Clinton made quick, easy work of Serena in a 51-22 rout of the Lady Irish from the Seneca Shootout on Saturday afternoon in non-conference high school girls basketball action.

The Lady Maroons pushed an 18-6 first quarter advantage to 32-14 by the half, and only increased it the rest of the way.

Three players scored in double figures for Clinton, led by Carly Anderson's 16 points. Avery Smith scored 14 points while Clara Dempsey added 12 points.

The Lady Maroons are 23-4 overall. After winning the Central Illinois Conference tournament last week, Clinton resumes CIC regular-season action, hosting Central A&M on Thursday. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello outscored Decatur St. Teresa 36-17 and pulled away for a 59-37 win in non-conference high school boys basketball action from the Sievers Center in Monticello on Saturday. 

St. T hit three consecutive three-pointers and led 9-2 midway through the first, but Monticello battled back and outscored the Bulldogs 12-5 the rest of the frame and then led by three at the half, 23-20.

Monticello's Matthias Rudolph led all scorers with 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Aden McCool added 14 points while Nolan Buehnerkemper grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, finished with six points, and five assists.

Beuhnerkemper's overall performance earned him the State Bank of Bement Monticello location player of the game.

The Sages shot 53-percent from the floor for the game, with 42 of its 59 points coming in the paint. They had 15 assists on their 29 field goals.

St. T was led by Tommy Herman's 12 points, and Eli Etchason had ten points. Brett Cleary grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Bulldogs on the glass.

St. T drops to 7-12 overall. 

Monticello improves to 13-8. They host Pontiac on Tuesday night in Illini Prairie Conference action. Game time is 7 pm. Hear it all on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Monticello picked up its third win this week in a 47-45 win over Seneca on Saturday afternoon from the Seneca Shootout in high school girls basketball action.

The Lady Sages led 14- after the first quarter, the Lady Irish would tie the game at 22-22 at the half. Monticello pushed the advantage to 30-26 after three and held on in the fourth quarter.

It was a free throw shooting contest, with a combined 56 attempts.

Seneca was just 16-of-35 as a team, while Monticello finished 14-of-21.

Three players scored in double figures for the Lady Sages. Madi Melton led the way with 12 points and finished 8-for-9 at the charity stripe. Ali Weidner and Emma Arnold each had ten points. Arnold had a double-double with ten rebounds. 

Lexi Leatherwood finished with nine points and seven boards for the Lady Sages. Sara Cresap fouled out with just two points. 

Monticello goes to 15-12 overall. They travel to Pontiac on Monday afternoon for an Illini Prairie Conference tilt. 

Tolono Unity used balanced scoring and closed out a 65-44 win over Marao-Forsyth on Saturday afternoon at the Rocket Center in Tolono in a non-conference high school boys basketball showdown.

Dane Eisenmenger led the Rockets with 18 points. Brayden Henry added 13 points while Mason O'Neill added 11 points off the bench. 

Caebrin Lee led the Trojans with 17 points and Coby Lane added 13 points. No other player scored more than five for Maroa-Forsyth.

Tolono Unity improves to 22-2 overall.

Maroa-Forsyth drops to 12-6. The Trojans host Illini Central Tuesday night in Sangamo Conference play. 

Monticello used a big third quarter to pull past Tolono Unity for a 45-37 win in Illini Prairie Conference high school girls basketball action Friday night from the Sievers Center in Monticello.

Trailing 15-10 at the intermission, the Lady Sages used a 22-12 frame to pull out in front and never looked back.

Lexi Leatherwood scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Lady Sages. Sara Cresap added 12 points while Emma Arnold grabbed a game-best ten boards to lead Monticello on the glass. 

Monticello goes to 14-12 overall and 3-4 in the Illini Prairie Conference. The Lady Sages will take on Seneca at the Seneca Shootout this afternoon at 2:30 pm. 

Jett Karrick scored 17 of his game-best 27 points in the second half, and Petersburg-PORTA-AC Central rolled Maroa-Forsyth 68-51 Friday in Sangamo Conference high school boys' basketball action from Maroa.

The Blue Jays led 33-25 at the break. Karrick scored 11 fourth-quarter points, helping PORTA hold off a Trojans third-quarter comeback. 

Three players scored in double figures for Maroa-Forsyth. Caebrin Lee had 16 points to lead the way. Coby Lane added 14 points while Kenny Morris finished with 12 points.

Maroa-Forsyth goes to 12-6 overall and 1-1 in the Sangamo Conference. They travel to Tolono Unity this afternoon. 

Argenta-Oreana could not hold on to a slim fourth-quarter lead and fell to Okaw Valley 55-45 in Lincoln Prairie Conference tournament action at Blue Ridge High School on Friday night.

The Bombers led 39-37 going to the fourth quarter, but the Timberwolves outscored A-O 18-6 in the frame. 

Carter Logue led the Bombers with 15 points. Isaiah Parks finished with 14 points.

Braden Montgomery scored a game-high 21 points for Okaw Valley while Wyatt Hildebrant finished with 17 points. 

Okaw Valley is 6-15 overall.

