Senior Jessi Sullivan led Uni with six rebounds against Decatur Lutheran. Gargoyle photo by David Porreca (click to enlarge)

URBANA — Jamie Blue continues to make a case for herself as one of the area's top freshman players, but her 16 points Friday night weren't enough as Uni lost its conference-opener 65-43 to Decatur Lutheran School Association.

The defending champions came into Kenney Gym boasting one of best returning players in the East Central Illinois Conference, 5-foot-11 Rachel McBride.

McBride put on a commanding performance, scoring 16 points of her own on seven field goals and two free throws, but the 5-9 Blue didn't back down, netting six field goals and four free throws to tie McBride as the game's high scorer.

Two other Illineks finished in double figures: 6-1 senior Rachel Skoza (11 points), who nailed Uni's lone three-pointer, and 5-9 senior Jessi Sullivan (10), who grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

The visiting Lady Lions also had two players in double digits: their own talented freshman, 5-8 Jerica Hawkins (15), and 5-6 sophomore Whitney Thompson (11).

The loss evens Uni's record at 5-5 overall but drops the team to 0-1 in the ECIC.

The powerful Lady Lions are 9-1 overall, 4-0 in conference. They have won their ECIC games by an average score of 60-29.

Blue now has 150 points on the season, giving her a team-high average of 15.0 points per game. Skoza is second with 149 points (14.9 ppg), followed by Sullivan (75 points, 8.3 ppg).

The Illineks played the visitors tough throughout the contest, but LSA had too many scorers, with seven players contributing at least four points apiece. By contrast, only five Uni players scored at all, with the trio of Blue, Skoza, and Sullivan accounting for 37 of the team's 43 points.

The Lady Lions began to take control of the game by the end of the first quarter when they went up 13-7. By halftime their lead had increased to 34-19.

A 16-10 advantage in the third quarter enabled the visitors to put the game out of reach, and a 15-14 fourth quarter sealed the 22-point win.

The Illineks will play two more games, both at home, before they start their winter break. They will host conference opponent Judah Christian on Monday, followed by nonconference foe LeRoy on Saturday.

Uni Vs. Decatur Lutheran School Association At a Glance

Game Summary

• LSA: 13 21 16 15 — 65
• Uni: 07 12 10 14 — 43

Decatur LSA Individual Scoring
Player: Total Points (2 pts - 3 pts - free throws)

• Rachel McBride: 16 (7-0-2)
• Jerica Hawkins: 15 (7-0-1)
• Whitney Thompson: 11 (5-0-1)
• Christi Rever: 8 (4-0-0)
• Rebecca Morris: 6 (3-0-0)
• Alexa Peoples: 5 (0-1-2)
• Mackenzie Laskowski: 4 (2-0-0)
• Jamie Schollenbruch: 0 (0-0-0)
• Rachel McCormick: 0 (0-0-0)
• Totals: 65 (28-1-6)

Uni High Individual Scoring
Player: Total Points (2 pts - 3 pts - free throws)

• Jamie Blue: 16 (6-0-4)
• Rachel Skoza: 11 (4-1-0)
• Jessi Sullivan: 10 (5-0-0)
• Joy Shapley: 4 (1-0-2)
• Michelle Wong: 2 (1-0-0)
• Lizzy Warner: 0 (0-0-0)
• Sheri Grill: 0 (0-0-0)
• Erika Belmont: 0 (0-0-0)
• Maritza Mestre: 0 (0-0-0)
• Totals: 43 (17-1-6)