of the Year - Meghan Matthews.....Clearly the best all-around female athlete playing in Clinton right now. She has star power in softball and is a leader on the basketball and volleyball courts. I was not surprised she won in a landslide. But I was hoping to see more votes go to Carly Hickman. Hickman broke the CHS shot put record in 2009 and also qualified for the YMCA Nationals as a swimmer. Like Matthews, she excells in multiple sports.

Coach of the Year - Marty DeJaynes.....This is the toughest category for me because I have a great deal of respect for a number of coaches in Clinton and I think a lot of them did a great job in 2009. But I will go with Marty because basketball either my favorite or second to favorite sport. His seventh graders won all eleven Okaw games and were one game away from the state finals. He knows how to get the best of everyone on the court. Having him coach seventh graders, who are just getting accustomed to competing for their school is going to pay off big time for the entire Clinton basketball program. All of the candidates listed in Friday's paper are also deserving of this award.

College Athlete of the Year - Kylie McCulley.....Strictly as an athlete coming from Clinton High School and playing for the University of Illinois, is it wrong to compare Kylie McCulley to Gene Vance? Vance was one of the best players on the famed Whiz Kids teams of the 1940s. Kylie was one of the best volleyball players for the fifth ranked Illini in 2009. She is a phenomenal athlete and great to watch. If their was a professional volleyball league like there is for basketball (WNBA), Kylie would be there. Watching Kameron Bell the other night play for Eureka was fun too. He looked to be the most passionate player on the court when the Red Devils took on Lincoln Christian University Wednesday night.

Story of the Year - Evans and Schumacher win state titles.....Having two state titles in a year would be a great success for Clinton. Carson Schumacher (shot put) and Steven Evans (discus) gave Maroon fans two in one day when the two won IESA state titles in May. A great positive story for the town. I think if the Twin City Dawgs were approved by the Clinton School Board to use the football field, that may have been as big as the two state champions. But the school board, unreasonably, said no. How fun would it have been to spend Saturday nights in the summer watching semi-pro football just blocks from your home?

Team of the Year - Freshman Volleyball.......I'm not comfortable voting against the Seventh Grade Girls Basketball. I enjoyed watching Marty's group of Lady Maroons dominate Okaw competition and I became a big fan by the end of the season. Admittadly, I only went to see one freshman volleyball game this year. But 15-0? Perfect? How could they not be the best Clinton team this year? Zero losses, as in Mercury Morris' neighborhood.

Brown, Meridian outlast Trojans

MAROA - Tuesday night was a career-day for Meridian's Caleb Brown. 

Brown, who had only scored 36 points all season, poured in a game-high 26 points for the Hawks as they defeated host Maroa-Forsyth (8-4, 1-1) 62-47. 

"Caleb Brown did a tremendous job moving," Maroa-Forsyth head coach Chad Cluver said. "He did a nice job off the ball and getting to the basket. We didn't do well enough getting a body on him and boxing him out."

Brown posed problems all night for the Maroa-Forsyth defense, a squad that is not used to giving up more than 50 points a game. 

"We don't ever want anyone on an opposing team to get 20 points, and that's not what happened last night," Cluver said. 

Blake Stelzreide started things off well for the Trojans, who held an 11-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Stelzreide scored the team's first seven points and ended up with 20 the whole game. 

"This is something we kind of expect from Blake," Cluver said. "He has a great pull up jump shot and has worked on his outside shot. He handles the ball extremely well and knows how to finish.

"He had a good game. I thought he did fine offensively, but all of us could have done a better job defensively."

The third quarter was particularly tough on the Trojans. Trailing by only three (26-23) at halftime, Maroa was outscored 23-9 in the period. 

"Our goal is to win every quarter, regardless of what happened before," Cluver said. "We especially put an emphasis on playing well in the third quarter, but we did not Tuesday night."

Most of the Trojans offense came on jump shots and three-pointers. Center Jordan Moore was held in check most of the game, only scoring two points and bringing down a pair of rebounds. 

