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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
The Orange Krush watches Tre White go up for a dunk during Tuesday night’s Illini men’s basketball team’s win against Iowa at State Farm Center in Champaign.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Tuesday night’s win against Iowa means the Illinois men’s basketball team will finish with at least a .500 record in conference play for the sixth straight season. The Illini are the only Big Ten team to hit that objective in that time span.
➜ 2. Former Illini standout Terrence Shannon Jr. could once again have a key role for the Timberwolves (32-27) on Thursday night when Minnesota tips off against the Lakers (35-21) at 9:30 p.m. The rookie is averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds since the All-Star break.
➜ 3. Danville native Chuckie Robinson got his first hit of spring training with the Angels on Wednesday. The 30-year-old catcher singled to left field in his only at-bat of a 9-4 loss to the Reds in Tempe, Ariz.
Kendall Bostic will play her final game at State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon, with the Illinois forward closing in on another program record.
Numbers game: 2
more double-doubles Kendall Bostic needs this season to become the Illinois women’s basketball program’s career record-holder in that category. The 6-foot-2 forward has 52 the past four seasons, with Jenna Smith producing 53 from 2006-10. Bostic has a chance to tie it when the Illini (21-7, 11-6 Big Ten) host Michigan (19-9, 10-7) in the regular-season finale at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at State Farm Center in Champaign.
Reese Gallier and the Mahomet-Seymour girls’ basketball team will play for a Class 3A sectional championship against Quincy Notre Dame on Thursday night in Chatham.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Mahomet-Seymour vs. Quincy Notre Dame girls’ basketball. M-S (22-11) will try to knock off state-ranked QND (31-3) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in a Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional championship game as the Bulldogs aim for their second sectional title in program history.
➜ 2. Watseka vs. Bishop McNamara girls’ basketball. Watseka (28-4) will try to avenge an early-season loss to Bishop Mac (26-7) at 6 p.m. Thursday in a Class 2A Herscher Sectional championship game.
➜ 3. Cissna Park vs. Roanoke-Benson girls’ basketball. Cissna Park (28-4) vies for its second straight Class 1A sectional title at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Rockets (28-5) in Varna.
Ridgeview/Lexington track and field coach Mike Benton
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Ridgeview/Lexington track and field coach Mike Benton, who has coached track and field for 35 years:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Minnesota Vikings.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Bud Grant, Nick Saban and Boo Schexnayder.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … apathy.