Junior Neil Pearson knocked down two three-pointers in Uni's victory over Judah Christian. Gargoyle photos by David Porreca (click to enlarge)

Senior Alan Kessler finished with 12 points and played strong defense for the Illineks. (click to enlarge)

CHAMPAIGN — The Illineks used a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter to turn a close contest into a rout Tuesday night, putting away conference rival Judah Christian 65-38.

Going into the road game, Uni was 4-2 in the East Central Illinois Conference and needed a win to stay in the race for the league title.

The Illineks, now 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the conference, are still very much alive, just one loss behind ECIC opponents Normal Calvary Baptist (10-8, 7-1) and Decatur Lutheran (11-9, 6-1). Judah is 6-13, 5-2.

Playing before an energized home crowd, the Tribe took the early lead, building a 15-11 first-quarter advantage. Uni crept back into the game as the first half closed, and the game was deadlocked at 27 after two periods.

As the second half began, the game started to swing in Uni's favor. Uni took a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Then things really started to go well for the visitors.

Steals. Fast breaks. Offense. Defense. Layups. Three-pointers. A monster block by 6-foot-7 Warren Skoza. After almost six minutes, Uni had outscored Judah 20-0. A lone Tribe basket at the 2:08 mark prevented a fourth-quarter shutout. The Illineks' 25-2 advantage in those final eight minutes propelled them to a convincing 27-point victory.

"We started off and we didn't really play as good a first half as we would have liked to," said junior Dan Lilly. "We thought at halftime that we needed to come out with a lot more intensity, and the third quarter kind of swung our way. The fourth quarter — it just started with a bang. … Before you knew it we were up 20 and sailing smoothly."

Lilly led Uni with a game-high 26 points, including three treys. He also had four assists and a team-high five steals.

The Illineks have won 10 in a row against their crosstown rivals, dating back to the 2001-02 season. Uni is 30-10 all time against the Tribe. The team will play Judah again on Feb. 20, the final home game for Illinek seniors Alan Kessler, Malcolm Taylor, and Charlie Wan.

With 12 points, Kessler was the only other Illinek in double figures Tuesday; he added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.

"I thought it was really exciting," Kessler said. "I was concerned at halftime, but it was really fun beating them in the second half. Hopefully we can do it again on Senior Night."

In all, the Illineks made seven shots from behind the arc. Juniors Costa Cangellaris and Neil Pearson each had a pair of three-pointers.

Sophomore Warren Skoza had five points, seven rebounds and four blocks, including a block midway through the fourth quarter that snuffed one of Judah's only good scoring chances in the final period.

The Illineks will have almost a week to prepare for their next varsity opponent, as they take on Decatur Christian next Tuesday. On Friday, the Uni JV will face the Buckley Christ Lutheran varsity in a game that counts toward BCL's conference record, but not Uni's.

Five varsity games, all of them against ECIC teams, remain on Uni's schedule before the Class 2A playoffs begin in late February. If the Illineks win all five, they would be assured of at least a tie for the conference championship. Uni is 3-2 this year against its remaining opponents.

Junior Dan Lilly takes aim against the Tribe. He scored a game-high 26 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Gargoyle photos by David Porreca (click to enlarge)

Junior Costa Cangellaris had two treys to go along with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He scored eight points in all. (click to enlarge)

Sophomore Warren Skoza (50) and senior Malcolm Taylor (33) battle the Tribe. Skoza had a team-high seven rebounds and four blocks, while Taylor dealt four assists, tied with Lilly for team best. (click to enlarge)

At a glance: Uni at Judah Christian

Game Summary
Uni defeated Judah Christian 65-38 in a conference road game

• Uni: 11 16 13 25 — 65
• JC: 15 12 09 02 — 38

Varsity Record

• Overall: 11-7
• East Central Illinois Conference: 5-2

Uni Highlights

• Junior Dan Lilly had a game-high 26 points
• Uni made seven three-pointers: Lilly three, juniors Neil Pearson and Costa Cangellaris two each
• A close contest turned into a rout as the Illineks outscored the Tribe 25-2 in the final eight minutes
• The Judah gymnasium was packed; the atmosphere was like a playoff game
• The Illineks were tested — a loss would have put them out of the conference race — but they responded brilliantly in the fourth quarter, going on a 20-0 run keyed by great rebounding, tough defense, and strong outside shooting

Uni Individual Statistics
Player: Total Points (2-pointers made - 3-pointers made - free throws made)

• Dan Lilly: 26 pts (7-3-3), 1 reb, 4 assts, 5 stls
• Alan Kessler: 12 pts (6-0-0), 5 rebs, 2 assts, 2 blks, 1 stl
• Costa Cangellaris: 8 pts (1-2-0), 5 rebs, 3 assts, 2 stls
• Neil Pearson: 6 pts (0-2-0), 1 reb
• Malcolm Taylor: 6 pts (3-0-0), 3 rebs, 4 assts, 1 stl
• Warren Skoza: 5 pts (2-0-1), 7 rebs, 1 asst, 4 blks, 2 stls
• Nile Hamer: 2 pts (1-0-0), 4 rebs, 1 asst
• Miles Bribriesco: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Seth Bull: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Will Fernandez: 0 pts (0-0-0), 1 asst
• Jack Snyder: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Joseph Song: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Charlie Wan: 0 pts (0-0-0)

Junior Tony Riley led Judah with 16 pts (2-4-0)

Uni Team Statistics (opponent totals in parentheses)

• Total Points: 65 (38)
• 2-pointers made: 20 (11)
• 3-pointers made: 7 (4)
• Free throws made: 4 (4)
• Rebounds: 26 (not available)
• Assists: 16 (n/a)
• Blocks: 6 (n/a)
• Steals: 11 (n/a)