Fourth-quarter surge lifts GHS girls over Moline
For three quarters, the Galesburg and Moline girls basketball teams slugged it out before the Silver Streaks took command in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 70-58 victory at John Thiel Gymnasium on Jan. 29.
The win kept the Silver Streaks tied with Quincy for the Western Big 6 lead at 9-1. Quincy defeated Geneseo 73-19, setting up a showdown between the two teams Saturday, Jan. 31, in Quincy.
GHS head coach Lexi Demott said Quincy has two top players in Khloe Nicholson and Jada Brown and plays a tough zone similar to what the Streaks just saw from Moline.
“We’ve got to handle it and take care of what we need to take care of,” Demott said. “It’s going to be a grind. We have to play at their place, and it’s going to be hard, but I’m confident when we settle down and we play together that we have a good chance at things.”
The Silver Streaks set up the first-place showdown with their victory over Moline. The game was highlighted by the scoring of Jozalynn Kilgore, who finished with 29 points. That included three quarters with three field goals and four in the fourth quarter.
“She was kind of what we call a ‘Steady Betty’ from the beginning to the end of the game for us,” Demott said. “She set the tone for us early, and then she just kept us rolling all the way through the night. I felt like in the second half her teammates really started to roll with her, which then kind of turned into what happened there at the end.”
That end came in the form of an explosive 25-11 fourth-quarter surge and defensive effort that propelled the Streaks to win going away.
The first quarter provided an indication of how the game would go, with the teams trading baskets throughout. Moline knocked down 3-pointers, while Kilgore scored six points in the lane. The Maroons led 13-11 after one quarter.
“I just knew that Moline was coming here ready to play and they wanted to beat us on our home court,” Kilgore said. “I just knew I had to bring energy for the whole team and we had to be strong with the ball and make the right play.”
The Maroons took more control in the second quarter. Galesburg missed shots while Moline continued to connect from beyond the arc, led by Aniya Dixon, who hit three 3-pointers and added a field goal. Kilgore kept the Streaks close with three more shots inside and a pair of free throws, but Moline closed the half ahead 32-26.
“No. 5, Dixon, she was hitting a lot of shots,” Khloe May said. “She was hot tonight, so we just had to get up on her and basically stop her from shooting. We just had to stop them from shooting because they were getting off a lot of shots, and they were hitting them.”
Moline maintained its lead early in the third quarter, but Galesburg began to gain ground offensively. While the Maroons continued to score from the perimeter and inside, the Streaks heated up as May, Zaniyah Carter and Taylor Herchenroder each hit a 3-pointer. Kilgore continued her inside scoring, hitting three field goals for the third straight quarter.
For much of the period, Moline held a five- to six-point lead. Galesburg chipped away with improved shooting, with six Silver Streaks scoring in the quarter to close the gap to 47-45.
“I don’t think everyone was clicking with our press,” May said. “It was there, but it wasn’t ‘there.’ We weren’t really getting the rotation because they were beating our press. When we went in at halftime, we talked, Coach Demott got us right, and then we came out and had to switch things.”
The switch took full effect in the fourth quarter. Carter, who missed time earlier with foul trouble, hit a 3-pointer to give the Streaks the lead shortly after the quarter began. The defense ramped up, forcing turnovers and cutting off the shots the Maroons had been getting earlier.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well to start, so we didn’t have a whole lot of momentum,” Demott said. “We did get in our press, but we weren’t getting great things all the time. We made some adjustments to that, and then the ball started to fall. When the ball starts to fall, you slowly start to gain that confidence back.”
The defensive pressure led to open shots, allowing Kilgore to score four more baskets. Carter, Ella Herchenroder, Lily Furrow and Eleanor Johnson also scored during the decisive run.
“I think pressing the whole game and always being up and running the floor kind of wore them down, and they finally got tired in the fourth quarter,” Kilgore said. “That’s when we can make our run.”
Kilgore’s 29 points led the Silver Streaks. Carter finished with 10 points, Ella Herchenroder had nine, Furrow added eight, May scored six, Johnson had five and Taylor Herchenroder added three. Dixon led Moline with 25 points, and Adelynn Voss scored 13.
Galesburg plays at Quincy at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, before traveling to LaSalle-Peru for a 7 p.m. game Monday, Feb. 2.
Galesburg girls basketball climbs to No. 2 in state rankings
Following a statement win over the state’s top-ranked team, the Galesburg High School girls basketball team moved up to No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Illinois girls basketball poll released Jan. 28.
