Game 119: Galesburg @ Alleman (Girl's Basketball)

Game 119

Don Morris Gymnasium @ Alleman

Galesburg @ Alleman (Girl's Basketball)
(2/3/11)

Throughout the day, I was eagerly anticipating getting back into the gym.  It's only been two nights away from basketball, but cabin fever and hoops withdrawals were settling in.  I was also ready to sleep in my own bed, and take a shower from home.  For some reason, hotel showers just don't make me feel as clean as a home shower.  That may sound very weird.



The email came over in the early afternoon from Alleman athletic director Steve Smithers, confirming that the game will be played.  I picked up Jimmie Carr at 3:30, ensuring plenty of time just in case the roads were still snow covered. 

In taking I-74 to I-80, the roads were 100% clear, and we arrived at the gym to get the best parking spot that you will find at the school.  We parked on the street in front of Alleman High School, right across from the front entrance to the gym, only about 10-15 steps from the front door.  This is what I call a "Jimmie Carr parking spot," because you will always....always find Jimmie's parking spot as close to the door as possible. 

As early as we got to the gym, we still did not beat the Silver Streaks team.  Had I not stopped to get gas in Carlock on I-74 last Saturday, I would have beaten the team to Bloomington, but the team has won the race to each away game this year. 

Once we got into the gym, we set our equipment down.  The custodian at Alleman gets along with Jimmie really well, because they are both huge Dallas Cowboys fans.  In fact, he was wearing a Julius Jones Cowboys t-shirt tonight.  They talked Cowboys, and I tuned them out.

After setting up the equipment at Don Morris Gymnasium, I walked over to the Galesburg bench and talked with Silver Streaks head coach Evan Massey.  Alleman coach Jay Hatch came over and apologized for not returning my call this morning.  He said it took him over an hour to get across the river to the school in the morning, missing his entire prep period during first hour.  Massey also apologized, saying he was going to call me back on his way to the gym for the girls' shoot around, but forgot.  It worked out because I had plenty of guests lined up for Sportsline, and I was able to play it off by saying, "You can hear Alleman coach Jay Hatch and Galesburg coach Evan Massey's comments on tonight's game during our WAIK pregame show on 1590 WAIK."

I talked with Jay Hatch, next.  Since Alleman is in Class 2A, this is their last game of the regular season.  The interesting tidbit on Alleman is something he mentioned to me after our interview.  Last season, after a 20-win season (20-7), his Pioneers received the #2 seed in the Regionals.  This season, at (9-19) entering tonight's game, his team is a #1 seed in the Regionals.  We were equally flabbergasted.

Now recollecting that my interviews were done with 20:00 to play before the sophomore game even started, this sets a new record for the pregame interviews being recorded at the gym.  I believe the last time I made mention, it was around 12:00 on the clock before a sophomore game.

I spent some time talked with Galesburg assistant Andie Allison, who greeted me the same way Massey did when I walked up.  "Monmouth!"  That was in reference to my Monmouth College polo I was wearing.  Both of them are Knox College graduates. 

The managers, Lauren Riggs and Sarah Main have a special concoction they make during games.  They add M&M's to the popcorn from the concession stand.  Tonight, they added both Peanut Butter MM's and regular M&M's. 

Speaking of M&M's, I feel that the peanut M&M's get overshadowed.  They are a classic, and an extremely underrated candy.  Admittedly, the peanut butter M&M's are pretty tasty, and regular M&M's are just a classic, kind of like a plain Hershey bar.  However, I am hardly a candy expert.  I can probably count on one hand how many candy bars I've purchased in the last 10 years.

During the Bloomington/Galesburg Game Blog, I talked about the game of Knockout, and how the team was playing it.  During halftime of the sophomore game, the varsity team warmed up to a game.  There was no winner, as they played parts of two games.  In the first game, the final three players were Tai Peachey, Emma Junk, and Megan Young. 

In the 2nd half of the sophomore game, there was an official's timeout during a free throw as an Alleman player was tying her shoes.  Quote from the stands:  "Left over right, right over left."

After the sophomore game, there was a "Senior Night" celebration, however it was Charlene Yeager Night, the lone Pioneers senior.  Along with the senior night announcement, Alleman recognizes everyone in the girl's basketball program.  It's quick, though, with no bio's being read.  It's a unique take, and I enjoyed it.

Galesburg started the game shooting very cold.  I was beginning to think Doug Green from the Quad City Times was covering the beat.  I gave Doug a hard time because each time he has covered the Streaks, they have made single-digit three-pointers.  He was covering the Moline/United Township game at Wharton Field House.

The Pioneers led 12-8 after the 1st quarter, but Galesburg outscored the hosts 22-14 in the 2nd quarter to take a 4-point lead into the halftime break.  A familiar face was in the gym rooting on his alma mater, recent graduate and All-Stater Keelan Prince, now at Black Hawk College.  Pioneers boy's basketball coach Bob Szorc was also in the stands.  One of the officials on the night was my friend Dave Hasley.  Dave joined me on Sportsline earlier this week to talk about officiating, the block/charge call, among other intricacies.  LINK TO FULL EPISODE.

