Sixth inning propels Lady Maroons

CLINTON - Two outs? No problem for the Clinton Lady Maroons. The Lady Maroons scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning tonight to pull ahead of Hartsburg-Emden, and held on to win their second game of the season, 9-5.

Tied at five with two out in the bottom of the sixth, Alicia Mitchell hit the go-ahead RBI single that scored Emma Donnelly. Freshman Morgan Hickman then hit a two-run double that scored Mitchell and Emily Kroeger, and Hickman herself scored the final run of the game on a Lacey Lord single. A few Hartsburg-Emden defensive mishaps aided the Lady Maroons, who will play Fisher tomorrow evening in what will be their third game in as many days.

"It was a good team win," Clinton head coach Emily Starkey said. "They are getting better and taking steps forward everyday."

Bailey Walker started on the mound for Clinton and struck out eight batters. Meghan Matthews came in relief of Bailey in the fifth inning to get the win.

"Bailey started the game well for us and Meghan finished it off nicely," Starkey said.

Matthews began the game in the outfield, which was one of a few defensive changes Starkey made prior to the game.

"We switched things around to tighten our defense and it worked, the girls all did a nice job," Starkey said.

Emma Donnelly and Lacey Lord each had three hits and two RBI to lead the Lady Maroons offensively. Morgan Hickman also had two RBI for Clinton (2-4).

Photo: Clinton hurler Meghan Matthews (3) got the win in relief for the Lady Maroons Tuesday night against Hartsburg-Emden.

The Perfect Tournament?

The latest issue of Sports Illustrated proclaimed this year's NCAA Men's Basketball tournament the "perfect tournament." In many ways, they are right on.
Start with the Butler story. Playing their home games in the same building that filmed the epic upset movie "Hoosiers," the Bulldogs became only the second "mid-major" team to make it to the Final Four this decade. Butler has always been one of the top mid-major programs in the country, sometimes referred to as the "Gonzaga of the Midwest." Well in 2010, the Bulldogs are going to where Gonzaga never could - the Final Four, in their home city.
It's rare that the Final Four has a home team. Illinois had a lot of fans in St. Louis and 2005 and Michigan State was surely the fan favorite last year in Detroit. But Butler, a mid-major, will be playing next weekend a mere six miles from their campus. In the best college basketball town in the country, too. That story alone makes the Final Four intriguing.
But where there is an underdog, their is always a favorite. While Butler may be the ultimate underdog this weekend, Duke, college basketball's ultimate favorite will look for their fourth title this weekend. A Butler-Duke match up would be an epic ending to a great tournament.
Michigan State and West Virginia may have something to say about that. Great stories in their own right. The Spartans are making their sixth Final Four trip in 12 years and West Virginia looks for their first title game appearance since 1959.
But back to what has already happened.
Short of a 16 seed beating a 1, this was the perfect tournament. We saw Villanova struggle against 15 seed Robert Morris before being ousted by the Cinderella St. Mary's Gales. If Butler hadn't made the Final Four, this year's story would be Cornell, an Ivy League team making their first tourney appearance advancing to the Sweet 16. Nothing says Cinderella like an Ivy League team.
The number one overall seed, Kansas, lost to another mid major Northern Iowa. Who would have thought that the three best teams all season, Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse, would all be gone before the Final Four?
We had great finishes too. Murray State, yes, another Cinderella, beat fourth seeded Vanderbilt with a three-pointer at the buzzer. Two days later, they nearly knocked off Butler. The lead in the Michigan State-Maryland second round game changed hands three times in the final second. Had MSU not made their three-pointer at the buzzer, it very well could have been the Terrapins making their third Final Four trip this weekend.
ESPN front runners questioned how good this torunament would be without the likes of North Carolina, UCONN and Arizona. The answer? The best ever.

Classy/Unclassy

Both the winners of this week's Classiest and Unclassiest person of the week award come from the world of college sports.

