East Peoria, IL - A familiar name returned to Ramsey Gym on Thursday night, as coach Chris Herman, son of Illinois Central College Athletics Hall of Famer coach Carroll Herman, brought his Illinois Valley Eagles (6-7) down from Oglesby and into Ramsey Gym to take on Tony Wysinger's Cougars (3-7) in a non-region contest, and the second-to-last game before the holiday break. Akin to Tuesday's game against Bryant & Stratton, a quick start by the opposition put the Cougars behind the eight ball, but a valiant effort the rest of the way kept the game at a respectable margin, however, with the Eagles taking an 84-77 victory.
FIRST HALF RECAP
A three from Isaiah Payne got the scoring going early, but the Eagles were prepared on the offensive side of the ball, getting as much as a nine-point lead six minutes in. It was around that mark that Azarion Richardson got up and blocked an Eagle attempt at its first double figure lead, and Illinois Valley would stay at their 14-5 advantage for the interim.
Jaylen Brown had the distance game working. After knocking down a corner trey on the previous position, Brown came down and hit one from the left wing to cut the Eagle lead to 14-11 at 12:56 to go in the first half. A pair of Payne free throws cut it two a two-point lead for IVCC at 16-14, but just like what seemed to be the theme of the first half, whenever anything good happened offensively for the Cougars, there the Eagles were with an answer on the other end.
A step back lay-in against the baseline from Idris Thomas and three from Briar Cremeens yet again got the game back to within one possession (22-19 Eagles) with 9:06 to go until the break. A long two-pointer from Shamar Grant made it a mere one-point game and forced Illinois Valley to call time. Grant would need to make it a one-point game a second time, and did so, hitting a three to cut the Eagle lead to 25-24 at the 7:46 mark of the first half.
Grant continued his quality run with yet another trey, and this time, it gave the Cougars their first lead of the game at 29-27 with 6:18 until halftime. After a bit of a cat-and-mouse game on the scoreboard, a three from Illinois Valley would return the lead to them with 1:56 until the half at 36-35. ICC answered with a Brown lay-in and now a 37-36 lead. The Eagles answered. The Cougars answered (another Brown lay-in). Illinois Valley answered again. That was just the nature of the home stretch of the first half. Not only could either team grasp momentum, it often times wouldn't even last a possession for either side.
Meanwhile, a tough spinning layup from Cody Marcinko with seconds on the clock would send ICC into the locker room with a 41-40 lead.
SECOND HALF RECAP
After the Eagles took the lead back quite quickly, the Cougars would not have the lead back until Richardson knifed through the Eagle defense for a floater in the lane to go up 53-52 with 12:50 to go.
Free throws would certainly be a factor late. Before the second half could get to its midway point, both teams were already in the bonus, and in fact, nearly in the double bonus. A pair of free throws from Illinois Valley gave them a 60-59 lead with 10:09 to go. Alas, on the ensuing possession, Thomas found an open Richardson on the other side of the lane for a lay-in to go up 61-60 with 9:57 to go.
Here came the back-and-forth again. Quite literally, the teams would trade baskets on each side, with no lead lasting more than its own possession.
A big shot for momentum, the Eagles would hit a corner three to go up 67-63 with 7:20 to go. Sure, the lead was only four points, but in as tight-knit a game as Thursday's was, it may as well have been more.
Brown would hit another three with just over six minutes to go to cut the Illinois Valley lead to 69-68, and another to cut a new Eagle lead to 75-73 with 4:06 to go.
Ah, but it was far from over, you see. Free throws from Idris Thomas and a layup from Payton Cook gave the Cougars a 77-75 lead with 2:40 to go. The lead would last until the 2:12 mark of the second half.
Thus, that would be the last of the ICC offense for the evening, with Illinois Valley clamping down on the end with a 9-0 run to set the above final score.
COUGAR STATISTICS
Jaylen Brown | 19 points (4 3-pointers), 4 rebounds
Isaiah Payne | 12 points (6-6 free throws), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Payton Cook | 12 points, 6 rebounds
Idris Thomas | 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Shamar Grant | 8 points
Azarion Richardson | 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Jeremiah Tate | 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Cody Marcinko | 4 points
Anthony Allison Jr. | 2 points
Rickey Woods III | 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Cooper Knoll | 2 rebounds
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ D1 Lake Land Lakers (10-1)
Tuesday, December 17th - 6:00 PM
at Lake Land College Fieldhouse
5001 Lake Land Blvd, Mattoon, IL 61938
Watch Live (BoxCast)
