NORMAL – Following Pekin Community High’s game against Normal West High here Saturday night, Coach Dave Mott said his team played a team he described as being “long and athletic.”

While that may describe the members of the team, in some ways, it also described the game between the Dragons and the Wildcats itself – Normal West showed athleticism in their scoring, thus making the game a long one for the Dragons, who lost the non-conference contest, 49-36.

“(West’s) tall guys all could shoot threes,” Mott said.

In fact, Austin Stewart, Bradley Hallstein, Tyler Bell, Taylor Scheuermann each contributed at least one three each to the contest, with Stewart’s 21 points, including one trey leading the Wildcats on the night. Bell followed in double digits, with 15 points.

“We did not do a very good job of locating Stewart and Bell on the arc, even though we knew they could shoot it (from there) very well,” Mott said.

“But let’s face it: they were tall, and in spots, very athletic, and I think that wore us down,” Mott said.

An exchange of treys opened the contest with West’s Bell firing the first salvo to open the game at 6:49, followed by Caleb Huss’ 3-point reply 30 seconds later. Pekin’s defense occupied the paint enough to force West to employ outside shots, in a quarter that ended with the Wildcats owning a 9-6 lead going into the second quarter.

Aaron King’s two baskets at the beginning of the second quarter helped Pekin pull in front of West, 12-11 with 6:10 in the second quarter, but a three by Stewart at 3:43 until halftime pushed the Wildcats forward, 18-16, on their way to a 22-17 halftime lead.

Stewart scored three baskets for West (14-8) fairly quickly almost from the beginning of the third quarter, pushing West in front 29-21. A trey by Bell, followed by Taylor Scheuermann’s two free throws helped push West toward a 42-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Mott installed fresh troops in the fourth quarter for Pekin (6-15), to try giving younger players floor time while attempting to cut the deficit. Nathan Taphorn and Tom Lohmann made the most of the opportunity. Taphorn opened the last stanza with a basket and free throw, cutting West’s lead to 42-26 at 7:13, and Lohmann’s layup at 5:22 cut West’s lead to 45-28.

“In the first half, I thought our older players were competing hard,” Mott said. “(But) the start of the third quarter killed us. That was it. In the first three or four minutes of the third quarter, the game was over.

“I was just disappointed that we weren’t more competitive to start that third quarter,” Mott said.

Despite his team’s record to this point, Mott said he still has a goal of making sure the Dragons make it to – and through – their regional game, come tournament time.

West head coach Brian Cupples also saw the third quarter’s action as “being the key to the game.”

Cupples said his team “saw some things that (Pekin) was doing to us defensively, and our defense was really good for us the whole night, which gave us the lead, kept us in the lead, and then, helped extend it, and then we executed a little bit offensively in the third quarter.”

PCHS’ junior varsity began the night on a down note, losing to West, 36-28. The Dragons resume conference action against Morton Tuesday night.

Relay For Life of McLean County is pleased to introduce its Honorary Male, Honorary Female Adult, and Honorary Youth Survivors for its 2010 Relay. The following three individuals were introduced at a “Kickoff” dinner for this year’s Relay, held at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center, Bloomington, on Jan. 23.

Meet Our Honorary Female Adult Survivor…Carla Painter: Carla, Bloomington, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in May five years ago. She is celebrating three years of her Cancer being in remission. That is wonderful, considering hers was not a typical cancer for someone her age, so her treatment options were a challenge. Although her oncologist was in Chicago, where she had multiple surgeries, Carla said she considers herself lucky that she was able to receive treatments locally. Carla’s first Relay was seven years ago, to honor her father who she had lost to Cancer.

Meet Our Honorary Male Adult Survivor…Greg Jonas: Greg, Bloomington, was diagnosed with a Thymoma, which occurs in the thymus gland, and, in Greg’s case, triggered a condition known as Myasthenia Gravis. In 1999, the Thymoma came back throughout his chest cavity. He went through extensive radiation and chemotherapy, and has since then been Cancer free. Greg has been participating in Relay For Life since 2006, spending two years on a Relay team from Livingston County before joining the Survivor Committee of Relay For Life of McLean County.

Meet Our Honorary Youth Survivor…Rachel Trimpe: Five-year-old Rachel, daughter of Tim and Vicki Trimpe, Normal, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, specifically a germ cell tumor, in September 2005, at the age of 11 months. Her treatment consisted of surgery to remove the tumor and her right ovary and fallopian tube, and three rounds of chemotherapy. She received all of her treatment in Peoria through St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Thanks to the treatments she received, Rachel has been Cancer-free for four years. She has been attending our Relay as a survivor ever since she was diagnosed. Tim and Vicki have spent several years being part of Relay teams.

