NORMAL — The Illineks had already lost to this team once, and they weren’t going to do it twice.

After an embarrassing 67-41 conference loss to Normal Calvary Baptist at Kenney Gym on Jan. 13, Uni gained revenge on the host Crusaders Friday night, winning 61-48 in overtime. It was Uni's second overtime win this season.

"We tried to give the game away numerous times with poor decisions," said head coach Joel Beesley, "but each time after taking a breath, the team battled back to make a stop or something positive to happen. The guys could have easily given in through all the adversity, but they never quit."

Calvary took an early 13-8 lead after one quarter of play. Then the Illineks caught fire offensively. Uni outscored the Crusaders 21-9 in the second quarter to take a seven-point halftime lead.

There was a feeling of deja vu soon after the second half began, as the Crusaders regained the lead in the third quarter, just as they did at Kenney Gym. Unlike the earlier game, however — when Calvary scored 29 in the third period — the Illineks didn't give in, and the two teams were tied going into the final period.

The game stayed close toward the end of regulation. Neither team took control, as both battled turnovers, of which the Illineks had 15 on the evening.

With the score tied, Uni had the ball twice in the final 30 seconds but couldn’t get a shot off either time. With one second left, a shot by Crusader scoring sensation Grant Touma bounced off the rim, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Uni simply shut down the Crusader attack. The Illineks outscored their hosts 13-0 and hit seven of nine free throws to ice the victory. For the game, Uni held Touma to 19 points, considerably fewer than the 33 he dropped in Calvary's win at Kenney.

The Illineks played one of their most balanced games of the year in scoring and rebounding. Though junior Dan Lilly had a team-high 19 points, six Illineks scored at least half-a-dozen points. The same six also had at least five rebounds apiece. Six Illineks also picked up an assist.

Sophomore Warren Skoza led the team in rebounding with seven boards to go with six points and three blocks. Lilly had five rebounds, three assists, and a team-high four steals to go with his 19 points.

With the win, Uni improves to 13-7 overall and 7-2 in the ECIC. Normal Calvary falls to 12-9 overall and 8-2 in the conference. The Illineks have won three games in a row and are within reach of their early-season goal of winning 15 games.

Most importantly, their fate is now in their own hands. If they win all three of their remaining regular-season games, they will clinch at least a share of the conference title. The Illineks have already soundly defeated DeLand-Weldon, whom they will play in their next game Tuesday in DeLand.

The final two games will be played at Kenney Gym. Uni’s biggest challenge will come when Decatur Lutheran arrives on Feb. 17; the Lions beat Uni 50-41 in Decatur Jan. 22.

The Illineks finish up with Judah Christian on Senior Night Feb. 20. Uni has won 10 straight against the Tribe, dating back to 2001-02.

Also on Friday, the Uni JV beat the Normal Calvary JV 44-34. The Uni JV won the same matchup earlier in the year 36-31.

At a glance: Uni at Normal Calvary Baptist

Game Summary
Uni traveled to Normal Calvary Baptist Academy (CBA) for a conference road game

• Uni: 08 21 06 13 13 (OT) — 61
• CBA: 13 09 13 13 00 (OT) — 48

Game Highlights

• Uni outscored the Crusaders 13-0 in overtime
• In a battle of high-scoring juniors, Uni's Dan Lilly and Calvary's Grant Touma each scored 19 points
• Uni committed 15 turnovers compared to grabbing six steals
• Varsity record: 13-7 overall, 7-2 East Central Illinois Conference

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

• Dan Lilly: 19 pts (5-1-6), 5 rebs, 3 assts, 4 stls
• Will Fernandez: 8 pts (3-0-2), 5 rebs
• Alan Kessler: 8 pts (4-0-0), 5 rebs, 1 stl
• Warren Skoza: 6 pts (2-0-2), 7 rebs, 1 asst, 3 blks
• Malcolm Taylor: 7 pts (1-1-2), 5 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl
• Nile Hamer: 6 pts (3-0-0), 6 rebs, 1 asst
• Neil Pearson: 4 pts (0-1-1), 3 rebs, 1 asst
• Charlie Wan: 3 pts (0-1-0), 2 assts
• Miles Bribriesco: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Seth Bull: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Costa Cangellaris: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Jack Snyder: 0 pts (0-0-0)
• Joseph Song: 0 pts (0-0-0)

For Calvary Baptist, junior Grant Touma had a team-high 19 points, including one three-pointer; Seth Howerton had a game-high three treys

Uni Team Statistics
Opponent totals in parentheses

• Total Points: 61 (48)
• 2-pointers made: 18 (13)
• 3-pointers made: 4 (4)
• Free throws made: 13 (10)
• Rebounds: 36 (not available)
• Assists: 11 (n/a)
• Blocks: 3 (n/a)
• Steals: 6 (n/a)