Ottawa, Streator both send individual bowlers to sectionals: The Times Friday Roundup

Girls bowling

Michael advances for Streator: At the Morton Regional contested Friday at Potter’s Alley, the Streator Bowlin' Bulldogs placed fifth with a team score of 4,525, one spot away from advancing as a team to next weekend’s Decatur Eisenhower Sectional.

One Streator player did advance as an individual, however, as junior Lily Michael’s 976 made the cut by 26 pins.

Figenbaum moves on for Ottawa: At the Dixon Regional held at Plum Hollow Family Center, Ottawa junior Kilah Figenbaum carded a 1,065 to earn an individual slot in next weekend’s same-site Oregon Sectional. The individual cutoff came in at 1,064.

As a team, the Pirates placed sixth of 15 teams with a score of 4,962. La Salle-Peru (5,648) won the regional team title with all five bowlers scoring between 1,060 and 1,175.

Competitive cheer

Somonauk just misses cut: At the IHSA State Competition Finals in Bloomington, Somonauk’s squad placed 11th in the Small Team division, just missing the top 10 and a berth in Saturday’s finals.

Somonauk’s team score came in at 87.60, with Carterville’s 88.06 claiming the final advancing spot.

Boys basketball

La Salle-Peru 54, Ottawa 44: At La Salle, the visiting Pirates fell despite 17 points from Owen Sanders in the 255th meeting between the old rivals.

“We looked disjointed in the first half offensively,” Ottawa coach Mark Cooper said. “The ball wasn’t moving. We were dribbling too much, and we didn’t rebound well enough on the defensive end. I thought we ran a little bit better offense in the second half, but we just dug ourselves too big of a hole.”

— Find Kevin Chlum’s report on this game along with Scott Anderson’s photos at www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley.

Seneca 75, Lowpoint-Washburn 41: At Washburn, the visiting Fighting Irish (23-4 overall, 7-0 Tri-County) earned the TCC victory led by double-digit scoring from Paxton Giertz (16 points), Brady Sheedy (13), Grant Siegel (12) and Zeb Maxwell (12).

Sebastian Deering and Cam Shriey contributed eight points apiece for the victors, who visit Streator on Tuesday before senior night at home Friday against Woodland.

Woodland 59, Dwight 51: At the Warrior Dome in rural Streator, the host Warriors (18-8 overall, 6-1 Tri-County) earned the league win.

Jaron Follmer spearheaded the Woodland attack with 15 points, followed by 11 from Connor Dodge and 10 apiece off the hands of Nick Plesko and Nolan Price. Quentin Porter added eight.

Fieldcrest 52, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 46: At Gibson City, Eddie Lorton scored 18 points to help the visiting Knights to a Heart of Illinois Conference victory.

Jordan Heider added 13 points for Fieldcrest.

Fieldcrest senior Eddie Lorton was named as MVP of the 2024 Colmone Classic at Hall High School. (Kevin Hieronymus)

Lexington 69, Flanagan-Cornell 44: At the Nest, the host Falcons suffered the Heart of Illinois Conference loss.

Hinckley-Big Rock 47, Indian Creek, 44: At Somonauk in the championship game of the 106th Little Ten Conference Tournament, the Royals held off a Timberwolves' comeback to claim their first golden basketball since the 2013 tournament.

— Read Brian Hoxsey’s full report on this game at www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley.

Newark 62, Serena 44: At Somonauk in the third-place game of the Little Ten Conference Tournament, the Norsemen ran away with the third-place trophy despite 15 points from Serena’s Hendrix Johnson.

Earlville 46, Somonauk 37: At Somonauk in the consolation game of the Little Ten Conference Tournament, Adam Waite had 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks as the Red Raiders bested the host Bobcats.

Easton Fruit had eight points and six assists for Earlville (12-15), while Grady Harp added eight points.

Girls basketball

Sandwich 50, Woodstock North 37: At Sandwich, the host Indians earned the Kishwaukee River Conference triumph paced by 20 points from Bailey Frieders, 11 from Hannah Treptow and eight – including the clinching free throws – from Mia Geltz.

Pontiac 60, Streator 36: At Pontiac, the visiting Bulldogs were handed a loss despite a 17-point effort from Ava Gwaltney.

Leah Krohe (nine points, 12 rebounds) and Rhea Huey (four points) also led Streator.