Argenta-Oreana drops to 8-14. They resume Lincoln Prairie Conference regular-season action on Tuesday, hosting Sullivan. 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Lady Maroons forced turnovers on defense and scored in transition to dominate the Meridian Lady Hawks by a final score of 63-33 in the Championship game of the CIC Tournament on Thursday night in Macon. 

The two teams traded the lead back and forth early in the first quarter, but the Maroons ended up with the 22-16 lead heading into the second, and never looked back. 

The score was 36-19 heading into the half, and despite a rough third quarter of dead-ball fouls for Clinton, they grew the lead to 50-27 going into the final frame. 

Clara Dempsey led all scorers with 21 points for the Lady Maroons. Carly Anderson and Lilah Cluver each had 16 points. The team shot 9-for-11 from the foul line. 

The Lady Hawks were led by Shelby Renfro, who scored 11 points, seven of which came in the second half. Julia Meisenhelter had eight, while Natalie Reynolds had 7. 

With the win, Clinton takes the CIC tournament trophy for the second year in a row, and improves to 22-4 and 6-0 in the CIC. They extend their win streak to 18 games. 

Meridian falls to 13-7 and 2-3 in the CIC. 

The Lady Maroons will take on the Serena Lady Huskers on Saturday at 11:30 PM. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello fell short to the state-ranked Tolono Unity Rockets 69-53 in Illini Prairie Conference high school boys basketball action Thursday night in Tolono.

The Rockets and Sages were back-and-forth the first quarter and a half, but after Monticello went up 23-22 early in the second quarter, Unity finished the half with a 17-7 edge.

Monticello never got closer than four - in the third quarter.

The Sages' Matthias Rudolph led all scorers with 21 points. Aiden McCool added 13 points.

Unity had four players in double figures. Tyler Henry had 20 points. Brayden Henry and Dane Eisenmenger each finished with 12 points, and Mason O'Neill finished with ten for the Rockets.

Unity improves to 21-2 overall and is 5-0 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Monticello has lost five of its last six, dropping to 11-8 overall and 2-3 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

The Sages host Decatur St. Teresa on Saturday at the Sievers Center. Game time is 6 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers came back in the fourth quarter to beat the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Knights by a final score of 50-48 on Wednesday night at Blue Ridge High School in the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament. 

The Bombers led after the first quarter, 15-12, but the Knights took the lead, 28-23, going into halftime. Argenta-Oreana closed the deficit to 42-39 after the third, and held ALAH to just six points in the fourth. 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Carter Logue, who scored 16 points, including 12 from distance. Isaiah Parks had 13, while Jaxon Finch added 10 points. 

Will Hilligoss led all scorers with 20 points for ALAH. Cruz Hale had 14 points, and Marcus Otto put up eight. 

With the win, the Bombers improve to 8-13 and 3-3 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference, while the Knights fall to 5-17 and 1-3 in the LPC. 
 

Late last year, the IHSA passed a referendum that added 16 teams per class to the high school football playoffs. 

Argenta-Oreana Athletic Director Mike Williams explains that while the new playoff expansion may help the Bombers make postseason appearances in the future, he feels that teams with a less favorable record will not like the change if they have to face stronger programs in the first round. 

The Legislative Commission held a special meeting on Tuesday night to approve the football practice start date to August 5th, five days earlier than in seasons past. 

The IHSA is introducing a bye week for the top 16 teams per class at the start of the playoffs. Williams sees both sides of this and notes that some teams may want to rest their players and get healthy, while others will want to keep their momentum rolling and not have the break. 

A team that qualifies for the bye week will have a season that is two weeks longer than in previous years, and Williams fears that could cause more athletes to face burnout. 

Area athletic directors and coaches have had mixed feelings about the announcement from the IHSA. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello gradually pulled away in the second half and ended a four-game losing streak with a 63-56 win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda in Illini Prairie Conference high school boys basketball in Paxton.

Nolan Buehenerkemper followed up a season-best 23 points in a fourth-straight loss to Warrensburg-Latham on Saturday with a game-best 19 points Tuesday night, scoring 11 points in the second half to help build a 15-point lead - including a three-pointer from half court as time expired on the third quarter. 

Aiden McCool finished with 14 points while Matthias Rudolph added 12 points for the Sages.

Buehnerkemper earned the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

Carson Goss and Jack Weslund scored 14 points apiece to lead the Panthers. Dyland Vance scored eight of 11 points in the second half for PBL.

PBL falls to 12-9 overall and 0-3 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Monticello improves to 11-7 overall and 2-2 in league play. Monticello visits rival Tolono Unity on Thursday night at 7 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Clinton wasted little time pulling out in front and pulling away from Warrensburg-Latham in a 67-42 win from the Central Illinois Conference girls basketball tournament at Meridian High School on Tuesday night.

Carly Anderson had 22 points to lead all scorers. Clara Dempsey added 13 points. 

The Lady Maroons go to 21-5 and will play for the Central Illinois Conference tournament championship on Thursday night at 8 pm. Hear the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms.

Monticello made easy work of Paxton-Buckley-Loda in a 44-18 win on Tuesday night in Illini Prairie Conference high school girls basketball action at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

Monticello held PBL to just a single point in the first and third quarters, leading 11-1 and 32-12 after three quarters.