Classy: Frank Martin - The classiest comment of the week had to come from Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin, who said as much as it hurts to lose in the Elite Eight, it is going to be pretty fun for Butler the next week and the city of Indianapolis "having one of their own there." Coming off a tough loss in the biggest game in school history, Martin should not have been thinking of anything other than the loss. While many coaches would have ignored a question like that, Martin was classy enough to recognize the "feel good, Cinderella" story Butler represents.
Unclassy: Urban Meyer - University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer threatened to ban and fight an Orlando Sentinel reporter because of a quote from a Florida player critical of Tim Tebow was published in his article. If the player actually said that, he has every right to print it. Urban was way out of line. If anything, Meyer should have been upset with the player for being dumb enough to criticize a QB that only lost two games in as many years as a starter. I guess the time off did not do much for Meyer's stress level. He is turning out to be a bigger jerk every time he makes the news.

Illini split NIT home games

CHAMPAIGN - Perhaps as the best team not to make it to the NCAA Tournament, the Illinois Fighting Illini were considered a favorite to at least advance to the NIT semifinals in New York City next week. After wins at Stony Brook and against Kent State, the Illini looked poised to salvage an otherwise disappointing season with an NIT final four appearance.

But arriving at the Assembly Hall Wednesday night were the Dayton Flyers, who lived up to their nickname and aired out a 77-71 victory over the top seeded Illini. 

A D.J. Richardson three opened the game for the Illini, but an 8-0 Dayton run immediately followed, and the Illini never saw the lead again. 

Dayton opened their first offense possession with a powering dunk, but went run and gun style most of the way. The Flyers hit half their shots from beyond the arc (6-for-12) in the first half, opening up a 38-25 halftime lead. 

Illinois had come back from deficits like this all year. But Dayton looked like the more determined team and Illinois seemed to struggle with their up tempo pace. 

"They (Dayton) caused us some problems in the first half," Illinois guard Demetri McCamey said. "We dug ourselves a big hole and it is tough to come back when you are down by 15+ points."

McCamey had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead the Illini, who conclude the 2009-2010 campaign with a 21-15 record.  

"Dayton did well in transition. You can't give up that many points in transition to a team like that," McCamey said. 

The Flyers continued to control the game in the second, but Illinois hung in there and forced the Flyers to make free thrown down the stretch to secure the win. A three-pointer by Bill Cole brought the Illini to within six with a minute and a half remaining and a Mike Davis jumper cut the deficit to five with 29 seconds to go, but Chris Johnson and Paul Williams of Dayton both hit clutch free throws, sealing the Flyers' berth in the semifinals. 

"Their style, quickness and athleticism got to us early," Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. "They were much more on their toes than we were."

Tyler Griffey came off the bench to have a nice game, netting 11 points for Illinois. Griffey will be one of the Illini returners for 2010-2011 that hopes to use Wednesday's loss as motivation.

"It was alearning experience for me this year," Griffey said. "It is great to be apart of the Illini family and this loss should just make us hungrier for next year."

The Illini defeated Kent State Monday evening to advance to the Elite Eight of the NIT. The Illini and Golden Flashes were evened at halftime before Mike Tisdale, Davis and McCamey pulled away from them in the second half.

"All three juniors are going to step it up and put time in the offseason if we are going to be successful," Weber said. 

Weber also discussed the possibility of McCamey entering the NBA Draft. 

"I hope Demeteri does play at the next level but I hope that will not happen until next year," he said. "He is going to get advice and if he would be a first round pick, we will help him get ready for that."

The Illini should be better next year. Assuming McCamey returns, the team will still have all but one player from this year's team that saw significant minutes.  

Photos: Top: Illinois senior Dominique Keller (23) chases after a loose ball during the Illini win over Kent State Monday.

Bottom: Illinois freshman guard D.J. Richardson drives the lane against Dayton. 

 

Another heartbreaking end for SXU

Another SXU Women's Basketball team with a shot at a national championship, another heartbreaking loss to a team not as good in the most important game of the year. 