Goals that Relay For Life of McLean County has set for 2010 are to have 270 teams of [up to 15 people each] at this year’s event. This year’s Relay For Life of McLean County will be held from 12Noon to 12Noon on June 25-26, 2010, at Normal Community West High School. [Other goals for 2010 include seeing 500 survivors attend our event, and to raise $630,000.]

In 2009, Relay For Life of McLean County raised over $602,000. Since it began in McLean County in 1995, Relay For Life of McLean County has raised over $5 Million to fight Cancer. We are looking for more teams to help us join in the fight!

More information may be obtained by contacting either Steve Robinson at 309-242-7838 or Tricia Krzesinski 309-242-4957.

Relay For Life of McLean County is pleased to introduce Willie Brown, Bloomington, as its Honorary Chairperson for its 2010 Relay. Mr. Brown was introduced at a “Kickoff” dinner for this year’s Relay, held at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center, Bloomington, on Jan. 23.

Brown retired in January completing a 38-year career from State Farm Insurance Companies, Bloomington, having last served as an Executive Assistant at the company’s Corporate Headquarters.

“(This cause) is near and dear to my heart because we all have someone who has been touched by this disease,” Brown told the roughly [180 people] who were present for the gathering. Brown’s involvement with Relay For Life began as a result of working with a State Farm colleague, Deb McConnell. McConnell had asked Brown to help raise awareness of Relay For Life of McLean County and its fight against Cancer since it started here [in 1995]. “I’m honored to be the honorary chairman (and) glad to participate again this year,” Brown said.

McConnell organized a Relay team, “Deb’s Mardi Gras Marchers,” who have been a part of the Relay For Life of McLean County event for [NUMBER] years. McConnell passed away from Cancer in [2007]. To honor her memory, and continue the fight against the disease, Deb’s Mardi Gras Marchers will again be part of Relay For Life of McLean County in 2010.

Goals that Relay For Life of McLean County has set for 2010 are to have 270 teams of [up to 15 people each] at this year’s event. This year’s Relay For Life of McLean County will be held from 12Noon to 12Noon on June 25-26, 2010, at Normal Community West High School. [Other goals for 2010 include seeing 500 survivors attend our event, and to raise $630,000.]

In 2009, Relay For Life of McLean County raised over $602,000. Since it began in McLean County in 1995, Relay For Life of McLean County has raised over $5 Million to fight Cancer. We are looking for more teams to help us join in the fight!

More information may be obtained by contacting either Steve Robinson at 309-242-7838 or Tricia Krzesinski 309-242-4957.

BLOOMINGTON – Deer Creek-Mackinaw ran into what their coach called an “explosive offense” from Fieldcrest High in their semifinal game at the 99th Annual McLean County Tournament at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center Friday. A third quarter 10-0 outburst helped Fieldcrest beat the Chiefs, 60-42 before roughly 600 fans.

Dee-Mack (15-4) will play for third place, facing Heyworth in a 3p.m. game Saturday at Shirk Center. The Hornets enter the third place game having lost to LeRoy, 55-43.

The Chiefs were able to keep pace with Fieldcrest during the first half, thanks to Jacob Robertson’s 17 first half points. Robertson’s total included one trey and sinking 4-of-6 free throws.

But Fieldcrest defenders were more fierce toward Robertson in the second half, preventing him from scoring at all after halftime. A three each by Fieldcrest’s Taylor Baxter and Nathan Ropp in the first quarter sent the Knights into the second quarter with a 16-14 lead.

Fieldcrest defenders only allowed four Dee-Mack field goals, all from Jacob Robertson, but the Chiefs managed to stay close at halftime, down 30-25.

Fieldcrest’s scoring explosion erupted in the third quarter behind two deuces by Baxter, and one bucket each by Kaleb Garber, Ropp, and Michael Winkler, giving the

18-0 Knights a 40-29 lead with four minutes in the third quarter en route to a 47-37 edge going into the fourth quarter.

Dee-Mack would get as close as 49-40 with 6:10 left in the game before Fieldcrest, behind a one-man scoring surge by Ropp, pocketing two baskets and scoring four free throws, put the game out of the Chiefs’ reach.

Ropp led all scorers with 22 points. He was followed by Baxter’s 13.

“(Fieldcrest is) so explosive, and when you have two outstanding players in Ropp and Baxter, that adds to the explosiveness in them,” said Dee-Mack head coach Matt Holmgren. “You try to contain them and, you just know they have that capability (to score big). Tonight, midway through the third, into the fourth, they really gapped us.

Holmgren said he was “very pleased with the progress” his players were making in keeping pace with the Knights right before they went on their 10-point romp in the third quarter.

Up to that point, Holmgren said, “we were doing some nice things on offense and holding them at bay defensively.”

Holmgren said he believed his team’s third quarter breakdown wasn’t defensive in nature, but rather offensive. “We stopped doing some things that we had done earlier as far as attacking the basket. We settled for perimeter jump shots, and that gave (Fieldcrest) some long runs on rebounds and got them rolling.

Holmgren said although his team came within 10, trailing 52-42 with 5:09 left in the contest, he regrets that his team could not sink a three to pull closer to the Knights, making a last run for victory.

Looking to Saturday’s game against Heyworth, Holmgren said the Chiefs and Hornets played about a week ago and won.

“Mitch does a great job switching up defenses, and he did tonight,” Fieldcrest head coach Matt Winkler said. “He confused us a little bit, especially early on, and we were just a little bit tentative (as a result).

“I tried to tell our team to relax and pick up on the defense,” explained Winkler, adding that his team is “a spurt team.” “I thought our kids really picked up their defense in the fourth quarter.”

Part of that defense was Fieldcrest’s ability to keep Dee-Mack off the free throw line for the entire second half. Contrast that with four Chiefs players going 6-for-12 at the charity stripe in the first half.

Winkler split the credit for his team’s victory between the free throws and keeping the Chiefs’ Robertson from scoring at all in the second half.

BLOOMINGTON – Tremont High’s girls basketball team entered the finals of the 99th Annual McLean County Tournament Thursday night at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center, with relative ease, defeating Downs Tri-Valley, 44-20.

The victory puts the Lady Turks in the finals against Ridgeview, who defeated LeRoy, 65-42. The two teams will meet for the girls’ championship Saturday at Shirk Center, starting with a 6:30p.m. tip-off.

Tremont trailed early in the contest, down 3-0 following a trey by Madison Roberts to get the game started. Dori Dudley’s deuce one minute into the game cut the Vikings’ lead, 3-2. Tanna Hinthorne scored a deuce 30 seconds later, giving Tri-Valley a 5-2 lead.

But Kiley Bugaieski answered with a three of her own – in her 20th straight game where she has scored a trey this season — to tie the game at 5-all with 5:21 left in the quarter. And Nichole Wagenbach sinking one of two free throws after that set the Turks on course toward an 8-0 run to close out the first quarter with a 13-5 lead.

In fact, the streak didn’t end until after Dudley sank the opening basket of the second quarter, giving the Lady Turks a 15-5 lead with 7:14 until halftime.

Hannah Sanidas scored six points in the second quarter for Tri-Valley, whose defense struggled to keep up with the streaking Turks, as Tremont pressed on to a 24-13 lead.

Wegenbach starred in Tremont’s third quarter, scoring 6 points, including a layup that began for her as a steal off a Tri-Valley opponent. The junior forward led all players on the night with 15 points. She was followed in double figures by Dudley’s 11. No Tri-Valley players reached double-digits on the night, as the Lady Turks led the Vikings 34-20 going into the fourth quarter. But Tri-Valley lost its fight in the fourth quarter, as Tremont outscored them, 10-0, en route to the final score.

“Our girls knew we could beat them,” said Tremont head coach Michelle Williams, referencing an overtime loss Tri-Valley handed them earlier this month. “Tonight, we changed up what we were going to do against them. Tonight, we changed up (and) played a slowed-down zone defense rather than our usual man-on-man.

“We had some big things happen tonight,” Williams added. “We had some nice blocked shots tonight.

“(Our) team likes to play zone defense (so) I challenged them,” Williams said. “I told them that so long as we can control them (and) get our hands in the passing lane, we’ll see if (Tri-Valley) can shoot from outside tonight.”

“(Tremont) did everything we thought they were going to,” said Tri-Valley head coach Brad Harmon. “In the fourth quarter, I just couldn’t hardly get energy out of anybody. (Tremont) came out in the third quarter and gained some energy, and we got down and lost energy (going into the fourth quarter).”