Men's b-ball breaks even in overtime contests

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

You might just have to lose to know how to win. This motto fit the UIS men's basketball team last week as they played two overtime games and after losing the first, they were able to immediately learn from prior mistakes and win the second convincingly.

The team dropped its first game of the season against the University of St. Francis at Joliet in an overtime thriller here in the cozy confines of the UIS Gymnasium. St. Francis led for most of the first half and at halftime by the score of 32-29.

The Stars picked up their defensive intensity when they needed to midway through the second half behind the play of freshman point guard Kelvin Johnson and sophomore guard Aaron Anderson. With Johnson at the point, he not only was able to find the basket himself for 25 points, but fed the big man, center/forward Curtis Collins for most of his game high 26 points.

In the overtime period, the Stars led by two with under 10 seconds to play until USF hit a crowd-silencing three pointer with three seconds to go. The Stars called a time out and brought in sophomore forward Aaron Leonard to in-bound the ball and throw to midcourt to set up another time out and a half court play for the Prairie Stars. Looking to alley-oop the ball to forward reserve Nick Malone, the ball went off the rim on the pass and guard Cory Farmer missed the put-back as the time expired.

Collins also had seven rebounds and three blocks. Johnson had eight assists and three steals. Center Michael Griffin added 10 points and nine rebounds in the game as well.

The Stars traveled to Purdue North Central for an afternoon game Saturday. The team started out slow and fell behind for most of the game. But they battled back and with only seconds remaining in regulation, Springfield native Colin Beveridge tipped in a missed shot and tied the game up 85-85.

This overtime period would not be similar to the first game's, as the Stars scored 12 points and held Purdue North Central to just four points and were victorious 97-89. Antonio Puckett came back with a purpose after a tough game against USF and led the team with 15 points and Collins also chipped in with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Rick McDonald added 13 points and Leonard and Farmer contributed with 12 points as well.

The Stars will have played a home game against The Franciscan after press time. Currently, the team's record stands at 3-1. Their next game will be this Saturday against Trinity Christian College here at UIS. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Women's basketball team continues to struggle after loss to Freed Hardeman

By Mike Fitzpatrick - Sports Reporter

In an attempt to pull themselves out of their two-game losing streak on Saturday the women's basketball team took on the No. 2 Freed Hardeman Lions. As if the odds weren't already against the Stars, they also had the disadvantage of having to play the Lions on the road. Knowing what they were up against, the Stars went out there with the mentality that anything can happen on Sunday or in this case Saturday. Unfortunately the Lions were just too much for the Stars to handle.

The Lions came out strong showing why they were ranked No. 2, easily outscoring the Stars. They continued to bully the Stars by playing remarkable defense and making it nearly impossible for them to put up any points.

Throughout the game it appeared as if the Stars weren't getting any good looks at the basket, and the Lions were picking apart their defense. Things progressively got worse as the Lions flirted with a 30-point lead at one point in the game, and finally ended winning the contest easily 96-62.

On the positive side, junior Jasmin Lassere continued to play well, leading the Stars with 21 points. Seeing as the Lions did a really good job of containing the Stars, Kimyda Coleman followed Lassere with nine points, with Nicole White and Tamika Reeves contributing nine each. Junior Dominique Moses also pitched in with 13 rebounds but limited to only five points.

With a three-game losing streak now on the line, the Stars traveled to Quincy University last night in a match-up that should be quite competitive and entertaining to watch. Following the game at Quincy , the next two games on Friday and Tuesday will be held here at UIS. These games will mark the home opener, so be sure to head out and support our team by giving them some much needed encouragement.

Women's volleyball bows out early in postseason play

By Micheal Fitzpatrick - Sports Reporter

The women's volleyball has experienced many highs and lows over this past season. After the loss of senior Danielle Crossen, many people wrote off the Stars, yet they continued to battle through adversity. At times they played like champions and other times like a team just trying to keep their heads above the water.

The Stars ended the regular season with an 11-18 record with an 8-6 conference record. Because of their record, they were seeded in the fourth spot and were matched up against the Williams Woods Owls.