The SXU Cougars women's basketball team completed their memorable 2009-2010 campaign with a tough loss, a 73-69 loss to seventh ranked and second seeded Azusa Pacific. Widely picked as either the favorite or co-favorite to win this year's national championship, this loss stings more than any in the program's 10-year history. Only the 2007 second round loss to Lambuth could even compare. 

The Cougars have been a solid program since they began play in 2000 thanks to the expert coaching and recruiting by Bob Hallberg and his staff. The team has won either the CCAC regular season or tournament championship in nine of the ten seasons. They have beaten the number one team in the country twice, qualified for the nationals eight years in a row and produced numerous All-Americans.

But not until this year did the Cougars reach the Elite Eight. Out of all of the great Cougar teams in the past decade, this year's squad was the best. The personnel, as well as the record, proved that. SXU had an impressive 27-1 regular season mark and finished the season with a 31-2 overall record. No other Cougar team had an experienced trio of Erin Hannemann, Kathlyn McClain and Alex Barone coupled with a tough Sholanda Young and an emerging Marissa Young. 

This team could have gone all the way. No doubt they had the talent to. But for the fourth year in a row, SXU was eliminated by a team seeded lower than them. They didn't play horrible against Azusa, only losing by four points. But at the NAIA Tournament level, you have to playt your best every game. They didn't have their best game Saturday night and that is what did them in. 

Because of the graduation of Hannemann and McClain, 2010 will always be a "what could have been" year. But I am fully confident SXU will contend for a national title in the near future. I wouldn't even count them out next year. 

Barone returns as the team's glue at point guard. Marquita Smith improved all year and was outstanding in Jackson last week. As long as the Cougars have a good rebuilding class, as they always do, they will be fine. They will win the CCAC easily again. But the only thing left for them to accomplish is a national championship or at least a title game appearance. 

Hallberg believes his team will be back too. "We are not interested in rebuilding, we are interested in reloading," he told the WXAV radio crew following Saturday's loss.

The Cougars will reload and they will still be a fun crew to watch despite the losses of Hannemann and McClain. 

The loss of Hannemann will be extremely tough to combat. She is one of the three best players in SXU history and arguably better than SXU Hall of Famer Mary Cain and soon to be hall of famer Candis Jackson, who I would rank as the two best prior to Hannemann. 

Despite the frustrating end, SXU had a banner year. 31-2 is an incredible mark put forth by an incredible team. 

Lady Maroons rough opener

CLINTON - The post-Shelbi Rentmeister era began on a sour note for the Clinton Lady Maroons Friday night. Five fourth inning runs by the Heyworth Hornets proved to be too much for Clinton, a team that hadn't lost an opener since 2006.
Abby Van Winkle and Emily Lyons combined for five RBI on two hits in the third inning that broke open a 2-1 game. A Dakota Springer RBI single in the fifth gave Heyworth their eighth and final run of an 8-1 victory.
Clinton's lone run came in the first when leadoff hitter and starting pitcher Meghan Matthews scored on a single from Ashley Toberman.
Matthews did well on the mound in her first career varsity start as a pitcher. A disastrous fourth inning spoiled outing. Meghan worked herself out of a pair of jams in the third and fifth innings.
Clinton head coach Emily Starkey said that while the team's infield will stay pretty much the same throughout the year, the outfield will be a rotation until they are confident with what they have.
With the losses of Rentmeister, Casey Barretts and Kristen Wherry, this team may take a few games to gel. But Starkey is confident the team will pick it up as the season progresses.
I agree. The team still has experienced talent in Matthews, Rachel Austin and Emma Donnelly. But what they have now that they haven't in a few years is potentially a star-studded freshman class. Morgan Hickman started at second base Friday and probably will for the next four years. Bailey Walker hopes to fit in well as the team's number two pitcher before taking over as the ace in 2011.

Photo: Clinton outfielder Alicia Mitchell runs the bases during the Lady Maroons' 8-1 loss to Heyworth Friday evening in Clinton. 