"He doesn't have to have a huge game, but he has to touch the ball more," Cluver said. "He needs to be more active on the glass and we need to do a better job trying to get him the ball."

Defensive struggles and being outrebounded 38-22 in the game is what Cluver cited as reasons for the loss. 

Wyatt Washburn added nine points and Austin Jackson tallied eight for the Trojans. 

The loss was the first in conference for the Trojans this year. 

"The bottom line is that they were more physical than us and played better than us," Cluver said. "We need to work on being more mentally tough and playing our best basketball on a given night."

The Trojans will try to rebound Friday night with a home conference game against Shelbyville.

"We've got to get better every night, no matter if the team your playing is in the top echelon or not," Cluver said. "Shelbyville does a great job preparing and we will have a tough time Friday night."

Although Tuesday was far from their best effort of the season, Cluver is pleased with the progression of this team so far. This may be one of the more balanced teams Cluver has had. There is no 20-point scorer on this team like he had when Robo Kreps and Jordan Zelhart were suiting up for the Trojans. 

This team is much better than last year's version. They just need more consistency on defense and a more all-around offensive game. 

Photo: Maroa-Forsyth's Bo Banning (5) attempts to save the ball from going out of bounds. 

Eventful day in sports

In February, we can only hope for as much sports news in a week as we have had over the last 48 hours. The big story, of course, is Mark McGwire's confession that he used steriods on and off through the 1990s, including 1998.
No one is surprised about McGwire's confession, so I don't really see why people are calling him out now. He has nothing to gain from confessing now. A lot of people (Jose Canseco and Pete Rose) confess to things only to sell a book, at least McGwire isn't doing that.
But he did cheat America in 1998. His record captured the hearts of everyone. Even Cub fans were rooting for McGwire as well as Sosa to break Maris' record. It seems like a large percentage of major leagers during the 90s were using steroids and McGwire is no more guilty than any one of them.
But is was the social significance. No one cares about a fringe player using steroids. McGwire was a great hitter. That, coupled with the drugs, gave fans across the country a skewed record. Forgive McGwire, but give Maris his record back.
The day would usually be filled with talk of the NFL playoffs, especially since the Packers-Cardinals game was such a classic Sunday afternoon. I felt bad that a face-mask call that should have been made proved to be the conclusion of such a great game. I was rooting for the Cardinals, but I also felt bad that Aaron Rodgers had a great game just to see it end with him being the goat.
Greg Maddux is back on the north side for his third stint with the Cubs. This time he returns as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. If it weren't for the McGwire story, this would dominate the radiowaves in Chicago. In Chicago, Maddux will always be rememered as one of many athletes who began their pro career here only to see it flourish somewhere else.
D'Wayne Wade injured his hand today in the Miami Heat loss to the Utah Jazz. He came back in the game but wasn't effective. I hope this doesn't hurt my fantasy team. I've always been a fan of Wade because he played high school basketball in Oak Lawn, IL; my home town.
Pete Carroll is officially headed to Seattle. This guy has made little sense to me over the last few years. Even for an NCAA coach, Carroll has had a fair share of inconsistent statements. First he criticizes Mark Sanchez for leaving USC for the NFL, saying that history says it's noth the right choice, but then he does the same thing? The precedent for a college coach entering the NFL is much worse than that of a quarterback.
So Tony Dungy was asked by the Seahawks to be their team president a few weeks ago? He turned the offer down. I'd like to see him get back into the NFL some day. Unless he comes back with the Steelers, aor Chargers; I would root for him any time he isn't going up against the Colts.
Back to local sports Tuesday. Tonight I will either be at a wrestling tournament in Normal or at the Meridian-Maroa Forsyth boys basketball game.

