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Boys basketball: Illineks celebrate Senior Night with 10th straight win

Gargoyle photo by Jason He (click to enlarge) Chumar Williams enjoys Senior Night with his family as head coach Joel Beesley looks on. Williams was one of six seniors honored before the game. The others were Ammar Rizwan, Frankie McFarland, Austin Rundus, Isaac Radnitzer, and career scoring leader Mike Renner.

By Chris Yoder
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2008 - 1:30am
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POSTGAME COMMENTS:
FRANKIE McFARLAND
Click to listen (0:46)

Staff reporter Chris Yoder talks to senior center Frankie McFarland.

Note: For a breakdown of the stats from this game, click here. For postgame comments from seniors Frankie McFarland, Chumar Williams, Mike Renner, and coach Joel Beesley, click the audio boxes at right.

URBANA — It was a night of mixed emotions Wednesday for the Illineks at Kenney Gym.

On the one hand, six seniors were playing in their final Uni home game. On the other, those seniors decided to give their fans quite a show, as the Illineks defeated Georgetown Notre Dame de LaSalette 66-44 for their 10th consecutive victory.

“It’s amazing,” said senior Mike Renner, who finished with a team-high 13 points. “I never thought my freshman year that this day would ever come, it seemed so far away. ... And now it’s here, it’s bittersweet.”

LaSalette took a 5-0 lead early on, but an ensuing 8-0 Uni run ensured the Lions would never regain the lead. Uni built a 16-12 advantage by the end of the first quarter, and their lead would continue to grow throughout the contest.

Uni started the second quarter on a 10-1 run, highlighted by a play that brought Uni fans to their feet. On a fast break, a behind-the-back pass from senior Chumar Williams led to a layup by fellow senior Austin Rundus, eliciting some “oohs” from the crowd.

POSTGAME COMMENTS:
CHUMAR WILLIAMS
Click to listen (0:52)

Senior guard Chumar Williams talks about his final home game and Uni's prospects for the rest of the season.

The Illineks held the Lions to 6 points in the quarter, and extended their advantage to 30-18 at the half.

Uni continued to assert its dominance in the third quarter.

As time wound down in the period, the Illineks held onto the ball for more than a minute, with sophomore Dan Lilly hitting a 3 at the buzzer to give the hosts a comfortable 47-31 lead.

It was in the fourth quarter that the Illineks started playing like it was their last chance to impress the home crowd.

Uni repeatedly took the ball from the Lions, started nailing circus shots, and even 6-foot-2 center Frankie McFarland tried hitting a trey.

When all was said and done, the seniors would leave Kenney Gym with a 22-point nonconference victory, extending the team's record to 19-5 overall while remaining 8-1 in the East Central Illinois Conference. But some seniors found it difficult to realize they had played their last game at Kenney Gym.

“It’s been incredible, man,” said Williams after the game. “We all love basketball out here and just going out there, playing every day, practicing, playing together we’re like a family out there. Being the last home game, it’s real emotional. We had tears in the locker room.”

POSTGAME COMMENTS:
MIKE RENNER
Click to listen (0:47)

Staff reporter Chris Yoder speaks with career scoring leader Mike Renner about his four years of varsity ball.

“It’s been a great experience these past five years playing basketball,” said McFarland. “Meeting all these friends, playing basketball with them for five straight years — it’s been the best time of my life really, and I’m going to miss it.”

The team still has three conference games to play before heading into the IHSA Class 2A playoffs, including a matchup with Decatur Christian that could decide who wins the conference.

Uni lost a nail-biter to the Warriors earlier in the year, a 63-60 overtime heartbreaker at Kenney. The Illineks will play them Feb. 14 on the road, after heading to Decatur Lutheran School Association (LSA) on Tuesday. Uni then plays at Judah Christian on Feb. 15 before beginning regionals on Feb. 19.

“Our goal is to win the conference title,” said head coach Joel Beesley. “We’re focusing on LSA on Tuesday night, and that’s our first goal — to go there and beat them. Then we’ll work game by game.”

As for the playoffs, this is the first year the IHSA has divided boys basketball into four classes (4A is for the biggest schools). In Class 2A, Uni has been assigned to the Casey-Westfield sectional, where the Illineks are seeded fifth in the nine-team Sub-Sectional B.

POSTGAME COMMENTS:
JOEL BEESLEY
Click to listen (1:05)

Coach Joel Beesley talks about his senior players and the team's goals for the rest of the season.

Uni will open the playoffs in the St. Joseph-Ogden regional on Feb. 19, facing No. 3 seed Monticello. If they win that game, the Illineks will play for the regional title Feb. 22 against one of three teams: No. 2 St. Joseph-Ogden, No. 6 Westville, or No. 8 St. Thomas More.

Besides Renner, three other seniors scored in double figures Wednesday night: Rundus had 11 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals; Williams had 11 points and 4 assists; and Isaac Radnitzer added 10 points with 2 steals.

McFarland added 9 points and 6 rebounds, while Lilly had 8 points, including two 3-pointers. Uni recorded 4 blocks and 10 steals on the evening.

Uni’s JV — which features several future members of the varsity — defeated LaSalette’s JV 42-34.

The JV “B” team will host Judah Christian on Saturday, the final game at Kenney until next volleyball season.

But the seniors still have at least a few games left before turning things over to a new set of players.

“This year it just shows how much we’ve grown up as a group,” said Williams. “We all work so well out there together; every game we’re getting better working together, and it shows. I really think it shows.”

“These guys are winners,” said Beesley. “And they’re used to winning, and that’s what they want to do.”

MORE PHOTOS: UNI VS. NOTRE DAME DE LASALETTE (SENIOR NIGHT)


Frankie McFarland lays in 2 of the 9 points he scored on Senior Night. Gargoyle photos by Jason He (click to enlarge)


Chumar Williams dishes off a no-look pass.


Mike Renner goes in for a layup.


Austin Rundus scored 11 points on Senior Night, including one trey.


Senior Ammar Rizwan and family.


Frankie McFarland and parents.


Isaac Radnitzer and parents.


Austin Rundus and parents.


Chumar Williams and family.


Mike Renner and parents.


Frankie McFarland, Ammar Rizwan, and Isaac Radnitzer with family on Senior Night.


Chumar Williams, Austin Rundus, and Mike Renner with family on Senior Night.

THE SEASON SO FAR

2007-08 BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL: 19-5 overall, 8-1 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

Jan. 17: Decatur Lutheran School Association, W 69-56

Jan. 22: Judah Christian, W 71-49

Jan. 24: at Georgetown Notre Dame de LaSalette, W 81-52

Jan. 25: Uni JV at BCL Varsity, W 46-33 (counts toward Uni's ECIC record only)

Jan. 29: at Decatur Christian, postponed due to winter weather

Feb. 1: Normal Calvary Baptist, W 68-53

Feb. 5: DeLand-Weldon, W 70-21

Feb. 6: Georgetown Notre Dame de LaSalette, W 66-44

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

Links:
Gargoyle Scoreboard (boys basketball): Uni vs. Georgetown Notre Dame de LaSalette
Gargoyle Scoreboard (boys basketball): 2007-08 results, stats, and remaining games
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