By Gargoyle sports staff
Posted Friday, Jan. 26, 2007, The OG, girls basketball & sports

Ruthie Welch launches a jumpshot
against Donovan Thursday. Welch
scored 9 points. (Gargoyle photo)
(click to enlarge)

DONOVAN — It's bad enough when you have to travel 160 miles, round trip, on a school night to play a basketball game.

But when your top scorer and rebounder is suddenly out for the season due to an injury, and two more players don't make the trip because of illness, you can be forgiven for thinking the stars are lined up against you.

That's the scenario the Uni girls varsity basketball team faced Thursday night as the Illineks made the long drive up I-57 to take on the Donovan Wildcats in a nonconference game.

Playing without sophomore Rachel Skoza, who is out for the season with a broken metacarpal in her shooting hand, and missing sophomores Jessi Sullivan and Kaylie Dastrup, who were out sick, the Illineks lost 84-41.

The win drops the team's record to 10-11 overall. Donovan, located roughly 80 miles north of Champaign-Urbana in Iroquois County, is 12-12.

“We had to adjust so fast with Rachel gone,” said junior guard Aran Yoo. “We did the best we could've played. We didn't give up.”

The 6-foot Skoza, who injured her hand during Monday night's 49-47 win over Judah Christian, was Uni's top scorer (11.9 points per game) and rebounder (7.8 rebounds per game) at the time.

Sullivan is second on the team in rebounds (7.1 per game). Dastrup has been a solid backup all season.

Skoza joins Samantha Nguyen on the list of Illineks who are out for the season due to injuries. Nguyen, a junior who was the team's starting point guard, tore her ACL in the season opener against Atwood-Hammond.

In Thursday's game, Yoo led the Illineks in scoring with 12 points, followed by junior Ruthie Welch with 9 and senior Mandy Grill with 8.

Welch grabbed 8 rebounds, and junior Karen Woodley added 7. Grill recorded 6 steals, followed by Yoo with 5. Welch led the team with 3 assists.

The Illineks fell behind by 15 points in the first quarter and went into halftime trailing 37-23. The Wildcats threw a variety of presses at Uni to force turnovers.

Donovan put the game away for good in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 29-8 for a 66-31 advantage going into the last 8 minutes. The final margin of 43 points was Uni's biggest deficit this year. The previous high came when Decatur Lutheran defeated the Illineks 79-41 Friday.

“I think our team is struggling because we keep losing players,” junior Marika Iyer said. “But considering that, we adapted decently. And other people — Erika Belmont and Karen Woodley — stepped up.”

Indeed, this was Belmont's first varsity game. Although she didn't score, the freshman forward was pleased with her debut.

“It was a whole new level,” Belmont said. “I was nervous and I was excited. But I think I played well.”

The girls will take on Buckley Christ Lutheran tonight at Kenney Gym. The varsity game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the boys varsity at 7:30 p.m. No JV action is scheduled.

VARSITY RECORD: 10-11 overall, 6-3 East Central Illinois Conference
(Games at Kenney Gym in bold)

Season Preview: Illineks ready for season opener tonight

Nov. 16: Atwood-Hammond, W 37-35
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 14 pts
— story: Illineks triumph in season opener

Nov. 18: Hoopeston (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), W 45-23
— leading scorer: Ruthie Welch, 13 pts
— story: Illineks win one, lose one in Oakwood

Nov. 18: Chrisman (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 50-48
— leading scorers: Rachel Skoza & Jessi Sullivan, 15 pts each
— story: Illineks win one, lose one in Oakwood

Nov. 20: Blue Ridge (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), W 52-47
— leading scorer: Sarah Pfander, 13 pts
— story: Illineks down Blue Ridge in tournament action

Nov. 21: Oakwood (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 72-39
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 16 pts
— story: Shorthanded Uni loses to undefeated Oakwood

Nov. 24: Milford (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 44-24
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 10 pts
— story: Uni finishes sixth in Thanksgiving Classic

Nov. 28: Shiloh, L 45-25
— leading scorer: Ruthie Welch, 5 pts
— story: Uni drops third straight

Nov. 30: Villa Grove, game postponed because of bad weather

Dec. 5: Paxton-Buckley-Loda, L 34-23
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 9 pts
— story: Slump continues as Uni falls to PBL

Dec. 8: Decatur Lutheran, L 57-38 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 14 pts
— story: Uni begins conference play with loss to defending champ

Dec. 9: Villa Grove, L 38-27
— leading scorer: Kaylie Dastrup, 9 pts
— story: Villa Grove hands Illineks fourth home defeat of season

Dec. 11: Judah Christian, W 44-29 *
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 13 pts
— story: Illineks end six-game losing streak

Dec. 14: at DeLand-Weldon, W 64-26 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 16 pts
— story: Illineks win by 38

Dec. 16: LeRoy, W 43-33
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 18 pts
— story: Girls basketball: Skoza, Yoo lead Uni to third straight win

Jan. 2: at Buckley Christ Lutheran, W 57-19 *
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 12 pts
— story: Four players score in double figures as Uni gets back to .500

Jan. 4: at Decatur Christian, W 53-26 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 15 pts
— story: Uni wins fifth straight game, record improves to 8-7

Jan. 6: Fisher, L 52-41
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 15 pts
— story: Fisher ends Uni winning streak

Jan. 8: Normal Calvary Baptist, L 48-36 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 12 pts
— story: Uni loses showdown for second place in conference

Jan. 11: DeLand-Weldon, W 58-14 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 13 pts
— story: Uni completes sweep of DeLand-Weldon

Jan. 19: at Decatur Lutheran, L 79-41 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 16 pts
— story: Conference leader Decatur Lutheran tops Uni

Jan. 22: at Judah Christian, W 49-47 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 14 pts
— story: Illineks win close call against Judah, lose Skoza

Jan. 25: at Donovan, L 84-41
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 12 pts
— story: see above

Remaining games: see schedule

*East Central Illinois Conference opponent