Planning trips for 2010

Watching the Weather Channel with my mother this afternoon just wet my appetite for traveling and planning trips. It seems like each time I watch the Food Network or the Travel Channel or see a feature on another part of the country on the Weather Channel, I feel like having an adventure.
So I took a few minutes to think over where I may go in 2010. I have been a consistent traveler since 1992, but have only been planning trips since 2007. I've been to a lot of places over the last two and a half years and even though nothing is in motion yet for 2010, I'm sure I will find my way to interesting places I've never been before.
My main goal for 2010 is to visit Texas for the first time in my life. I'm thinking of a week and a half long trip from Chicago to Houston and back. On the way there, I would stop in Memphis, TN and see Graceland because I am a huge Elvis fan. I would also stop in Dallas, TX and go to a Texas Rangers game and hopefully a Dallas Cowboys preseason game. I hear the new Cowboys Stadium is suppose to be the best in the NFL. I hope to get a chance to find out if it's better than Lucas Oil Stadium. In Houston, I'm looking forward to going to Galveston and seeing the Gulf of Mexico as well as, od course, a Houston Astros game.
On the way back, I will come back through Louisiana and Mississippi because I want to see as many areas of the country as possible.
I also want to take a few short trips as well. But not sure about the destinations.

Snowy week means less sports

9 1/2 inches of snow fell on Central Illinois Wednesday and Thursday. For many, it meant a day off from school or work. For others, it meant a tougher time getting to work.
For me, it meant less live sporting events to keep track of for the week. The weather came at an inoppotrune time for the world of high school basketball since the teams already had two weeks off for the holidays.
The week began well, with the Maroons boys basketball squad defeating Warrensburg-Latham for the first time in years Tuesday night. Aaron Ennis was deadly from beyond-the-arc. He hit six three-pointers for 25 points. Clinton won by two. It looks like the Maroons have a bright future ahead of them. They just need to give themselves more possessions and be more consistent on defense.
Nothing was on tap for either Clinton or Maroa-Forsyth on Wednesday, and all events were cancelled Thursday and Friday.
My Friday night plan was originally to cover the Maroa-Forsyth boys basketball game against Tolono-Unity. I have been reading good things about the Trojans early on and was looking forward to seeing them in person. I hope I can make it out to their next home game. Chad Cluver is a good coach and a great guy. I hope to see much improvement from them.
At least the weekend will be exciting with the NFL Wildcard games beginning in a couple hours. I'll be watching to see who the Colts play next Saturday night.
Hopefully next week will be more eventful on the sports front in Central Illinois. I'll update everyone on the blog next Saturday.

Maroons win Okaw opener

Despite a number of turnovers and defensive lapses, the Clinton Maroons came out of Tuesday night's Okaw Valley opener against Warrensburg-Latham with a 63-62 win. 

Aaron Ennis had 25 points, including six three-point baskets to propel the Maroons, who won at home for the first time this season. No one else scored in double figures for Clinton. 

The Maroons let W-L beat them with three-pointers early on as the Cardinals led 15-8 after the first and 31-26 at halftime. 

but the third quarter was a shootout and Clinton did most of the scoring. The Maroons then withstood a late, fourth quarter Cardinal run to hold on to the narrow victory. 

The team has a lot of hard working players. I was impressed with Alex Jette in his first start and Chris Webb had a solid outing off the bench. 

But the night belonged to Ennis. He has the best skill set on this team. His range gives them a shot in any game as long as they are within striking distance. 

Like the Clinton girls team, this group is improving and already have more wins this year than last. They just need more consistent players and have a set starting lineup. 

The Maroons visit Shelbyville Friday night with a legitimate shot at beginning conference play with a 2-0 record. The Rams were the victim of two of the three Maroon victories from 2008-09.

Photo: Clinton's CJ Bundy (5) passes around an unidentified Warrensburg-Latham defender. 