Ali Weidner scored 15 points with five steals. Kiara Grace addedten points for the Lady Sages. 

Monticello goes to 13-12 overall and 2-4 in Illini Prairie Conference action. The Lady Sages battle rival Tolono Unity on Friday night at the Sievers Center. 

Caebrin Lee and Coby Lane paced Maroa-Forsyth to a 75-61 over Olympia in Sangamo Conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Stanford.

Lee had 27 points, and Lane had 23 points. Grady Rose scored ten of his 12 points in the first half. 

Dylan Nowaski had 28 points to lead Olympia. Luke Prestergaard added 20 points for the Spartans. 

Olympia drops to 5-15 overall and 1-1 in the Sangamo Conference. 

Maroa-Forsyth is 12-5 overall and 1-1 in the Sangamo. They host Petersburg-PORTA-AC Central on Friday night. 

Clinton dominated Shelbyville and opened the Central Illinois Conference girls basketball tournament with a 58-28 win Saturday afternoon at Meridian High School.

Clara Dempsey scored 19 points to lead all scorers. Lilah Cluver added 17 points while Carly Anderson finished with 12 points.

The Lady Maroons continue pool play for the CIC tournament next week at Meridian when they battle Warrensburg-Latham on Tuesday.

In a game heard on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, Nathan Southern scored 28 points, and four players scored in double figures as Warrensburg-Latham overwhelmed Monticello in a 78-50 rout Saturday afternoon in non-conference high school boys basketball action in Warrensburg.

Southern hit nine three-pointers and had a four-point play. The Cardinals, who led 49-38 after three quarters, hit seven three-pointers in the final frame, and the 30-point running clock activated with just under two minutes left. 

Eastyn McKenzie added 14 points for the Cardinals. Drewe Czajkowski added 11 points, and Alex Hardin finished with ten points.

One of the few bright spots for the Sages was Nolan Buehnerkemper, who finished with 23 points. He was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

The Cardinals improve to 20-3 overall.

Monticello dropped its fourth straight to fall to 10-7. They will visit Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Tuesday night in Illini Prairie Conference action. Game time is 7 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.

A slow second half was too much for Argenta-Oreana to overcome as the Bombers fell 51-38 to Arcola Saturday afternoon in Lincoln Prairie Conference high school boys basketball action in Arcola. 

The Bombers trailed 30-26 at the break but only mustered 12 total second-half points, as Arcola held off Argenta-Oreana thanks to balanced scoring.

Harris Mayhall had a game-high 16 points for the Purple Raiders. Sawyer Maxwell added 14 points, and Remi Roberts finished with 11 points.

The Bombers were led by Isaiah Parks' 12 points. Jaxon Finch and Kamryn Jenkins each scored 11 points.

Arcola improves to 10-9 overall and 3-2 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.

Argenta-Oreana drops to 7-13 overall and 3-3 in the LPC.

Taylorville outlasted Monticello in double-overtime of a high school girls' basketball thriller, 51-48, Saturday afternoon at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

The game was nearly even the entire way. Ali Weidner recorded a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds to Lead Monticello. 

Emma Arnold and Kiara Grace each had seven points. Sara Cresap, Madi Melto,n and Lexi Leatherwood each had six points. 

The Lady Sages fall to 12-12 overall. They will host Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Tuesday night. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, St. Joseph-Ogden scored 14 unanswered points to start the second half and held off Monticello in a 55-45 win in Illini Prairie Conference action Friday night at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

Parker Fitch scored a quick six with back-to-back three pointers, and Nolan Franzen had back-to-back layups, giving St. Joseph-Ogden a 42-26 lead, the biggest of the night, and the Spartans held off Monticello the rest of the way.

The Sages would get within six points in the fourth quarter, but Monticello finished 0-for-16 from three-point range and shot just 34.7 percent from the floor.

Monticello stayed close thanks to shooting 11-of-14 from the foul line.

St. Joe shot 52 percent from the floor while going 4-of-18 from distance and just 3-of-10 at the foul line. 

Fitch led all scorers with 18 points. Franzen finished with 14 points, and Kaden Wedig added 11.

The Sages were outrebounded 33-27. They turned 12 Spartans turnovers into 14 points.

Matthias Rudolph had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead the Sages. Nolan Buehnerkemper finished with nine points and eight rebounds. 

Monticello has a quick turnaround on Saturday when they visit Warrensburg-Latham. Game time has been moved to 2:15 pm due to weather coming into the area. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Maroons attacked from the outside and had success at the foul line to take down the Tuscola Warriors by a final score of 65-49 in Central Illinois Conference action on Friday night in Clinton. 

The Maroons had the slight edge, leading just 15-13 after the first quarter. From there, they began to grow their lead, making it 36-25 at halftime and 54-39 after the third. 

Keaton Graves led all scorers with 37 points for Clinton. He made four 3-pointers and shot 5-for-6 from the foul line.  Jaeden Bell had 15 points while Keagan Daughtrey had seven points, all of which came in the first half. 

Logan Kurtz and Caiden Russo scored 10 points apiece for the Warriors. Tanner Block added eight. 

