Game 63: Galesburg @ Normal West (Girl's Basketball)

Game 63
(1/16/10)
Galesburg @ Normal West (Girl's Basketball)

The day began very early on this Saturday, as it was my weekend to head to the station first thing in the morning. On my daily stop into the Macomb Ayerco for my coffee and small breakfast, I encountered a very interesting conversation.

Strange things (and people) can be met at all-night gas stations, especially at 5:00 a.m. on the weekends. I walked into the station, overhearing a conversation between the gas station clerk and a man dressed in all camouflage. He was not a hunter. As I poured my coffee next to camo man, the guy says to the clerk in a suspenseful, almost movie-like swagger, "I look for stolen cars (short pause as a creepy grin comes across his face)....and I steal them back." It felt like something straight out of "The Hitcher", or a movie similar. Very eery, and I wanted to stay and listen to the rest of the story, but work awaited.

After a few hours at the station, I was able to catch up on a couple tasks that have been pushed off for some time due to lack of time. I took off for Bloomington/Normal around 10:30, a little early, but knew a couple stops were to be made in the trip.

The first stop was in Morton, to gas up and use the facilities. After I filled the tank, I walked inside the Morton Shell station, and discovered the most disgusting bathroom I may have ever walked into. This bathroom was dirtier than any bathroom from my college days, and that is certainly saying something. In fact, the sink was so filthy, I was nervous to wash my hands.

Fog had settled in as I meandered eastward down I-74 toward Bloomington, and then a flash from the past poured out through the speakers. Eminem's "My Name Is..." blared through my car stereo from Peoria's 99.9 The Buzz.

The first time I broadcasted a game at Normal West was last Christmas, during the State Farm Classic. Fortunately, Santa had blessed me with a Garmin, and it came in very handly during the great Fog of Christmas 2008. I would probably still be looking for Normal Community and Normal West high schools without the GPS. I did discover (the first of many Garmin errors), it was about a block off on Normal West High School.

Last year, it took about 15 minutes driving through extremely dense fog to find this high school, as Garmin directed me down a street to nowhere. Finally, I would drive a block north and find the high school. Not as much fog, and remembering that debacle, it was much easier to find today.

I strolled by the school about ten minutes after noon, 50 minutes before the JV tipoff. I decided to head on over to the nearest gas station to grab a water and some Lifesavers. Any type of candy to activate the salivary glands is very handy when broadcasting. Sometimes I will get a tickle in the throat, and it's not very easy to do play-by-play without something to quench that, especially when flying solo on a broadcast.

Walked into Normal West about a half hour before the tipoff of the preliminary game. I walked over and spoke with Athletic Director Stan Lewis to get my directions on which side to broadcast from. The hospitality at Normal West is top notch, as Lewis even took a cooler up to our broadcast location and filled it with a couple waters, gatorades, and Snickers. Superb!

I hiked the 40 rows of bleachers and reached the summit of Mount Normal West, stopping just shy of yodeling, "REEEE-COOOOO-LAAAAH". As I set my equipment down, and looked at the phone jack, worry set in. Normally we use cell equipment, and rarely do I pack unneccesary equipment (such as phone cord). I had just enough phone cord with my Remote Mix board to set it to my left on the bleachers next to me. That was the best place anyway, with the table just large enough for both of the broadcast teams.

Evan Massey hiked the mountain of bleachers and joked that he expected me to stay back at Galesburg to broadcast the entire day of boy's basketball games in the Martin Luther King Tournament to get my games in.

Normal West coach Angie Codron also stopped up and dropped off her team's stats and starters for the day's game. The Wildcats came in with a (14-4) record, but are (13-1) since December 1st. A tough task for the Silver Streaks. The only common opponent is Richwoods, a team Galesburg beat by three points at home in November, while Normal West lost in overtime by ten at the State Farm Classic.

The host Wildcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game. Jessica Howard hit a three-pointer early that tied the IHSA single-season record of three-pointers made in a season (260). Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge set that mark in the (1999-00) season. Maddy Boyer's three from the left side wing broke the record in the first quarter. The Streaks would finish with 11 three-pointer's and continue to set the record with each three-pointer made from here on out

Galesburg took their first lead of the game with (0:21) to play in the first quarter, and would finish the first quarter up by a point (17-16). The Streaks would outscore the Wildcats (20-16) in the second quarter and led 37-31 at halftime.

It was all downhill from there for the visiting Streaks. Galesburg turned the ball over eight times in the third quarter, and I had seven of those turnovers unforced (traveling, double dribbles, bad passes). Normal West took advantage of those mistakes, and rattled the Streaks outscoring them 24-6 in the third quarter, taking a 55-43 lead into the final frame.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Streaks had only scored five points from the field, and had seven points at the free throw line. The deficit was too large to overcome, and Normal West would hold on for a 76-60 victory.

One big positive for Galesburg over the past two games has been free throw shooting. Before the game against Quincy on Thursday, the team was just 53% from the free throw line. In the last two games, Galesburg is (73%) from the free throw line.

Three players in the game scored 16 points. Lauren Berry and Erin McGinnis each scored 16 points for Normal West, and Jessica Howard led the Streaks with 16 points. Galesburg was outrebounded 24-7 in the first half, but still led by six points at that point. The teams combined for 70 turnovers (Galesburg: 37) and (Normal West: 33).

After the game, it would be a quick trip home, skipping out on any other basketball for the weekend. The thought had crossed my mind to head back to Galesburg to watch the rest of the boy's Martin Luther King Tournament, but fatigue had settled in. A quick fix for the long trip home would be some Steak 'n Shake. On the menu for my dinner: Triple Cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke.

The Quest File Notes
Game 63
Date: 1/16/10
Result: Normal West uses huge third quarter to defend home floor and beat Galesburg, 76-60
Miles: 276