The Silver Streaks (21-2) jumped one spot in Class 3A after defeating previously top-ranked Morton on Saturday. Washington (22-1) took over the No. 1 position, while Morton (19-5) dropped to No. 4.
Peoria Notre Dame (19-4), another Galesburg opponent, is ranked No. 8. The Streaks defeated the Irish earlier this season Nov. 29.
The Streaks face a significant conference challenge Saturday, Jan. 31, when they travel to Quincy for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff. The Blue Devils (15-7) are tied with Galesburg for first place in the Western Big 6 at 9-1. Galesburg won the first meeting between the two teams 76-71 on Dec. 11.
All 13 Chargers score in sweep of Eureka JV
Every player on the roster found the basket Wednesday night as the Carl Sandburg College men’s basketball team completed a home-and-home series sweep of the Eureka College JV team with an 86-54 victory.
The win extended the Chargers’ winning streak to three games and marked their fifth victory in the last six outings. Sandburg (12-8) dominated from the opening tip, holding the Red Devils to just 12 points in the first half to take a 27-point lead into the break.
Sophomore point guard Ralph Wires led the balanced attack with a team-high 15 points, eight of which came in the first half.
Sophomore Camron Williams scored a career-high 13 points, including 11 after halftime. Williams connected on one of the Chargers’ eight 3-pointers and was perfect in two attempts from the free-throw line. His previous career high of 10 points was set on three occasions, most recently Saturday against Harper College.
Freshmen Rylan Carton and Griffin Briles each added 11 points. For Briles, the performance matched his season high.
The Chargers travel to face the Monmouth College JV team at 7 p.m. tonight, Jan. 29.
Charger women win third straight in Jacksonville
A pair of double-doubles and a dominant third quarter powered the Carl Sandburg College women’s basketball team to an 85-65 victory over the Illinois College JV team in Jacksonville on Jan. 28.
Antonia Kisler and Camryn Atterberg each finished with double-digit points and rebounds for the Chargers (16-7), who have won three straight games and seven of their last eight.
Kisler tallied a team-high 23 points, including a 3-for-5 performance from 3-point range. The sophomore from Galesburg also recorded 12 rebounds and four assists in the win over the Lady Blues.
Atterberg finished with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The freshman forward from Keokuk, Iowa, also grabbed a team-leading 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, while adding four assists and three blocks.
Sandburg held a 39-35 lead at halftime but pulled away by outscoring Illinois College 25-10 in the third quarter. The Chargers finished the night 13 of 33 from 3-point range and nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 14 of 16 attempts.
Freshman Hailey Redding added 15 points for the Chargers, including three 3-pointers. Sophomore Tiera Hall contributed 12 rebounds and a team-best six assists.
The Chargers return home to host Triton College at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.
Knox alumnus named Cleveland Browns head coach
Knox College alumnus Todd Monken, Class of 1989, was named head coach of the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.
Monken, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, becomes the 19th head coach in franchise history.
A two-sport standout at Knox, Monken starred in football and baseball and was inducted into the Knox-Lombard Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. As a senior quarterback in 1988, he led the nation in pass attempts, completions and completion percentage and remains the holder of five Knox football records.
“Todd’s journey reflects what Knox has always been about — developing people with confidence and preparing them to lead at the highest levels,” Knox Director of Athletics Justin Newell said.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Monken began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame.
Monken brings 37 seasons of coaching experience, including 11 in the NFL. He previously served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019 and spent seven seasons total as an NFL offensive coordinator. He also coached collegiately, including stints as head coach at Southern Miss and offensive coordinator at Georgia, where he helped guide the Bulldogs to national championships in 2021 and 2022.
“We are very excited to name Todd Monken the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns,” managing and principal partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement.
Monken will assume the role immediately.
Knox Athletics hosts girls, women sports day Jan. 30
The Knox College Athletics Department will host a panel discussion in observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today, Jan. 30, in the Trustees’ Room. The event is open to the Knox College campus community.
Panelists will include Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Heather Bumps, admissions counselor for athletic recruitment Ashley Sykes, and Carl Sandburg assistant volleyball and softball coach and TRIO program coordinator Josalyn Owens.
The discussion will be moderated by Maliah Blakemore, assistant athletics director for student programming and head volleyball coach.
Fans and families are also encouraged to attend the women’s home basketball game against Webster University at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.
