To subscribe, please click here
Want a copy of today’s edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations
Sign up for our daily newsletters
Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois guard Genesis Bryant launches a three-pointer on Thursday night against Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. Bryant had a game-high 28 points, helping the Illini rally for a 69-65 road Big Ten victory in overtime against the Scarlet Knights.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. The Illinois women’s basketball team needed overtime against lowly Rutgers, but won its third straight Big Ten game on Thursday night with a 69-65 road victory against the Scarlet Knights. The Illini improved to 16-5, including 6-4 in the Big Ten, with their latest win.
➜ 2. Kendall Bostic is now up to a school-record 1,229 career rebounds after she pulled down a game-high 11 for the Illini on Thursday night at Rutgers.
➜ 3. Congrats to Brock Owens of the LeRoy/Tri-Valley wrestling team and Amelia Scharp of the Iroquois West girls’ basketball team. The pair is our latest high school Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Read more about the duo in Monday’s News-Gazette.
Shauna Green is 57-30 so far in her Illinois tenure.
Numbers game: 5
more wins the Illinois women’s basketball team needs to reach 21 wins on the season. Why is 21 wins vital? Because the Illini have made the NCAA tournament every season they hit that elusive mark. Elusive because it has only happened in four other seasons — 1981-82, 1996-97, 1999-2000 and 2022-23 — during the program’s 51-year history.
Luke Swanson, right, and the Champaign Central boys’ basketball team is back home at Combes Gym tonight when the Maroons host state-ranked Peoria Manual.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Peoria Manual at Champaign Central boys’ basketball. The Maroons (12-9) will try to end a three-game losing skid when it hosts one of the state’s most talented Class 2A teams at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Combes Gym. Manual (13-8) is led by Bradley signee Dietrich Richardson, the nephew of former Illini D.J. Richardson.
➜ 2. Watseka at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley girls’ basketball. Watseka (22-1) brings a 20-game win streak into Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. game, with host GCMS (19-5) a tough team to beat.
➜ 3. Pontiac girls’ wrestling regional. Centennial, Champaign Central, Mahomet-Seymour, Unity and Urbana, among other area teams, start the postseason Saturday.
From left, the Odle family: Brittani, Dellanie, Silas, Sadie and Josh.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Westville soccer coach Josh Odle:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the 2007 Barcelona team.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Phil Jackson.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … toothpaste left in the sink.