Network to televise LIVE HD coverage of the Class 1A-4A IHSA Girls Basketball State Championships from Redbird Arena in Normal, IL over the next two weekends

CSNChicago.com to air highlight packages of all games throughout the weekend;

CSNChicago.com & IHSA.tv to live stream every post-game press conference

Chicago, IL — Comcast SportsNet, the television home of the IHSA Championships, will be airing LIVE coverage of the 2015 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Basketball State Championships on Friday, February 27 & Saturday, February 28 (Class 1A & 2A) and Friday, March 6 & Saturday, March 7 (Class 3A & 4A) from Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena in Normal, IL.  Over the next two weekends, Illinois preps hoops fans can look forward to seeing every action-packed semifinal, consolation and championship battle starting Friday at 12 NOON CT featuring four, live semifinal match-ups, along with a pair of consolation and two huge state championship title games on Saturday.  Plus – EVERY game will be telecast in a high-definition (HD) format.  The 2015 IHSA Girls Basketball State Championships will be produced by the IHSA & PlayOn! Sports.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Several IHSA Girls Basketball State Championship telecasts will air on CSN+ (in high-definition on Comcast ch. 201 in the Chicago area & South Bend, IN…ch. 285 in Comcast’s Peoria, Springfield, Rockford and Champaign markets…along with AT&T U-verse homes among others); viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER or IHSA.org for complete channel location details for ALL games throughout the state.
• For the Class 4A semifinal games on Friday, March 6 (6:30 PM & 8:15 PM), viewers in the Chicago market can watch the games on Comcast/Xfinity channel 114; for viewers outside the Chicago market, fans can visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER or IHSA.org for channel locations of these two games.
• Fans are also strongly urged to interact via Twitter throughout the entire weekend by utilizing the hashtag #IHSA to share their comments and showcase their school spirit for their favorite teams.

CSNChicago.com & IHSA.tv will also be providing fans with a live stream of every IHSA Girls Basketball State Championship post-game press conference.  In addition, CSNChicago.com’s IHSA Preps section (csnchicago.com/preps) will feature highlight packages from all games over the next two weekends, plus – Comcast SportsNet viewers can look forward to a special championship editions of High School Lites on Friday, February 27 & Friday, March 6 (both nights live at 11:00 PM) for a complete rundown of every girls championship game, including expanded highlights and player/coaches interviews, along with the latest highlights and playoff scenarios for the upcoming IHSA Boys Basketball State Championships, taking place the weekends of March 13-14 & March 20-21 at Carver Arena in Peoria, IL.  (NOTE: Full schedule details regarding Comcast SportsNet’s live coverage of the 2015 Boys Basketball State Championships will be announced the week of March 9.)

The following schedule details Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the 2015 IHSA Girls Basketball State Championships over the next two weekends (all times Central Time) (play-by-play/color analyst/sideline reporting teams are in parentheses):

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

12:00 PM –      Class 1A Semifinal #1: PROPHETSTOWN vs. CENTRAL A&M (Moweaqua) (Lee Hall/Kelly Burke/Matt Rodewald)

2:00 PM –        Class 1A Semifinal #2: CALHOUN (Hardin) vs. IROQUOIS WEST (Gilman) (Lee Hall/Kelly Burke/Matt Rodewald)

6:30 PM –        Class 2A Semifinal #1: CENTRAL CATHOLIC (Bloomington) vs. MCNAMARA (Kankakee) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Matt Rodewald) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

8:15 PM –        Class 2A Semifinal #2: IC CATHOLIC (Elmhurst) vs. CENTRAL (Breese) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Matt Rodewald) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

12:00 PM –      Class 1A: CONSOLATION GAME (Teams TBD) (Lee Hall/Kelly Burke/Matt Rodewald) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

2:00 PM –        Class 1A: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Teams TBD) (Lee Hall/Kelly Burke/Matt Rodewald) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

6:30 PM –        Class 2A: CONSOLATION GAME (Teams TBD) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Matt Rodewald)

8:15 PM –        Class 2A: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Teams TBD) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Matt Rodewald)

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

12:00 PM –      Class 3A: SEMIFINAL #1 (Teams TBD) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Lee Hall) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

2:00 PM –        Class 3A: SEMIFINAL #2 (Teams TBD) (Dave Bernhard/Patricia Babcock-McGraw/Lee Hall) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

