Girls basketball: Judah avenges loss as Uzuri Williams scores 28

By Gargoyle Sports Staff
Published: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 2:18am

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UNI HIGH VS. JUDAH CHRISTIAN AT A GLANCE

When & Where: Monday, Jan. 26, at Champaign

Result: Judah Christian 52, Uni 46

Season Record: 12-8 overall, 5-3 East Central Illinois Conference

Summary: Uni and Judah played to a 20-20 deadlock in the first half, but the host Tribe used superior defense and hustle to pull ahead after the break. The six-point conference victory exacted a measure of revenge for Uni's 19-point win in December.

Next Game: Tonight at home against DeLand-Weldon; varsity action begins at approximately 7:15, following JV match with Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley at 6

CHAMPAIGN — The last time conference rivals Uni and Judah Christian met, they played to an 11-11 deadlock in the first quarter. But Uni broke the game open in the second period and wound up winning handily, 68-49.

That was on Dec. 15 in the friendly confines of Kenney Gym. Last night the Illineks made the short trip to Champaign to take on the Tribe in Judah's home gym.

Despite the change in venue, things seemed to follow the same pattern, with the teams remaining close in the early stages. Indeed, they went into halftime tied at 20.

But even at that point, the momentum appeared to be in Judah's favor. The Illineks went up 12-9 in the first eight minutes, but the Tribe took outscored Uni 11-8 in the second quarter.

After the break, Judah used superior defense and hustle to build a 32-29 lead by the start of the final period. Led by sophomore Uzuri Williams, the Tribe built on their lead and came away with a 52-46 victory.

The 5-foot-8 Williams scored a game-high 28 points. Teammate Alyssa Chambers helped out with 11 points.

Uni was led once again by the tandem of freshman Jamie Blue and senior Rachel Skoza. The 5-9 Blue finished with 16 points and five assists. The 6-1 Skoza recorded a double-double: 15 points and 14 rebounds.

One of the differences in this game compared to last month's was the lack of scoring from other Illineks. In Uni's 19-point win, Skoza and Blue combined for 33 points, while their teammates added 35. Last night the duo scored 31, but the rest of the team chipped only 15.

The loss hurt Uni's chances to finish the season in undisputed possession of second place in the East Central Illinois Conference. The Illineks are 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the ECIC, with four conference games remaining.

Judah, meanwhile, improved to 13-9 overall and 7-2 in league play. The Tribe have three ECIC opponents left: powerhouse Decatur Lutheran (which hasn't lost a conference game since January 2005), Normal Calvary Baptist, and DeLand-Weldon.

Uni won't have much time to think about last night's loss. The Illineks are back in action tonight at Kenney Gym. The JV will play nonconference opponent Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley at 6 p.m., and the varsity will follow with an ECIC matchup against DeLand-Weldon.

Game Summary
Judah Christian defeated Uni 52-46 in a conference road game