Going into the game, the Stars felt very confident, having beaten the Owls in three games earlier held in the season. The outcome of those games were 3-1 in the first match, 3-2 in the second and a straight 3-0 sweep in the third. Keeping that in mind, it appeared as if it would be a very competitive and well played match. One in which the Stars could use as a tune-up before advancing in the tournament. Fate, however, had it planned out slightly different.

In game one, the Williams Woods Owls jumped out to an early lead which went from five points, stretching all the way to 12 points. The Stars looked very sloppy and it proved to be a good indication of what would transpire over the course of the night. While the Stars played very poorly, the Owls looked like a new team playing with high intensity and a team chemistry that didn't seem to be there earlier in the year. In the end the Owls pulled ahead, winning 30-18.

From that poor start, the Stars looked to rebound in game 2, coming out strong with a four-point lead, which quickly dwindled as the Owls continued to claw their way back and take the lead. For those in attendance this proved to be the most disappointing of the three games as the Stars were playing so well, and then just fell apart allowing the Owls to take the game 30-21.

On the brink of elimination, the Stars attempted to pull it together and rally back. However, it wouldn't turn out the way they anticipated, as the Owls took an early lead but the Stars continued to fight. With all respect to the Stars, both teams played extremely well and provided some really good volleys, but the Owls seemed to want it more and went on to win again 30-21.

Having lost three straight games, the Stars and those who were in attendance were completely in shock as to what just happened, but as we all know anything can happen in the world of sports.

Although some might view this season as disappointing and a loss, it was actually much more than that. The Stars showed their character all season long by not giving up and giving it their all, despite having a few unfortunate events happening to them.

During the course of the season senior Megan Leonard compiled an impressive 1,004 assists, followed by sophomore Lauren Sanders' 344 kills and junior Audra Roach's 342. As if those stats weren't an accomplishment, it was promising to see freshman Ali Janezic emerge as a team player and leader. If this season is a preview of what is to come of women's volleyball here at UIS, be prepared for some chills and thrills!

Round-up of news from wide world of sports

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

I've been idle for a while so I thought that I would make a triumphant return this week with some random thoughts from this sports oriented mind.

NFL: What an interesting year it has been in the National Football League. Each week brings us more questions than answers and once we think we have the answers, the questions change.

The NFC is up for grabs with the struggles of Philadelphia with Terrell Owens suspension still fresh in everybody's minds, and Atlanta 's inconsistencies to solidify themselves as the top team in the conference.

Teams like the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks are making waves with their high octane offenses and stellar defenses. Everyone is still in the NFC East picture with so much talent on all four teams ( Philadelphia , Dallas , Washington and New York ).

And, of course, the Chicago Bears are winning the way they want to play each week, a tough running game and a defense that makes offensive coordinators cringe. Look for a great game this weekend between the Bears and the Panthers which now stands as a crucial game for positioning in the playoffs if both teams continue to play with the same intensity and aggressiveness.

The AFC is a little easier to figure out than the NFC. The Indianapolis Colts are undefeated and have made themselves the front-runners in the entire league with Peyton Manning leading the charge and looking as poised as ever to lead his team to the Super Bowl and win it. New England can't keep their defense, especially their secondary, healthy enough to put together back to back wins, yet they aren't losing back to back games either. Plus, you can't count out the defending Super Bowl Champions.

Pittsburgh may indeed be the best team overall but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has had some health problems and the team has lost twice at home in games they should have won. Denver is the best in the AFC West but San Diego is not far behind and is tested after a tough schedule to start the year with games against the Patriots, Eagles, Broncos, Giants and Steelers. Things should get real interesting down the stretch and over the holidays. If I had to make a Super Bowl prediction right now, I'd say that Pittsburgh and Carolina will be in Detroit .

NCAA men's basketball: A new year is upon us with some new teams in the mix this season as opposed to last season. While Duke tops the preseason Top 25, teams like Villanova , Texas and Oklahoma are back in the mix in the top ten and teams like North Carolina and Illinois are in rebuilding years after losing eight of their 10 starters combined.