6:30 PM –        Class 4A: SEMIFINAL #1 (Teams TBD) (Matt Rodewald/Chloe Barnes/Lee Hall) (NOTE: This game will air on Comcast/Xfinity channel 114 in the Chicago market; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

8:15 PM –        Class 4A: SEMIFINAL #2 (Teams TBD) (Matt Rodewald/Chloe Barnes/Lee Hall) (NOTE: This game will air on Comcast/Xfinity channel 114 in the Chicago market; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

12:00 PM –      Class 3A: CONSOLATION GAME (Teams TBD) (Lee Hall/Kristi Faulkner/Elise Menaker) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

2:00 PM –        Class 3A: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Teams TBD) (Lee Hall/ Kristi Faulkner/Elise Menaker) (NOTE: This game will air on CSN+HD; please visit CSNChicago.com’s CHANNEL FINDER for the exact channel location in your area)

6:30 PM –        Class 4A: CONSOLATION GAME (Teams TBD) (Matt Rodewald/Chloe Barnes/Elise Menaker)

8:15 PM –        Class 4A: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Teams TBD) (Matt Rodewald/Chloe Barnes/Elise Menaker)

SIU (2-5) at Triple Crown Puerto Vallarta College Callenge vs. Northern Colorado (3-4), BYU (9-6) and Nevada (3-12)
Date	Feb. 26-28, 2015
Location	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — City Stadium
SIU Games	Thursday, Feb. 26: SIU vs. Northern Colorado // 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27: SIU vs. BYU // 2 p.m. | SIU vs. Nevada // 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28: SIU vs. BYU // 11 a.m. | SIU vs. Nevada // 1:30 p.m. | All times Central | Home team in italics
Live Stats	Dependant on internet availability. Follow @SIU_Softball on Twitter for links and in-game updates
Weekend Previews	Southern Illinois | Northern Colorado | BYU | Nevada | Triple Crown
Statistics	Southern Illinois | Northern Colorado | BYU | Nevada | MVC
Social Media	@SIU_Softball   |  @SIU_Softball   |  Saluki Softball

FAST FIVE

1. SIU has never played BYU or Nevada, and this is just the second meeting between Southern and Northern Colorado.
2. In both of their wins, the Salukis have won the game in their last at bat. Shaye Harre hit a walk-off RBI single in a 4-3 win over UMBC on Feb. 6, and a Harre grand slam and Sydney Jones two-run home run in the top of the seventh against Morehead State allowed Southern to overcome a 6-2 deficit in the final at bat and win 8-6.
3. Katie Bertelsen pitched her best game of the season against No. 5 Kentucky on Feb. 13. Bertelsen allowed just two earned runs in the 5-2 loss to the Wildcats.
4. Two of SIU’s top four hitters are true freshman. Savannah Fisher is leading the team in hitting at .357, and Sydney Jones is fourth on the team at .286. Jones has started all seven games for SIU, and Fisher has played in all seven games and started five.
5. Despite losing five starters, SIU returns four of its top five hitters from last year’s team. Jayna Spivey was the team’s top hitter in 2014 at .337, but Shaye Harre (.329), Kelsey Gonzalez (.328), Kalyn Harker (.313) and Merri Anne Patterson (.292) had the next four highest averages on the team.

FOR STARTERS

The Salukis head to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the Triple Crown Invitational to face Northern Colorado, BYU and Nevada. SIU has never played BYU or Nevada and has only played Northern Colorado once, a win. SIU faces Northern Colorado on Thursday, Feb. 26, before facing BYU and Nevado both on Friday and Saturday.

Southern Illinois…

• is outscoring its opponents 7-0 in the seventh inning, with all seven runs coming in its two wins.
• overcame a four-run seventh-inning deficit against Morehead State, scoring six runs in the seventh to win 8-6.
• had only one home run in the first 39 innings of the years. SIU has three home runs in the last eight innings (2 in seventh vs. Morehead State, one in sixth vs. IUPUI).
• Was picked fourth in the preseason MVC poll.

SCOUTING THE NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS
Northern Colorado has won three of its last five after an 0-2 start to the season. The Bears have played just twice since the season’s opening weekend, splitting a pair of games against Creighton last weekend. The pitching staff has held UNCO’s opponents to four or fewer runs five times, including a pair of shutouts.