Indianapolis: More than just sports

The reason I like Indianapolis more than any other "mid-major" city in America is that it is first and formost a sports town. The capital city of Indiana hosts the Indianapolis 500 in May, the largest single day sporting event in the country. In addition to having the best single day sporting event, the town is all home to the best team in the best sport, the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. The town is painted blue every Sunday during football season. Over the last 12 years, this basketball hotbed has turned into a football town. Indy is home to mid-major college programs such as Butler and IUPUI and also professional teams like the NBA's Pacers, IHL's Ice and the minor league Indians. In addition to hosting the Big Ten Tournament on a yearly basis, Indianapolis is on a six-year rotation to host the NCAA Final Four. In 2012, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts' new home field, will be home to Super Bowl XLVI.

Much of the time, Indianapolis' tourism is sports-based. I made my 20th visit to the city last weekend to see the Illini play in the Big Ten Tournament. Unlike the previous 19 trips to the city, I wanted to make an attempt to see what the city had to offer outside of sports.

Following the Illini's impressive win over Wisconsin, my father and I walked over to the Indiana Convention Center and then over to the Canal Walk.

The canal walk is not far from downtown and convenient for anyone who would like to get a quick view of the museums, public art and historic landmarks. It reminded me of the Amstel Light commercial where scenes from Amsterdam were used as background shots. It was so quiet, you would never know you were near the downtown area of a major U.S. city.

One of the spots on the walk I wanted to hit was the USS Indianapolis memorial. The USS Indianapolis was the final United States ship to be sunk during World War II. It's not as big as I thought it would be, tucked away in a corner next to the canal. But I liked it, it provides information on the ship and is a good tribute to one of the final events of the War. Any history buff that visits Indianapolis should definitely make a trip there.

No big city in the midwest is better for a family visit. I had a chance to visit the nation's only accredited combined zoo, aquarium and botanical garden Saturday morning. Although the animal viewing experience would be a lot better in the summer, I enjoyed my visit. THey have a fun Dolphin show to attend in the Dolphin Dome. Sea creatures, bears, flamingos, elephants, giraffes. A lot of things to see at the zoo and they aren't far from each other either.

Families also enjoy the Indianapolis Children's Museum, the largest in the world.

The most recognizeable Indianapolis landmark is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Monument Circle. This monument is not much smaller than the Statue of Liberty and has stood as Indiana's centerpiece since 1902. The town is also fun for church lovers, with a number of tall structures not far from the Circle.

While New York and Chicago are known for their junk food like hot dogs and pizza, Indianapolis is known for a classier food, their steaks. If you are looking for a fancy, expensive dining experience, you will have plenty to choose from in downtown Indianapolis. One day I will have to set aside some extra money to dine at St. Elmo's Steakhouse on Meridian Street. Some have said that is the best place for a steak in the country.

New York is the city that never sleeps. Conversely, Indianapolis is known as "nap town." It is often quiet downtown, but there is plenty to look at and do at the right hour. The best part of the town is its big city feel with the friendliness of a small town.

Photo: The USS Indianapolis memorial sits alongside the Central Canal in Indianapolis. It commemorates the people that died in 1945, when it became the last American ship to be sunk in World War II.

Illini hang on against Badgers

INDIANAPOLIS - Leading through the entire game, the Illinois Fighting Illini avenged last Sunday's loss to the Wisconsin Badgers by knocking them out of the Big Ten Tournament, 58-54 Friday in Indianapolis.
Although a win wouldn't guarantee the Illini a berth in the NCAA Field of 65, a loss would all but leave them out.
Illinois came out with an edge, but Wisconsin's struggles from the field were also much of the reason the Illini jumped to a 7-0 lead and a 29-18 advantage with two minutes remaining in the half. Illinois was held scoreless the final two minutes, but Wisconsin could only muster a pair of free throws themselves.
The Badgers struggles continued. They went scoreless through the first four and a half minutes of the second half. Illinois built a 34-20 lead with 15:58 remaining and led 41-26 with 11:10 to go.
A D.J. Richardson three pointer gave the Illini their largest lead, 46-30, with 6:31. But the Illini would still have to sweat out the narrow victory.
Trevon Hughes connected on a few huge three point attempts and the Badgers were making a timely comeback. A Hughes trey cut the Badger deficit to 54-51 with 38.1 seconds to go.
Wisconsin had a shot to tie the game at the end, but a three pointer fell short with less than 10 seconds on the clock.
Mike Tisdale led Illinois with 19 points.
The Illini were eliminated in the Big Ten semifinals the following day, losing to top seeded Ohio State in double overtime.