With the win, the Maroons improve to 17-5 and 2-0 in the CIC. Tuscoal falls to 17-4 and 1-1 in the Central Illinois Conference. 

Clinton will take on Peoria Christian on Saturday at 6 PM in Peoria. 
 

Three Clinton Lady Maroons scored at least 17 points as they beat the Warrensburg-Latham Lady Cardinals by a final score of 67-33 in Central Illinois Conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in Warrensburg. 

The Lady Maroons established themselves early, posting a 20-11 lead after the first quarter. They continued the push, making the score 43-21 at halftime. The Lady Cardinals only managed two points in the fourth quarter. 

Clara Dempsey and Carly Anderson led all scorers with 18 points apiece for Clinton. Half of Anderson's points came from distance. Avery Smith added 17 points, while Lilah Cluver had 10.

Warrensburg-Latham was led by Abby Andricks, who scored 14 points. Lilly Jones had 10.

With the win, Clinton improves to 19-4 and 4-0 in the CIC, and builds its win streak to fifteen in a row. Warrensburg-Latham falls to 9-15 and 2-2 in the Central Illinois Conference. 

The girls will travel to Macon to play in the CIC Tournament on Saturday as they take on the Shelbyville Lady Rams. Tipoff is at 3 PM. 
 

The Monticello Lady Sages made a comeback effort that ultimately fell short as they were defeated by the St. Joseph-Ogden Lady Spartans by a final score of 54-47 in Illini Prairie Conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in St. Joseph. 

St. Joe dominated the first half, leading 29-16 going into the break. The Lady Sages pushed back in the third, making the score 38-33, but the Lady Spartans turned the heat back up to seal the win in the fourth. 

Ali Weidner led Monticello with 17 points. Sarah Cresap and Emma Arnold each scored eight points. 

With the loss, Monticello falls to 12-11 and 1-4 in the Illini Prairie. St. Joseph-Ogden improves to 14-6 and 4-1 in conference play. 

The Lady Sages will play host to the Taylorville Lady Tornadoes on Saturday at 2:15 PM. 

Tune in to the next Monticello Sages Sports broadcast when the boys host the Warrensburg-Latham Cardinals. Tipoff is Saturday at 4:30 PM. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com
 

The Clinton Lady Maroons used a balanced offense and attacked from distance to build their lead over three quarters, and beat the Maroa-Forsyth Lady Trojans by a final score of 59-48 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Wednesday night in Maroa.

The score was tied at 11-11 after the first quarter, but the Lady Maroons gained a four-point edge going into halftime, making it 25-21. They outscored the Lady Trojans 34-27 in the second half. 

Clinton was led by Carly Anderson, who scored 17 points. Clara Dempsey had 16 points while Avery Smith added 13 points. Five players combined for eight Maroons buckets from beyond the arc. 

Avery Braden led all scorers with 19 points for Maroa-Forsyth. She made five shots from distance. Adelyn Simmons added 15 points.

With the win, Clinton improves to 18-4 while Maroa-Forsyth falls to 13-7. 

The Lady Maroons will play in the second game of a back-to-back road trip when they travel to Warrensburg Latham tonight. Tipoff is at 7:30 PM. 

Tune in to the next Clinton Maroons Sports broadcast when the boys take on Tuscola at home, at 7:30 PM on Friday. Hear all the Central Illinois Conference action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 
 

The Argenta-Oreana bombers were outpaced in every quarter and fell to the Unity Christian Lions by a final score of 108-54 in Lincoln Prairie Conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Decatur. 

The Lions led 22-11 after the first quarter and pushed their lead to 54-22 by halftime. The score was 90-39 entering the final frame. 

The Bombers were led by Isaiah Parks, who scored 19 points. Jaxon Finch had 16, while Carter Logue added eight. 

Dillon Clark was unstoppable, scoring 40 points for Unity Christian. Noah Clark added 16 points, while Monty Wilson had 12. Quayden Bonds had 11 points, and Kobe St. James contributed 10.

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana falls to 7-12 and 3-3 in the Lincoln Prairie. 

Unity Christian improves to 18-3 and 5-0 in conference play. 

The Bombers will play in the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament beginning on Friday. This year's tournament is hosted by Blue Ridge
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, IVC overcame a 14-point deficit and rallied to beat Monticello 59-56 in Illini Prairie Conference high school basketball action Tuesday at the Sievers Center in Monticello. 

The Sages went cold in the second half, shooting just 5-of-22 from the floor and missing all five of its three point attempts.

The Grey Ghosts dominated on the glass, outrebounding Monticello 42-23. 

Four players scored in double-figures for IVC, led by Grady Read's 13 points. Brayden Pheiffer scored 10 of his 12 points in the third quarter, while Keegan Schol finished with ten and Brady Ward had 10 points with a team-best eight rebounds.

Matthias Rudolph scored eight of his 14 points in the first quarter for Monticello. Ayden McCool scored 12 points, and Jake Motsegood had ten points.

Motsegood was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

Nolan Buehnerkemper finished with seven points and a game-high nine rebounds. 

The Sages host St. Joseph-Ogden on Friday. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans were held to just six points in the first and fourth quarters, and fell to the Normal U-High Pioneers by a final score of 63-36 in non-conference boys basketball action on Monday night at Bloomington Central Catholic. 