SCOUTING THE BYU COUGARS
BYU is off to a 9-6 start to the season thanks to a potent offense. The Cougars are hitting .307 as a team, thanks to four hitters batting better than .390. Gordy Bravo (.469), Lacey Hofstedt (.419), McKenzie St. Clair (.414) and Coco Tauali’i (.394) are the only Cougars hitting better than .275, but their production (66 of team’s hits) has made up for BYU’s lack of power (on four home runs in 15 games).

Did you know? True freshmen Sydney Jones and Savannah Fisher enter the tournament each on a five-game reached base streak, the longest figures on the team.

SCOUTING THE NEVADA WOLFPACK
Nevada has struggled to a 3-12 start and has lost six-straight games entering the tournament. Nevada was a 25-win team a year ago but has struggled against a challenging schedule early on. The Wolfpack went 0-5 last weekend but played at the Mary Nutter Classic, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country that drew 25,000 fans over four days. Nevada has played No. 2 Oregon tough, losing 12-8, and beat No. 25 Cal State Fullerton 6-5 on Feb. 13.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING RIGHT AWAY
SIU has gotten big contibutions in the lineup from true freshmen Sydney Jones and Savannah Fisher. Both freshmen have reached base in five-straight games entering the weekend, and both are among the top four hitters through seven games. Fisher leads the team with a .357 average, and Jones is fourth at .286. The duo scored both of SIU’s runs in a 5-2 loss to No. 5 Kentucky, with Jones tripling in Fisher before scoring herself. Fisher ranks 13th in the MVC in batting average and seventh in slugging percentage (.714), and both Fisher and Jones lead the MVC in triples per game (0.14).

BERTELSEN SHINES AGAINST TOP COMPETITION
SIU senior pitcher Katie Bertelsen has pitched her best games against the best competition throughout her career. Late last season, Bertelsen faced eventual MVC champion Wichita State, which led the league in 10 offensive categories. Bertelsen shut down the Shockers in a 2-1, allowing WSU to go just 4-for-24 against her. Against No. 5 Kentucky, which is coming off a Women’s College World Series appearance, Bertelsen pitched her best game of 2015, allowing just two earned runs in a complete game in a 5-2 loss.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
All 17 players on SIU’s roster played in its 8-6 win over Morehead State. All 14 position players have at least one start this year, and 16 of 17 players have started at least one game. The only player without a start is senior pitcher Alyssa Wunderlich, who has yet to give up an earned run in 2015. All 11 players with at least seven at-bats has recorded a hit.

HARRE’S WALKOFF ALSO GIVES HER PITCHING W
SIU super sophomore Shaye Harre showcased her two-way ability in Southern Illinois’ 4-3 win over UMBC on the opening day of the season. Harre pitched 5.2 innings, allowing only two earned runs, in relief to help SIU stay within striking distance. After the Salukis tied the game at three, Harre came up in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second; and she hit a walkoff RBI single to complete her 3-for-4 day at the plate.

SIU COMES THROUGH WITH TWO OUTS
SIU is doing some of its best work at the plate with two outs. Though the team’s batting average is just .220 after seven games, the Salukis are hitting .311 with two outs, and 13 of the team’s 25 RBIs have come with two outs. Seven players have recorded at least one two-out RBI, led by Sydney Jones and Kelsey Gonzalez with three each.

Senior captain Meredith Wilson came to the plate more than anyone with two outs in the opening weekend of the season, and she came through. The two-time All-MVC senior went 3-for-6 with a pair of two-out RBIs–both coming against Ohio State. One of Wilson’s two-out RBIs was a double, the 25th of her career.

INA, Ill. – Benton’s Dakota Head will take his baseball talent and strong right arm to Rend Lake College next year, signing a national letter of intent to play for the Warriors. The right-handed pitcher is the son of Chris and Tammy Head.

Head, a senior at Benton High School and a four-year starter, set the stage for his baseball career at Benton when as a freshman he picked up a big win over Harrisburg in an extra inning game in relief. He’s received All-Conference and All-South awards with a .416 batting average as both shortstop and pitcher. He also played baseball in junior high with the Southern Storm of Pinckneyville.