NFL Power Rankings - Week 17

1. Indianapolis Colts; 2. San Diego Chargers; 3. New Orleans Saints; 4. Minnesota Vikings; 5. Dallas Cowboys; 6. Green Bay Packers; 7. New England Patriots; 8. Philadelphia Eagles; 9. Cincinnati Bengals; 10. Arizona Cardinals; 11. Baltimore Ravens; 12. New York Jets; 13. Houston Texans; 14. Pittsburgh Steelers; 15. Tennessee Titans; 16. Atlanta Falcons; 17. Miami Dolphins; 18. Carolina Panthers; 19. Denver Broncos; 20. San Francisco 49ers; 21. New York Giants; 22. Jacksonville Jaguars; 23. Chicago Bears; 24. Buffalo Bills; 25. Cleveland Browns; 26. Oakland Raiders; 27. Seattle Seahawks; 28. Kansas City Chiefs; 29. Washington Redskins; 30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 31. Detroit Lions; 32. St. Louis Rams

Colts loss ugly, on to playoffs

It wasn't fun watching the Colts' 30-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on the television at Bourbon Street Sunday. I'm sure it was even less fun for the Colts.
The game had little meaning - since the Colts' blew their shot at a 16-0 regular season the week before when they rested the starters in the third quarter against the Jets. After seeing the conditions they had to play in Buffalo, it may have turned out to be the right decision after all. It wasn't, but having to play full throttle in a Buffalo blizzard with nothing seeding-wise on the line would have been dangerous.
The Colts had one good drive the entire game - when Donald Brown capped off a drive that was almost exclusively short passes to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark with a one-yard touchdown run.
Peyton Manning stayed in the game long enough to get Wayne and Clark each 100 receptions on the season. Clark becomes the first tight end in NFL history to catch 100 during a season.
Curtis Painter looked just as bad as he did last week. The defense had no answer for Fred Jackson, who had 212 rushing yards by the time the Colts escaped the game they had even less intention of winning than the week before.
While heading into the playoffs on a two-game slide certainly is not ideal, the Colts should be healthy a week and a half from now when they host the Ravens, Bengals or Jets. Regardless of the outcomes this weekend, the Colts will be playing a good team that has momentum coming off a big playoff win.
For now, it's a bye week for the Colts. I'm looking forward to this weekend's match-ups and hoping the Colts get a good draw.

Illini fall to Gonzaga at UC

Overtime was not as nice for the Illini Saturday. 

Coming off a come-from-behind win over Northwestern, the Fighting Illini found themselves on the wrong end of their second overtime affair in as many games.

 Gonzaga's Steven Gray (20 points) and Elias Harris (19 points, 16 rebounds) were too tough for the Fighting Illini, who fell 85-83 in overtime in front of a packed United Center crowd in Chicago. 

"It's a big win considering who we beat and all the traveling we have done lately," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. 

The Illini's downfall all season thus far has been their slow starts. Saturday was no different. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first four minutes. Gonzaga dominated much of the first half, but only head a 43-35 advantage at halftime. 

The Illini battled back in the second half, just like the did against Northwestern. A three-pointer made by Dominique Keller with nine seconds to go sent the contest into overtime. 

Keller had a major bounce back game, leading the Illini with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting. 

The Illini took an early lead in overtime, but fell behind 85-83 when Brandon Paul's last second three-point shot at a win was missed. 

Mike Davis had a slow start, but progressed through the game, posting 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini (9-5). 

Mike Tisdale followed up what may have been the best game in his career with a modest four points in 11 minutes. The junior center also fouled out with minutes to go in regulation. 

Bruce Weber said it was one of the toughest defeats in his career. His team trailed by as much as 21, came from behind to take as much as an eight point lead, only the lose the game in overtime. And just when it looked like they were getting back on track. 

Jeff Jordan saw more playing time than he normally would, playing in the house that his father built. Jordan only had two points, but received a standing ovation following the basket he made.

Although Keller and Davis played well, it is going to take more of a team effort for the Illini to contend in the Big Ten. D.J. Richardson and Mike Tisdale need to play more consistent. 

"We're 1-0 in the Big Ten and looking forward to playing the University of Iowa," Weber said. 

The Illini host the Hawkeyes tonight (January 5) at Assembly Hall in Champaign. 

Photo: Illinois guard Brandon Paul (3) looks to pass around Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin (15) during the Bulldogs' 85-83 victory over the Fighting Illini at the United Center Saturday.