The Pioneers took the lead early, making the score 13-6 by the end of the first quarter. They grew the margin of their victory the most in the fourth quarter when they outscored the Trojans 15-6. 

Coby Lane led all scorers with 19 points for Maroa-Forsyth, 12 of which came from distance. Caebrin Lee and Kenny Morris each had five. 

Devin Fitzgerald led the Pioneers with 18 points. Owen Kirby added 16 points. 

With the loss, Maroa-Forsyth falls to 11-5 while Normal U-High improves to 16-4. 

The Trojans will play host to Pleasant Plains on Friday. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams survived an incredible throw by Caleb Williams that forced overtime, beating the Chicago Bears 20-17 on Sunday night to advance to the NFC championship game.

Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field goal in OT after Kam Curl intercepted a deep pass by Williams on the Bears’ first possession of the extra period. Stafford completed a 16-yard pass to Puka Nacua to get the Rams into field-goal range and set up Mevis for the game-ending kick. 

Los Angeles led 17-10 in the final minute and the Bears faced fourth-and-4 from the 14-yard line when Williams backpedaled to avoid the pass rush and heaved the ball to Cole Kmet for the tying touchdown with 18 seconds left. Although officially a 14-yard pass, the ball traveled 51.2 yards in the air, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Williams threw for two touchdowns but was intercepted three times for the Bears (12-7), who pulled off a series of improbable wins under first-year coach Ben Johnson but came up short this time.

The Rams (14-5) will visit NFC West rival Seattle next Sunday in their first trip to the conference championship game since the 2021 team won the Super Bowl. The Seahawks beat San Francisco 41-6 on Saturday.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Ali Weidner scored nine of her game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter and helped Monticello get by Maroa-Forsyth 48-43 in non-conference high school girls' basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Sievers Center in Monticello.

The Lady Sages trailed 30-26 going into the fourth quarter, but Weidner took the game over in the fourth quarter to will her team to a much-needed win.

The Lady Trojans struggled without Avery Braden - its all-time leading scorer in program history. Kali Kahler scored 11 of her team-best 19 points in the first half, but struggled to score late. Rilinida Ballazhi finished with ten points for Maroa-Forsyth.

The Lady Trojans fall to 11-6 overall.

Monticello goes to 12-9 and will travel to IVC on Tuesday night for an Illini Prairie Conference matchup.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Caebrin Lee and Coby Lane led Maroa-Forsyth to a 49-43 win over Monticello on Saturday afternoon from the Sievers Center in non-conference high school boys' basketball action.

Lee scored nine points in the fourth quarter, and Lane had eight of his 13 points in the first half.

The two sides were within six points for most of the game.

Matthias Rudolph led Monticello with 15 points, scoring nine in the opening quarter, and was quiet the rest of the way. Nolan Buehnerkemper finished with nine points. He helped keep Lee in check throughout the entire game and was named the State Bank of Bement player of the game. 

The Trojans go to 11-4 overall. 

Monticello falls to 10-4. They host IVC on Tuesday night. 

The Clinton Maroons used active hands to force turnovers and beat the Shelbyville Rams by a final score of 72-62 in Central Illinois Conference high school boys basketball action on Friday night in Clinton.

The Maroons led 11-8 after the first quarter, but made two quick buckets from distance to open the second, forcing Shelbyville Coach Paul Conlon to burn two timeouts in under two minutes. 

The Rams trailed 31-25 at halftime, but attacked the rim from distance in the third to close the deficit to 52-49 going into the final frame. Jaeden Bell added a pair of three-point plays late in the game to seal the win. 

Bell led all scorers with 25 points for Clinton. Keaton Graves added 24 points, while Keagan Daughtrey had 13. The team shot 9-for-11 from the foul line. 

Shelbyville was led by Owen Beyers and Aiden Hardy, who each scored 17 points. Carson BGruns and Brady Brinkoetter had eight points apiece. The Rams made 11 buckets from distance.  

With the win, Clinton improves to 15-5 and 1-0 in the Central Illinois Conference. Shelbyville falls to 7-8 and 0-2 in conference play. 

The Maroons will travel to Macon to take on the Meridian Hawks on Tuesday. Tipoff is at 7:30 PM. 

Hear the next Clinton Maroons sports broadcast when they play host to the Tuscola Warriors on Friday at 7:30 PM. Tune into the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. 
 

The Clinton Lady Maroons continued their win streak as they rolled to a 58-33 victory over the Tuscola Lady Warriors in Central Illinois Conference high school girls basketball action on Thursday night in Clinton. 

The Lady Maroons got ahead early, leading 23-9 after the first, and 37-13 at halftime. Clinton padded their lead to 53-20 in the third quarter before Coach Josh Williams cleared the bench for the fourth. 

Clara Dempsey and Carly Anderson led all scorers with 17 points apiece for Clinton. Lilah Cluver added 13 points—five players combined for seven Maroons buckets from beyond the arc. 

Tuscola was led by Reese Davis with 11 points. Ava Kleiss added 9. 

The victory is the Lady Maroon's 13th in a row. They improve to 17-4 and 3-0 in the CIC, while Tuscola falls to 5-14 and 2-1 in conference play. 