Dakota Head, SITTING, CENTER, signed a national letter of intent last week to play for the RLC Warriors Baseball team. Also pictured is, FRONT, FROM LEFT, his father Chris Head, Dakota Head, and his mother Tammy Head; BACK, BCHS Varsity Head Coach Brett Blondi, RLC Head Coach Tony Etnier, and BCHS Athletic Director Ryan Miller. Click on the image for a larger view.
(RLC Public Information)

“Dakota Head has played a big role in the success of the Benton Ranger baseball program for the past three years,” said Brett Blondi, Varsity Head Coach at BCHS. “He will be a tremendous addition to the Rend Lake baseball program in many ways. He is a great student, talented and hardworking baseball player, and a positive teammate. His real strength lies in his character. Dakota’s best baseball is ahead of him and we are proud that he gets an opportunity to continue his baseball career at a quality baseball program at Rend Lake College.”

The BCHS senior is active in National Honor Society, FFA, Art Club, and Pep Club, in addition to his part-time job as a maintenance worker for the Benton Community Park. As one of the top 10 students academically in his class, Head also has a number of awards to his name, including the Lion’s Club Outstanding Academic Leadership Award, the High Honor Roll, the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) Scholastic Achievement Award, and the 2014 Finalist for the Triple Impact Scholarship by Positive Coaching Alliance.

RLC Head Coach Tony Etnier said he’s looking forward to having a strong athlete – both academically and physically – on the roster for next year.

“We are excited that Dakota has decided to continue his baseball career with us here at Rend Lake College,” said Etnier. “He is a special athlete that we think has the ability to be a two-way player. He is an excellent student and an outstanding person. We think he will be a great fit here and are very happy to have him on board.”

For more information, contact Etnier at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1282. For all things athletic at the Lake, visit www.rlc.edu/warriors.

By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. – No. 18 ranked Northern Iowa used a 20-3 second-half run to blow open a close game and coasted to a 59-52 victory over Southern Illinois on Wednesday night at SIU Arena.

Winners of eight games in a row, the Panthers (19-2, 8-1) carved up SIU’s defense in the second half to the tune of 67 percent shooting from the floor. They made seven-straight shots during the decisive run and four of them were from 3-point range.

The Salukis (9-13, 2-7) led, 26-23, at halftime, and their strategy of packing the lane to defend center Seth Tuttle appeared to be working. The 6-foot-8 senior scored only four first-half points, and when he kicked it out to his teammates for open looks, they combined to make just 4-of-13 shots from 3-point.

All that changed in the second half when UNI’s Jeremy Morgan buried a 3-pointer, and teammates Paul Jespersen and Nate Buss followed with two each. The Panthers made 5-of-8 from downtown in the second half, and the looks got even easier once the treys started falling. Eventually, Tuttle started to roam free on the pick and roll, and he finished the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds. During a blistering seven-minute stretch, in which they built a 52-35 lead, the Panthers’ offense ran like a finely tuned Swiss watch.

“We have a very good shooting team and a very unselfish best player (Tuttle),” according to UNI head coach Ben Jacobson, who said he encouraged his team to keep shooting the three-ball. “I told our guys at halftime, get that foot down, get it set and let her fly a little bit.”

After falling behind by 18 points with 5:33 remaining in the game, the Salukis made the final margin look respectable by cutting it to single digits with a 14-3 run. It was too little, too late.

“I like guys that can score when the heat’s on, and right now we just don’t really have anybody that can do that,” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson.

During the first half and parts of the second, back-up center Ibby Djimde gave Southern a lift. He had scored only seven points in conference play heading into the game, but finished the night with a career-high 10 points. The burly 6-foot-8 junior displayed a delicate touch on the jump hook.

“Ibby really did exactly what we talked about in our scouting report,” Hinson said. “This is the Ibby we thought could help us all along, and he hasn’t shown it (to date).”

The team’s top scorer on the season — Anthony Beane — was mostly held in check by a UNI defense that aggressively trapped him in the half court. Beane scored five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

“We’re not going to win very many games when Anthony goes for five points,” Hinson said. “Let me defend Anthony a little bit — the reason is because (opponents) don’t have to worry about anybody else on the floor right now. They can put all their attention on him. Somebody has to step up.”

Desperate for offense, Hinson inserted seldom-used Chaz Glotta. The freshman guard had not scored in a conference game, and after drilling his first 3-point shot tonight, missed the next four.

“We’re throwing craps tonight,” admitted Hinson. “I’m throwing in guys that haven’t played in a while. I’m throwing Chaz out there to see if it sticks.”