Alleman kept pace in the early part of the 3rd quarter, but Jessica Lieber knocked down a couple of big three-pointers, and the Silver Streaks scored 19 points in the frame, taking a 49-42 lead heading into the 4th quarter. 

Another 20 points were scored by Galesburg in the 4th quarter, as they cruised to the 69-58 win, improving to 23-5 on the season, and 7-2 in the Western Big 6.  Moline knocked off United Township, meaning the Western Big 6 title will be decided at GHS next Thursday night, when the Streaks host the Moline Maroons.  Rock Island is 6-3, and UTHS is now 5-4.  The Rock Island/Quincy game tonight was pushed back to Saturday afternoon.

An interesting stat I compiled this afternoon was free throw attempts for Galesburg.  Now the team has won five straight games, however in their only losing streak of the season, when they dropped games to Morton and Rock Island, the Silver Streaks were outshot at the free throw line.  When attempting more free throws than their opposition, Galesburg is 20-2 (losses to Springfield and UTHS).  When the opposition attempts more free throws, the Streaks are .500 (3-3).  One of the wins when the opponent shot more free throws was the first win over Alleman in December. 

Jamie Johnson scored a game-high 18 points, while Jessica Howard scored 17 points, and Jessica Lieber scored 15 points.  Lieber was our First Glass Breakout Player of the Game, for her three-point exploits in the second half.  She knocked down five three-pointers, all after halftime in crucial times of the game to lift the Streaks ahead, and keep them there.

Alleman freshman point guard Cierra Davis scored a team-high 14 points.  Anne Bohnert scored 13 points, and Mary Anne McLaughlin added 10 points. 

I noticed Galesburg Register-Mail sports writer Todd Rudolf was wearing a Minnesota Timberwolves hat.  Not too often do you see a T-Wolves hat.   I didn't get a chance to pick his brain on why he is a Timberwolves fan.  Which got me thinking.  I have always been a crazed and obsessive sports fan, and I've donned some unusual apparel.  Here are the top five weirdest jerseys I've owned in the past.

Yinka Dare:  I actually owned this jersey!!!

1)  Yinka Dare (pronounced Dar-Ay) jersey (New Jersey Nets).  This is no joke, and I challenge anyone to claim they've worn a stranger jersey.  I wish I still had it, but in high school I purged some of my jersey collection.  I was always fascinated by the strange player names at George Washington University, almost becoming a sort of GWU basketball fan.  Yinka Dare played for them, and was actually an NBA lottery pick for the Nets.  I can't quite recall where I found the Dare jersey, but I think it was one of the sporting goods stores at South Park Mall in Moline.

2)  Rashaan Salaam Bears jersey and Salaam t-shirt.  I was a big fan of the rookie running back, who ended up doing nothing.  After I had the jersey (which I still own, but it hangs in a closet at my parents house), I bought a Salaam t-shirt at Bears training camp in Platteville, Wisconsin.  It read, "Wisconsin has cheese, but Chicago has Salaami"

3)  UMASS Lou Roe jersey.  During the Marcus Camby/Lou Roe days, I jumped on the Minutemen bandwagon, which was also the height of my jersey collecting.  I had the UMASS uni, with the matching mesh shorts, back in the heydey of Eastbay.  For some reason, they were selling Lou Roe #15 jerseys, not jerseys with #21 (Camby).

I had to be the first to own the Nomar Cubs jersey

4)  Nomar Garciaparra Chicago Cubs jersey.  At least in the previously mentioned jersey snafus, I was a teenager, not so with this poor decision.  I was in my 20's, and spent $125 on a Garciaparra jersey just days after getting traded from the Red Sox to the Cubs.  What was I thinking?!?!  I still own this jersey, keeping it as a reminder to STOP buying jerseys!

5)  Honorable Mention:  Seattle Supersonics warmup jersey, vintage California Angels jersey, Arizona State baseball jersey, and Bryan Cox Chicago Bears jersey.

The snow was tall!

Neighbor plowing my driveway

I have been worried the last two days of what the Blizzard of 2011 did to my property.  When I arrived on my street at 11:30 p.m. it was just as I expected.  The snow was knee-high.  There would be no way I could shovel the drive, and absolutely no way that my Explorer would get through it.  Fortunately, my neighbors have a snow plow, and they were outside when I pulled up.  Five minutes later, my drive was cleared.

In addition, I have a house showing at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon, with a full day of work at the office on Friday, a game in Rock Island Friday night, and leaving for Galesburg at 8:30 a.m. Saturday to head over to Dunlap.  Looks like an early wakeup on Saturday to shovel snow.  Oh joy!

Game 119 Miles:  220