The Lady Maroons will travel down US HWY 51 on Wednesday to take on the Maroa-Forsyth Lady Trojans. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello held Rantoul to just one third-quarter field goal and pulled out a 48-38 win in its Illini Prairie Conference opener Thursday night in Rantoul.

The Sages held a 21-19 advantage at the half and opened up a 29-21 lead halfway through the third quarter, leading by as many as 12 points in the second half. 

Matthias Rudolph scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, and Jake Motsegood (motz-good) added 11 points, playing excellent defense and finishing with five rebounds.

Despite being outrebounded 39-27 and 15-4 on the offensive glass, Monticello held the Eagles to just 29-percent shooting, and 2-of-22 from three.

Iysean Autman had 11 points to lead Rantoul.

Rantoul falls to 6-10 overall and 0-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Monticello is 10-3 overall. They will host Maroa-Forsyth on Saturday at 4:30 pm.

It will be a double-dip on Saturday on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, as the girls' varsity tips at 3 pm with the boys' to follow at 4:30 pm.

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers fought off a fourth-quarter comeback effort from the Tri-County Titans to get the 74-72 win in Lincoln Prairie Conference boys basketball action on Wednesday night in Argenta. 

The Bombers had the 39-32 lead at halftime, and led 60-51 going into the fourth quarter. The Titans would fight back in an attempt to steal the win, but came just two points short in the end. 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Carter Logue, who scored 24 points. Jaxon Finch added 21 points, while Kamryn Stokes had 15. Isaiah Parks contributed 12 points.

Chase Rhode led all scorers with 28 points for Tri-County. Preston Bancroft had 18 points, while Anthony Smith added 13. Kahle Lee had 11. 

With the win, Argenta-Oreana improves to 7-10 and 3-1 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference. Tri-County falls to 8-11 and 1-2 in conference play. 

The Bombers go on the road to play Heritage on Friday. Tipoff is at 7:15 PM. 
 

Both teams went scoreless in the second quarter, and the Monticello Lady Sages defeated the St. Thomas More Lady Sabers by a final score of 54-23, in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Tuesday night in Champaign. 

The score was 23-9 after the first quarter, and that's where it would stay entering halftime as neither team managed a bucket in the second quarter. After halftime, the Lady Sages regrouped and outscored the Lady Sabers 31-14 in the second half. 

Monticello was led by Kiara Grace, who scored 14 points. Lexi Leatherwood and Anya Sheppard had 10 points, while Emma Arnold added 19 rebounds. 

With the win, Monticello improves to 10-8 while St. Thomas More falls to 3-13. 

The Lady Sages will begin Illini Prairie Conference play when they take on Rantoul on Friday in Monticello. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

Argenta-Oreana took the lead in the first quarter and never looked back as they defeated the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Knights by a final score of 68-56 in Little Okaw Valley Conference boys basketball action on Tuesday in Argenta. 

The Bombers led 19-12 after the first quarter, and held on to the lead the rest of the way, building the 12-point win over the following three quarters. 

Isaiah Parks led all scorers with 22 points for Argenta-Oreana. Jaxon Finch and Carter Logue both added 19 points. 

ALAH was led by Will Hilligoss with 11 points. Marcus Otto and Cooper Shoemaker had 10 apiece. 

The Knights fall to 2-14 and 0-2 in the LOVC. 

With the win, the Bombers improve to 6-10 and 2-1 in conference play. They continue LOVC action tonight when they play host to the Tri-County Titans. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

Caebrin Lee continued his hot streak and helped the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans defeat the St. Teresa Bulldogs by a final score of 66-46 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Decatur. 

The Trojans got ahead early, gaining a 16-9 lead after the first, and a 32-20 lead at the half. They continued to push the margin of their victory to 20 points through the second half. 

Caebrin Lee led all scorers with 29 points for Maroa-Forsyth. Coby Lane added 17 points, including nine points from distance. 

With the win, the Trojans improve to 10-4 while St. T falls to 6-8.

Maroa-Forsyth boys and girls will travel to Monticello on Saturday to take on the Sages. The girls tipoff at 3:00 PM, and the boys at 4:15 PM. You can hear all the action in a WEZC double-header on 95.9 FM and online at dewittdailynews.com. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Nolan Buehnerkemper hit a go-ahead jumper with under a minute left, and Monticello rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat Mattoon 67-66 in non-conference high school boys' basketball action on Tuesday night at the Sievers Center in Monticello. 

The Sages and Green Wave played back and forth almost the entire game, with 18 lead changes and seven ties. 

The Green Wave used a 10-0 run to open up a 55-46 lead at the end of the third quarter. But the Sages would slowly chip away at the lead. Matthias Rudolph hit a pair of free throws to make the score 66-65, and then Buehnerkemper hit an open jumper at the elbow to give the Sages their first lead since the third quarter.

Mattoon shot 15-for-35 from three.

The Sages finished 8-of-18 from distance and shot 50 percent from the floor. They controlled the glass with a 35-25 edge.

Rudolph had a double-double with 21 points and ten rebounds. Aiden McCool finished with 17 points, and Gus Reppert added 13 points - with nine coming in the first quarter. 