The Panthers have a showdown looming with No. 12 Wichita State in Cedar Falls on Saturday, and Jacobson was relieved his team didn’t overlook the Salukis.

“No matter who we were playing tonight, it would have been easy for them to let their minds drift a little bit, and they didn’t,” he said.

INA — – The Rend Lake College Men’s Basketball team moved up to 10-10 last night with a 69-56 win over St. Louis Community College.

Freshman Armani Towns (Columbus, Ohio) controlled both ends of the court, logging the game-high 22 points, 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal. Fellow freshman Dedric Byrd (Champaign) also lead the way for the Warriors with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist. Other top scorers were Greg McLain (Chicago) with 13 points, Ryan Otis (Houston, Texas) with eight points, Robert Sawyer Jr. (Louisville, Ky.) with six points, Richard Clemons (Louisville, Ky.) with four points, and Clint Johannes (Ashley) with two points.

RLC will play Southwestern Illinois Saturday in Belleville before returning home to take on Southeastern Illinois at 7:30 p.m. Monday. They will also play in the Homecoming game against Wabash Valley at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit www.rlc.edu/warriors.

INA  – The Rend Lake College Women’s Basketball team are on a four-game winning streak after a 96-47 win over Shawnee Community College (SCC) last night at home. They are now 8-8 for the season.

Leading the Lady Warriors in the scoring column was Brianna Hawkins (Louisville, Ky.) with 23 points. She was followed by Valencia Chandler (Joliet) with 18 points, Mykhaela Tolds (Pearland, Texas) with 16 points, Jada Ballew (Cincinnati, Ohio) with 15 points, Savannah Enlow (Corydon, Ind.) with 11 points, Jenae Rowe (Joliet) with 7 points, and Jordann Bruenton (Cincinnati, Ohio) with 6 points.

Jada Ballew of Cincinnati, Ohio, LEFT, makes a play during the Lady Warriors game against SCC. Ballew was a force on both sides of the court, scoring 15 points for RLC. Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

The Lady Warriors will take on Southwestern Illinois in Belleville Saturday before returning home to play Southeastern Illinois at 5:30 p.m. Monday. RLC will play in the Homecoming game against Wabash Valley at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit www.rlc.edu/warriors.

BY JOHN D. HOMAN

Logan Media Services

 CARTERVILLE – The John A. Logan College softball team will certainly have a Southern Illinois flavor at the start of the next school year. No fewer than nine of the 10 signees are from the heart of Southern Illinois with the 10^th residing on the outskirts of the region.

Committing to play at Logan this past Saturday were: Kiarha Wilce (West Frankfort); Katie Sandusky (Benton); Sydnee Rushing (Goreville); Nicole Short (Zeigler-Royalton); Grace Vaughn (Hardin County); Hillary Ingram (Hamilton County); Jordyn Smith and Krista Garduno (Massac County); Megan Hampton (Carterville); and Madison Rapien (Trenton-Wesclin).

“This is one of the most talented recruiting classes we have ever had,” said Vols head softball coach Bruce Jilek. “We certainly have acquired pitching depth (Rushing, Vaughn and Short), including multiple Division I prospects, and all are Southern Illinois kids.”

Infield prospects include Wilce (middle infield); Rapien, Smith and Hampton. Outfielders include Sandusky, Ingram and Garduno.

Pairings have been announced for both the Benton Invitational Tournament and the West Frankfort Mid-Winter Tournament.

 Benton Invitational Tournament

West Frankfort Mid-Winter Tournament

MWC BOYS’ BRACKET 2015 POOLS A & B

MWC GIRLS’ BRACKET 2015

PEORIA — SIU’s offensive struggles reached historic proportions Saturday night at Bradley.

The Salukis went 0-of-14 from behind the 3-point line in their 63-44 loss at Carver Arena, ending a streak of 118 straight games with at least one triple. It was just another indicator of how reliant SIU has become on junior guard Anthony Beane, who finished 2 of 15 from the field with eight points. The Salukis failed to get anyone into double figures for the first time this season and fell to 0-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a road trip to No. 23 Northern Iowa on the horizon Wednesday night.

Here’s the link to the story.

BRISTOL, Conn. — Stuart Scott, the longtime “SportsCenter” anchor and ESPN personality known for his enthusiasm and ubiquity, died Sunday. He was 49.

Here’s the link to the story.