Turner's classic shot lifts OSU

INDIANAPOLIS - One of the most exciting basketball finishes I've ever seen ocurred Friday March 12 during the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
With 2.2 seconds to play and his team down by two points with the length of the court to go and no timeouts, Ohio State star Evan Turner launched the game-winning three point shot just shy of the half court line. The shot went in just as time expired, and could have put a heartbreaking end to an already tough season for the Michigan Wolverines, 69-68.
The Wolverines had erased multiple 10-point deficits and took their final lead at 68-66 on a Manny Harris jumper with just over two seconds to play. Harris led Michigan with 26 points. He hit a few key three-shots down the stretch.
The game was fitting for both teams. All year, Turner has found ways to win games for the Buckeyes, while the Wolverines fell to 1-7 in games decided by five points or less.

Clinton troop returns home

CLINTON - Clinton native and United States Air Force member James LoPresto returned to his home town this week and was greeted with a reception Wednesday night at American Legion Post 103. James, center, stands with his parents, James LoPresto, Sr. and Cheryl LoPresto. 

LoPresto, a former Eagle Scout, served ten months in Iraq. 

Sad day for Colts

The happiest moment in Indianapolis Colts history was without a doubt Marlin Jackson's interception of Tom Brady in the final minute of the 2006 AFC Championship Game. The play had cemented the Colts as conference champions for the first time and ended the Colts' recent playoff struggles against the New England Patriots.
Colts fans will always remember and love Marlin Jackson for that play that gave the city so much joy. But Jackson will no longer be suiting up for the Colts, in fact, in 2010, he will suit up against them when the Colts visit the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson signed a contract with the Eagles today and will most likely play safety for the team.
Although injury prone, Jackson was always effective when he was in the game for the Colts. He always seemed to make the key play at the right time, none more important that the prolific pick in the AFC title game. Still as the only Indianapolis Colts team to win a Super Bowl, the 2006 season was special. And Jackson's INT was the defining moment of that season.
The man who will always be known as Peyton Manning's backup has left Indy as well today. Instead of backing up Peyton, Jim Sorgi will backup Eli, as he signed with the New York Giants today. It will be strange not to see Sorgi on the sidelines and throughout preseason.
One thing is for sure, the Colts will need to sign another quarterback. As reliable as Peyton has been, Curtis Painter is not going to cut it if he is asked to play any meaningful time.
Two recognizable faces in Indy Colts history are gone in one day. Not to mention Raheem Brock, Freddy Keiaho and Ryan Lilja who were all released this week.
Things are changing for the Colts. But they always do. I hope things work out for them just like they have in the past. They have been the one team that has been able to plug in the pieces and replace players on a yearly basis.
The offensive line are the secondary are going to be the key areas the team should look at in the draft this April. Because of all the departures, this year's draft is going to be as important as ever.

Illini can't gain momentum

CHAMPAIGN - With one last chance before the Big 10 Tournament  to add a quality win to their NCAA Tournament resume, the Illini came up short. It seems like this team is either focused or distracted. Lately, the latter has been true more than the former. 

The Illini could not get much going in their 72-57 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday at Assembly Hall. The Badgers led from the outset.

Illinois began to put together one of their second half comebacks, but the closest they came was within six. 

Mike Tisdale (16 points) and Bill Cole (14) led the Illini in scoring. 

Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor had 20 points for the Badgers and was praised after the game by head coach Bo Ryan. 

"He plays with great heart," Ryan said. 

The difference between Saturday's game and the early season affair where the Illini stunned the Badgers on their home floor was just Wisconsin's shooting. Their two leading scorers went 0-for-15 in the other game and they only lost by six. 

When Wisconsin shoots well, they will win. If not, they just open the door. 

The Badgers are the better team and that should continue as the two hook up Friday in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. 

Illinois needs a win to have a chance at the NCAA Tournament, but it does not look like they will get it. Losses to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State in the last week of the season has seemed to demoralize this bunch. I hope I'm wrong, but the team doesn't look like they are coming together. 

The only positive from Sunday's blowout loss was that seniors Dominique Keller, Richard Semrau and Bubba Chisholm were able to play in the game's final minute. 

Photo: Illinois forward Mike Tisdale (54) posts up against Wisconsin's Jon Leuer (30) during the Illini's loss to the Badgers Sunday. 

Saint Xavier sweeps the CCAC

CHICAGO - I've either seen or heard some of the greatest moments in Saint Xavier sports history over the last seven years. As many big wins as the school has had in that span, never had both the men's and women's basketball teams won the CCAC Tournament in the same year. In fact, the men haven't won it at all in the last seven years. 

But that all changed Saturday, March 6 when both Cougar teams received automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament. 

The Saint Xavier women's team and Olivet Nazarene hooked up at the Shannon Center early in the day for what seems like a yearly CCAC title game match-up. 

One thing that is certain before every SXU-Olivet game is that it will be fast-paced and high scoring. That is all Olivet knows, and time and time again, SXU proves that they know it too. 

The Lady Tigers play a fast-paced game, running down the court and seemingly taking a three-point attempt every time they have the ball. They waste little time in their possessions whether it works or not. Every minute or so, coach Doug Porter will substitute five new players into the lineup. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But it's fun to watch every time. 

Seeing the way the Tigers play more than 10 times in the last four years, SXU seniors Angie Bush and Erin Hannemann seemed to have a plan of attack. Angie would keep up with them from the perimeter in the first half, and Erin would beat them up down low in the second half. 

The result was a career-high 33 points for Bush in her final game at the Shannon Center. 22 of the 33 came in the first half, leading the Cougars to a 53-46 lead at the break. 

Olivet opened the second half on a 10-0 run to take a lead and upped the margin to six with 15:57 to play. But Erin Hannemann took over the rest of the way. The Cougars captured a 103-96 win over their rivals from Bourbonnais.

Hannemann netted 26 points and brought down 12 rebounds in the final game of a fantastic career. Her bucket with 2:40 to go gave the team an eight point lead and all but ended it for the Tigers. 

Hannemann was named the CCAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season following the game. Sholanda Young had a record setting day for the team, dishing out a program all-time best 13 assists. 

ONU did well from beyond the arc, which kept them in the game. But SXU was just too good. 

It seems like we say this every year, but this really is the best SXU team ever. At 29-1, the Cougars could very well have been undefeated if it weren't for an injury to Kathlyn McClain in January. 

Ranked second in the country (should be first), the Cougars are a legitimate national title contender. In fact, anything less would be a disappointment. They have never won more than one game in Jackson, but this year will be their best chance to do something special.

Often overshadowed by the women's team, the SXU men's basketball team punched their ticket to the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City with a 92-90 overtime upset win over Robert Morris University at the Gentile Center. It had been the first time since RMU's move to the CCAC that the Cougars won there. 

It was a must win for SXU, who would not have made the tourney without the automatic bid. Senior Julian Scott has had an up and down career for the Cougars, but made sure it would not end Saturday, scoring eight of his team-leading 18 points in the overtime period. 

Roosevelt Green hit a last-second shot for SXU in their semifinal upset win over Olivet Nazarene. It's good to see this group come together at the right time. 

Good luck to both Cougar teams at the national tournament. 

Photo: SXU forward Erin Hannemann starred for the Cougars in their 103-96 win over the Olivet Nazarene Tigers Saturday to capture the CCAC Championship. 

Hillcrest hangs on; advances to title

NORMAL - Shooting 37 percent from the field, losing the rebounding game and making only four of 17 free throw attempts is hardly the way Hillcrest mapped out a victory in the IHSA Class 3A Girls Basketball state semifinal against Oswego. But despite their imperfections, at no point did it look like the Hawks would lose this game. The Hawks broke away from a 7-7 tie at the end of the first quarter to eliminate the Panthers, 54-45. 