Max Wetzel hit six threes to finish with 18 points to lead Mattoon. Lincoln Hayes scored 17 points, and Chandler Rice chipped in with 14 points. 

The Green Wave drops to 10-8 overall.

Monticello improves to 10-3. The Sages open Illini Prairie Conference action on Thursday at Rantoul. Hear the action starting at 7 pm on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons dominated after the first quarter and defeated the LeRoy Lady Wildcats by a final score of 65-35 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Saturday night in Clinton. 

LeRoy led after the first quarter, 20-19, but the Lady Maroons cranked their defense up to 11 as they held the Lady Wildcats to just 15 points the rest of the way. 

Clinton was led by Lilah Cluver, who put up 16 points. Clara Dempsey scored 14 points, while Avery Smith added 11. 

Kendyl Spratt scored 13 points for LeRoy. Sadee Owns added 8. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 16-4 and extends their win streak to 12 games. 

Leroy falls to 11-6. 

The Lady Maroons host the Tuscola Lady Warriors on Thursday at 7:30 PM. 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans finished regulation tied against the Calvary Academy Saints, and pulled out the 69-66 overtime win on Monday night in non-conference high school boys basketball action in Clinton. 

The Trojans were led by Caebrin Lee, who scored 35 points. Koby Lane added 10 points, while Luke Smith had nine. 

Luke Blackford paced the Saints with 30 points. Joshua Long added 14 points, while Antione Hunter had 11. 

With the win, Maroa-Forsyth improves to 9-4 while Calvary Academy falls to 11-4. 

The Trojans will take on the Decatur St. Teresa Bulldogs on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Matthias Rudolph hit a running layup as time expired and Monticello survived an El Paso-Gridley second-half comeback in a 64-62 win Saturday evening at the St. Joseph-Ogden Christie Clinic Shootout.

The Sages led by 12 in the second half, but Brayden Hayes fueled a comeback in the fourth quarter, and EP-G in fact went ahead at one point. However, Hayes made a costly mistake. With 15 seconds left and EP-G leading 52-50, he fouled Rudolph, thinking the Titans had a foul to give; however, they did not. That sent the Monticello junior to the line with a chance to tie the game, and Rudolph made both free throws, sending the game into overtime. 

Hayes - who led all scorers with 34 points and was the Titans' primary scorer - would foul out late in overtime. 

From there, senior Thaddeus Rudolph started overtime with a three-point play and scored the first five points of the extra session to put the Sages up 57-52. 

EP-G did not go away. The Titans rallied to go in front 59-57, but Monticello came back again and went in front 62-59.

The Titans' Cha'von Maxon converted a conventional three-point play and tied the game at 62-62.

On the Sages' next possession, the Titans tried to deny Matthias Rudolph the ball. Still, the junior got it at the top of the key and drove around Thaddeus Rudolph, who screened off the defender, creating a clear path to the basket as time expired, and the Sages survived.

Matthias finished with 26 points. Thaddeus finished with 16 points. Thaddeus' strong start to overtime earned him the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

El Paso-Gridley drops to 4-9 overall. 

Monticello improves to 9-3. They will host Mattoon on Tuesday night. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. Game time is 7 pm. 

The Maroa-Forsyth Trojans got ahead early and never looked back, as they took down the Meridian Hawks by a final score of 61-51 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Wednesday night in Maroa. 

The Trojans had a 16-8 lead after the first quarter. The Hawks would fight back through the next quarter, closing the halftime deficit to 27-22. They cut the deficit to 43-41 heading into the fourth, but Maroa-Forsyth turned up the heat to secure the win. 

Caebrin Lee led all scorers with 36 points for Maroa-Forsyth. Kenny Morris added 13 points while Coby Lane had 8. 

Meridian was led by Ted Jones, who put up 25 points, while Bryce Brown had 17. 

With the win, the Trojans go to 8-4 while the Hawks fall to 3-13. 

Maroa-Frosyth will take on Calvary Academy on Saturday at 3:30 PM.
 

The Argenta-Oreana Bombers led after the first quarter, but couldn't hold on to the lead as they fell to the Edinburg Wildcats by a final score of 55-50 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Wednesday night in Argenta.

The Bombers were led by Jaxon Finch, who scored 19 points, 16 of which came from beyond the arc. Isaiah Parks had 16, while Carter Logue added 15 points, including 3 buckets from distance. 

The Wildcats were led by Cooper Armintrout and Treyton Davis, who scored 16 points apiece. Miles Norris had 7. 

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana falls to 5-9 while Edinburg improves to 6-10. 

The Bombers will take on the Lincoln Prairie Conference rival Arcola Purple Raiders on Friday at 7:00 PM. 
 

The Argenta Oreana Bombers made a comeback effort to tie the game at the half, but couldn't pull out the win as they fell to the Central A&M Raiders by a final score of 58-59 in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Tuesday night in Moweaqua. 

Central A&M used a big first quarter to take the lead 16-7, but the Bombers fought back to tie the game at 24-24 going into halftime. 

The Raiders controlled the game the rest of the way, outscoring Argenta-Oreana 34-25 in the second half. 

