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Boys basketball: Illineks dominate No. 5 PBL in home win, Renner closes in on career-scoring record


Senior Chumar Williams goes in for 2 of his 17 points during Uni's 71-57 victory Tuesday night over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda, the No. 5 team in the area. The Illineks are 13-5 and will host Decatur Lutheran Thursday night at Kenney Gym. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)

By Chris Yoder
Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 4:35pm
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POSTGAME COMMENTS: JOEL BEESLEY
Click to listen

Head coach Joel Beesley talks about Uni's victory over PBL, the keys to the game, and what it means to the team, which is now 13-5 and aiming for a fourth straight conference title.

Note: This is an updated version of an article originally posted Tuesday night. For a breakdown of stats from this game, click here. For season results and remaining games, click here. Listen to postgame comments at right.

URBANA — The Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers came into Kenney Gym Tuesday night ranked fifth in the area by The News-Gazette.

But it was the host Illineks who played like one of the area's elite teams.

Behind Mike Renner's 21 points, Chumar Williams' skillful game management, and clutch plays by a host of other Illineks, Uni defeated PBL handily 71-57.

With the nonconference win, the Illineks are 13-5.

They have won four straight after beginning the new year with two home losses. The team will host Decatur Lutheran on Thursday in an East Central Illinois Conference game. Uni is 3-1 in the ECIC.

Renner, a 6-foot senior guard/forward, came to within 3 points of tying the Uni boys career scoring record of 1,372 set by his brother Al from 2003 to 2006.

POSTGAME COMMENTS:
CHUMAR WILLIAMS & MIKE RENNER
Click to listen

Seniors Chumar Williams (first speaker) and Mike Renner talk about Uni's win over PBL. Chumar discusses the play that ended the third quarter, "Ice," which ate up 46 seconds and culminated in a 3-pointer, and Mike discusses his impending scoring record.

After Tuesday's contest, the younger Renner is averaging 17.5 points per game. He currently ranks 12th in the area in scoring. He is also the subject of a feature article in today's News-Gazette. (The N-G story is incorrect about the PBL score, however. It was 71-57, not 70-56.)

The school's overall career record is held by 1986 graduate Sophia Neely, who scored 1,967 points before becoming a three-time All-Ivy League player for Dartmouth College (including Ivy League Player of the Year in 1989-90).

Against the visiting Panthers, the Illineks played one of their best all-around games of the season. Uni jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage and led 18-9 at the quarter.

PBL narrowed the gap to as little as 5, but Uni outscored the Panthers in the second period 15-14 to take a 33-23 lead into halftime.

PBL capitalized on a Uni third-quarter scoring drought that lasted about 3 minutes, embarking on an 8-0 run to narrow the lead to 40-34 with 3:40 left in the period.

That would be as close as the Panthers got. Sophomore Dan Lilly ended the run with a 3-point play on a driving layup and free throw, and PBL was held in check the rest of the way.

POSTGAME COMMENTS: DAN LILLY
Click to listen

Sophomore Dan Lilly talks about his layup and foul shot that broke an Illinek scoring drought in the third quarter and put the team up by 9, keeping Uni in control of the game.

“We were in a big lull offensively, and we really needed to get away from that 40-point,” said head coach Joel Beesley. “Lilly’s driving layup was a huge play for us.”

The play began a 12-4 run to end the quarter, and the game was never in question in the final period.

The Illineks shot 12 free throws in the final 3 minutes, and their success at the line sealed the victory. Uni shot 16 of 21 overall from the charity stripe.

Williams added 17 points, including a 3-pointer, and he shot 4-for-5 from the line.

Lilly was the other Illinek to score in double figures, with 11 points, including 2 treys and 3-for-3 foul shooting.

The victory was filled with standout plays, such as Lilly's drive to the basket and senior Isaac Radnitzer's reverse layup early in the third quarter after a sweet pass by Renner.

But two other plays deserve mentioning.

With 1:32 left in the third period, PBL had cut the margin to 45-37 and was threatening to score again. Another Panther basket would have shifted the momentum PBL's way heading into the final quarter.

POSTGAME COMMENTS: AMMAR RIZWAN
Click to listen

Senior Ammar Rizwan talks about his steal and pass to Chumar Williams late in the third quarter that gave Uni a double-digit lead for good.

But senior Ammar Rizwan stole the ball and delivered it to a perfectly positioned Williams, who laid it up to give Uni a 10-point lead. PBL would never get within single digits the rest of the game.

Then, with 46 seconds left in the third quarter and Uni ahead 49-38, Williams took control of the Illinek offense, running a play called "Ice."

The senior point guard, who is tied for third in the area in assists per game (6.4), worked the clock masterfully. As time ran out the ball went to Lilly, who dropped a trey that extended Uni's lead to an insurmountable 14 points (52-38).

The win also avenged Uni's two losses last season to PBL (now 12-5). The Illineks fell to the Panthers 69-60 in overtime last year, and lost to them in the first round of the IHSA Class A playoffs 60-48.

But this time, Uni was coming off an impressive 71-60 victory Saturday against a talented Fisher team, and they were confident they could do well.

“We played back-to-back very tough opponents, and we played them physical,” said Beesley. “We’ve been working to play more physical and aggressive, and I’m very proud of these guys. It shows that we can play with some of the better teams in the area and succeed.”

MORE PHOTOS: UNI VS. PBL


Senior Mike Renner fights his way through traffic against PBL. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)


Senior Austin Rundus drives to the hoop. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)


Sophomore Dan Lilly looks for an open teammate. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)


Isaac Radnitzer (22) sets a pick for Austin Rundus. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)


Renner scores against PBL. Now just 3 points away from equaling the Uni boys career mark of 1,372 points set by his brother Al from 2003 to 2006, Mike will probably break the record early in Thursday's home game against Decatur Lutheran. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)

THE VARSITY SEASON SO FAR

2007-08 BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL: 13-5 overall, 3-1 ECIC
(home matches listed in bold)

Nov. 19: Shiloh (Central Illinois Turkey Tourney), W 80-32

Nov. 20: Buckley Christ Lutheran (Central Illinois Turkey Tourney), W 69-17

Nov. 23: Bement (Central Illinois Turkey Tourney), W 73-59

Nov. 24: Martinsville (Central Illinois Turkey Tourney championship game), W 74-43

Nov. 30: at Shiloh, W 72-23

Dec. 4: St. Thomas More, W 63-45

Dec. 14: at Oakwood, L 67-54

Dec. 18: Uni JV vs. BCL Varsity, W 40-23 (counts toward Uni's ECIC record only)

Dec. 27: Heritage (Hayden's Classic at Heritage), W 67-32

Dec. 27: Georgetown-Ridge Farm (Hayden's Classic at Heritage), W 63-41

Dec. 28: Salt Fork (Hayden's Classic at Heritage), L 71-64

Dec. 28: Atwood-Hammond (Hayden's Classic at Heritage), W 59-42

Dec. 29: Fisher (Hayden's Classic at Bismarck-Henning), L 60-42

Jan. 4: Decatur Christian, L 63-60 (OT)

Jan. 5: Lexington, L 51-48

Jan. 8: at Normal Calvary Baptist, W 74-51

Jan. 11: at DeLand-Weldon, W 70-25

Jan. 12: at Fisher, W 71-60

Jan. 15: Paxton-Buckley-Loda, W 71-57

2007-08 schedule: Click here for the Gargoyle Scoreboard, which includes remaining varsity games.

Related:
Making a name for himself: A profile of Mike Renner
Brothers in arms: Looking back at the three Renners
Q&A with Al and Mike Renner: Brotherly love and basketball

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