I find it funny that there is already a Bracketology from Joe Lunardi, courtesy of ESPN.com. If his preseason predictions for the NCAA tournament are anything close to what actually happens, it would be amazing. Some big games to look for in the start of the season are Illinois-North Carolina and Duke-Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. These four teams should give us some great basketball early on leading up to the Final Four.

On a sad note, another professional wrestler suddenly passed away over the weekend. Eddie Guerrero, 38, passed away in his Minneapolis hotel room on Sunday morning. At 5'8, 220 pounds, Guerrero was a high flying entertainer who became the second wrestler of Hispanic heritage to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2004.

This is another early death of a professional wrestler and in the world of sports entertainment. With speculation of steroid use in wrestling, many continue to wonder if the toll that a 365 days a year schedule has on those bodies that take bumps night in and night out coincides with the possible drug use that leads to the heart failure that the majority of wrestlers who have died have had. Hopefully, this is something that doesn't continue for the sake of their families and the fans of the world of sports entertainment.

Take care and thanks for reading.

Campus Rec Sports Briefs

With the Fall 2005 Intramural Season winding down, Campus Rec Sports has a wealth of news to report this week.  To begin, The Graduates were crowned the 7x7 Intramural Flag Football League Champions after defeating Her Majesty's Royal Squadron Part Deux 37-27 on Sunday, November 6.  Congratulations to The Graduates Josh Mulvaney, Vince Burchi, Matthew Burger, Justin Fitzjarrald, Brent Wise, Johnnie Mayer, Justin Kirchhoff, and Eric Goodin.

Sunday, November 13 marked the end of the three-day Intramural 6x6 Indoor Volleyball Tournament .  Number four seed Team America managed to defeat the Kobras and K.C.O.R, seeds 5 and 1 respectively, to make it to the Championship Match against That One Really Awesome Team, who defeated the third seeded Sultans in the semi-final round.  Midnight came early for Team America 's Cinderella story when they were defeated 30-18, 30-17 by That One Really Awesome Team in the Championship Match.  Congratulations to team members Kyle Simpson, Shana Stine, Chance Walker, Chad Eversgerd, Adam Findley, Kaley Noel, Lance Ennen, and James Brower.

The Intramural Men's Badminton Singles League also came to an end after Srikanth Atluri defeated Ravi Kandukuri two games to none in the Championship Match of the double elimination tournament. Atluri finished with a record of 4-1, with his only defeat coming from a forfeited match to Kandukuri in the semi-final round.

The Intramural Women's Badminton Singles Tournament will be decided with a championship match to occur on Wednesday, November 30 at 7:00 pm.  With two more matches to be played before the championship, Catalina Hernandez is in a commanding position with a record of 3-0.  Anne Finch holds a record of 1-2 and Samantha Rosenstein rounds out the tournament roster with a record of 0-2.

Your final chance to participate in intramurals this semester comes in the form of Basketball Shooting Contests .  Individuals (students or rec center members) will be given the option to compete in any or all of the 4 skills competitions including free throw shooting, 3-point shooting, super shot, and speed shooting.  There will be separate contests for the women and the men. Entry forms are due Wednesday, November 30 at 11pm for this competition which will take place Friday, December 2 at 6:00pm in the UIS Gym. 

The popular Bodywork fitness class taught by Amy Giles will continue with another 4-week session on Mondays and Fridays from 12:10-12:50pm in the UIS Gym beginning Monday, November 21 through December 19 (no class Friday, November 25). Cost is $6 for UIS students and Rec Center Members with a valid i-card. All others pay $19. Check out our website at www.uis.edu/recsports/ for more information.

As a final note, the Rec Center will be operating with reduced hours during the Thanksgiving Recess .  Informal Open Recreation Hours for November 21-November 27 will be Monday & Tuesday, 10am-8pm; Wednesday, 10am-6pm; Thursday through Saturday, Closed; and Sunday, 4-8pm.  Regular Informal Open Recreation Hours resume on Monday, November 28 at 8:00am for those who want to come back and work off that extra turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!

Men's b-ball breaks even in overtime contests

Women's basketball team continues to struggle after loss to Freed Hardeman

Women's volleyball bows out early in postseason play

Brock Solid

Campus Rec Sports Briefs