In a game filled with mistakes, Hillcrest's Yolanda De La Torre showed why she was the clutchest player on the court. De La Torre hit nine of her 13 shot attempts for a team-high 18 points. She grabbed eight rebounds as well. 

The first quarter had the feel of a heavyweight battle. Neither team lit up the scoreboard, but a close game was expected since the two state semifinalists had only five combined losses up to this point. 

But the better team proved themselves in the second. The Hawks outscored Oswego 20-7 in the frame, taking advantage of multiple Panther turnovers. 

What looked to be a possible blowout became somewhat interesting as Oswego outscored Hillcrest 20-15 in the third quarter. 

The game became more interesting as Oswego continued their gradual comeback into the fourth quarter. The Panthers cut their deficit to five points at 43-38 with just over three minutes remaining on a Paige harmon basket and foul. Harmon missed the free throw. 

But before she got to the line to complete the possible three-point play, Oswego head coach Chad Pohlmann called a timeout, in effect icing his own shooter and ending the momentum his team had built up leading to that point. 

Hillcrest missed a number of free throws down the stretch, keeping Oswego in the game. But the Panthers could never take advantage, turning the ball over in key situations.

A steal and lay-up drive by Hillcrest's Uniquah Hampton with 1 minute, 46 seconds remaining gave the Hawks an eight-point lead and all but ended the competitive portion of the contest. 

It may not have been their best game of the season, but the loud Hillcrest crowd that was on hand will take it. They will meet up with Lombard (Montini) in the 3A state championship game Saturday at 2 p.m. 

Photo: Hillcrest's Yolanda De La Torre (42) came through in the clutch for the Hawks. 

Illini comeback falls short

CHAMPAIGN - What looked to be one of the worst Illini games in Assembly Hall history turned out to have a pretty exciting ending. 

The Illini trailed the Minnesota Golden Gophers by 19 points with just seven minutes remaining before going on a 28-9 run to close the game out. A last second attempt at a win was denied as D.J. Richardson's three point shot fell short at the buzzer and the Gophers held on to a 62-60 win. 

Both teams came out flat. The score was tied at two over six minutes into the game. The Illini flirted with a dubious Assembly Hall record when they only had 14 points in the entire first half. 

Minnesota added to their 10-point halftime advantage before the Illini went on their run. 

Illinois' run was made possible by Bill Cole, the only Illini player to have a good game. Cole went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc for 15 points. 

"Billy did a nice job giving us a chance," Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. "He was the one who gave us a boost of energy that allowed us to make it close."

The Illini lived and died from the three-point line. Well actually, they died, came back to life, and then died again. The team only made nine of their 36 attempts. The 28-9 run that brought them back to life was almost exclusively three-point baskets. 

And there was a reason for that. Illinois could do nothing inside. Both Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis had a hard time against the bigger Minnesota defenders. 

"They (Minnesota) are the leading shot blocking team in the conference," Weber said. "Part of it was that and part was the physicality of our guys."

Demetri McCamey was also ineffective, fouling out in the second half with only nine points and one rebound. 

The Illini got their shots off, a resounding 72 of them. But it is tough to win shooting 31 percent from the field. 

It was an ugly game for the Illini. Worse, it could be the game that keeps them out of the NCAA tournament. If Illinois cannot upset Ohio State or Wisconsin in their final two regular season contests, they will most likely need to win a pair of games in the Big Ten Tournament 

"We have a tough schedule ahead of us. Every team we've played in the last eight games has been in the top 25 at some point or another," Weber said. "It's been a big stretch for us."

"We've kept our head above water, but now the shark has got us by the leg and is pulling us down."

Of note: Extra security was on hand because Jeff Jordan's father, Michael Jordan, was in section AA47 cheering on his son. 

Photo: Illinois forward Bill Cole (30) was the only Illini player to play well, leading the team with 15 points on five three-point baskets.