The Bombers were led by Isaiah Parks, who had 22 points. Carter Logue scored 10 points, including three buckets from distance, while Jaxon Finch added 9 points. 

Ace Spinner led all scorers with 25 points for Central A&M. Talan Rhodes added 14. 

With the loss, Argenta-Oreana falls to 5-8 while the Raiders improve to .500 at 7-7. 

The Bombers will play again tonight when they host the Edinburg Wildcats at 7:30 PM. 

Central A&M has the Meridian Hawks on the road on Friday at 7:15 PM. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Teutopolis flexed its muscle and toppled Monticello 71-49 in non-conference high school boys' basketball action Tuesday night in T-Town. 

The Wooden Shoes finished the first quarter on a 16-3 run and never looked back, fueled by sharp three-point shooting and suffocating defense. 

Matthias Rudolph paced Monticello with 12 points. Aiden McCool added nine points. 

McCool was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

T-Town goes to 13-2 overall.

Monticello drops to 7-3. They are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they take on El Paso-Gridley atthe St. Joseph-Ogden Christie Clinic Shootout. Tip-off is 4:30 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

The Monticello Lady Sages only managed seven points in the first half, and fell to the Paris Lady Tigers by a final score of 35-60 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Monday night in Paris. 

The Lady Tigers controlled the first half, taking a 37-7 lead by halftime. The Lady Sages would fight back, outscoring Paris 28-23 in the second half, but the comeback effort came up short. 

Monticello was led by Sarah Cresap, who scored 11 points. Ali Weidner added nine points. 

Paris was led by Macy Bicknell, who scored 22 points and shot perfectly from the floor. Paedyn Keys added 20 points and also did not miss a shot. The team shot 17-for-26 from the charity stripe. 

With the loss, Monticello falls to 10-6 while Paris improves to 13-2. 

The Lady Sages are back at it tonight when they host Normal West Lady Wildcats. Tipoff is 7:00 PM at the Sievers Center in Monticello. 

Tune in tonight as the Monticello Boys take on the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes in T-Town. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM. 
 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Maroons outscored their opponents 17-4 in the second quarter, and beat the El Paso-Gridley Lady Titans by a final score of 57-36 in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Monday night in Clinton. 

The game was tied at nine after the first quarter, but Carly Anderson went on and individual 11-0 run at the end of the second to give them the 26-13 halftime lead. 

After the break, the two teams would once again be evenly matched, with Clinton scoring 18 and the Lady Titans scoring 17; the Lady Maroons would pull away in the fourth. 

Anderson led all scorers with 20 points for Clinton, with 12 coming from beyond the arc. Lilah Cluver and Clara Dempsey each had 14 points. The team shot 10-for-14 from the foul line. 

The Lady Titans were led by Myli Ehrhart, who had 13 points, while 6'0" freshman Edie Stauter had 8. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 14-4 while EPG falls to 7-9. 

The Lady Maroons go on the road on Friday when they take on the 14-2 Heyworth Lady Hornets. Tipoff is at 5:30 PM.

Tune in to the next Clinton Maroons sports broadcast when the boys take on the Shelbyville Rams on Friday, January 16th. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. Tipoff is at 7:30 PM. 

The Clinton Lady Maroons had no issues handling the Riverton Lady Hawks and rolled to a 72-11 victory in non-conference high school girls basketball action on Saturday in Clinton. 

Clinton held Riverton to just two points in the first half, while they ran away with the game to make the score 40-2 going into the third quarter. 

Coach Josh Williams would keep the Clinton starters in through the third, making the score 64-6, before he cleared the bench going into the final frame. 

Clinton was led by Clara Dempsey, who scored 19 points. Carly Anderson had 16, 12 of which came from distance. Avery Smith added 13 points while Ozzie Goar scored 10 in a breakout performance. 

The Lady Hawks were led by Briannah Walker, who scored 4 points, and Skyler Stokes had 3. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 13-4 while Riverton falls to 1-17. 

Tune in tonight when the Lady Maroons play host to the El Paso-Gridley Lady Titans. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms. Tipoff is at 7:15 PM. 
 

In a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms, the Clinton Maroons went back and forth with the LeRoy Panthers, and took the 48-43 win in non-conference high school boys basketball action on Friday night in Clinton. 

The two teams traded buckets throughout the game, with neither team ever leading by more than six. 

With the score tied at 12-12 after the first quarter, the Maroons outscored their opponents 9-4 in the second quarter to take the 25-16 halftime lead.  This would end up being the decision maker after both teams went on to score 27 points in the second half. 

Clinton was led by Jaeden Bell, who scored 19 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Keaton Graves put up 16 points. Brock Wilson had six. 

The Panthers were led by Brycen Umstattd with 12 points, while Sam Edmundson had 11 and Jordan Cox had 10. 

With the win, Clinton improves to 10-4, while handing LeRoy its first loss of the season, putting them at 11-1. 

The Maroons take on the Eureka Hornets tomorrow (Saturday) at 5:30 PM. 

Tune into the next Clinton Maroons sports broadcast when the Lady Maroons take on the El Paso-Gridley Lady Titans on Monday. Tip-off is at 7:15 PM. Hear all the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms.