Bloom Looks to Defend No. 1 Slot in Patch Power Rankings

Top-ranked Bloom faces No. 4 Sandburg in a battle for the Class 4A Joliet Central Regional championship tonight. Andrew, Marist and Homewood-Flossmoor also will be playing for regional titles.

1. Bloom (24-3): Donald Moore battled back after being called for a technical foul and led the Blazing Trojans to a 41-37 victory over upstart Thornton Fractional North. Moore made 11-of-13 free throws and scored a game-high 15 points. Bloom faces Sandburg in the Class 4A Joliet Central Regional championship game at 7:30 tonight. 2. Andrew (24-2): The Adekoya brothers helped the T-Bolts set up a bit of March Madness. Jubril Adekoya scored 15 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a 54-37 victory over Lincoln-Way Central. Jawad Adekoya added 12 points and six rebounds. Andrew faces Marian Catholic at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Thunderdome. 3. Marist (24-5): L.J. McIntosh was the McHero in the Battle on Pulaski. McIntosh erupted for 30 points …

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Boys Basketball: Dace Sets Pace in Sandburg's Win over L-W Central

Brian Dace led a balanced attack in Sandburg's 61-50 boys basketball victory over Lincoln-Way Central on Friday night.

No. 1 Bloom Set for Final Regular Season Boys Basketball Test

The Blazing Trojans face Kankakee tonight, then will look toward postseason play. Andrew, Marist, Sandburg and Brother Rice are gearing up for some March Madness, too.

1. Bloom (22-3): Lejavius Johnson powered the Bloom past Thornton 58-47. He scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Donald Moore (14 points) and Johnny Griffin (11 rebounds) backed him up. The Blazing Trojans play host to Kankakee in their regular-season finale tonight. Then, it’s on to the Joliet Central Regional Feb. 28. 2. Andrew (22-2): A 3-pointer in the final seconds? Yep. The T-Bolts dropped a 57-55 decision to Thornwood despite strong play from Jubril Adekoya (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Glorind Lisha (10 points). Andrew faces Lincoln-Way Central or Eisenhower in a regional semifinal on its home floor Tuesday, Feb. 28. 3. Marist (23-5): Matt O’Reilly’s 3-point shooting propelled the RedHawks to a 64-37 victory over Joliet …

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Boys Basketball: Dace Sets Pace as Sandburg Stuns Homewood-Flossmoor

Brian Dace scored 23 points in Sandburg's 45-44 boys basketball victory over Homewood-Flossmoor on Friday night.

Boys Basketball: Williams Rises Up with Aunt Looking Down, Leads H-F Past Sandburg

Homewood-Flossmoor 45, Sandburg 36: Vikings senior forward Tim Williams was inspired to play well in loving memory of his aunt, who passed away last week. He scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the first half.

The Skinny: Tim Williams set aside the emotionally draining experience of a personal loss and played at a high level in Homewood-Flossmoor’s 45-36 boys basketball victory over Sandburg on Friday night in Orland Park. Williams scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the first half. He said he was inspired to play well in loving memory of his aunt, Ella Mae Robinson, who died on Jan. 6. He attended services in Michigan and rejoined his H-F teammates on Thursday. Williams made four of his first five shots and helped the Vikings build a 19-14 first-half lead. H-F extended the margin to 25-18 on a third-quarter drive by Rashaan Surles. Sandburg closed within 33-31 on a 3-pointer by Brian Dace with 2:30 left, but the Eagles were unable to get …

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UPDATE: The Winner in Patch Athlete of the Week Voting is ...

Sandburg senior boys basketball standout Brian Dace was the hero in the Eagles' victory over Minooka at the Hinsdale South holiday tournament. Now, he has been voted Patch Athlete of the Week.

Sandburg's Brian Dace outpolled five others in voting for Patch Athlete of the Week, Dec. 25-31. He is now eligible for December Patch Athlete of the Month recognition. The candidates: Brian Dace, senior, guard, boys basketball, Sandburg. Dace scored 13 points in a 37-29 victory over Minooka at the Hinsdale South tournament. He was the only player to reach double figures in classic defensive battle. Martin Einikis, junior, guard/forward, boys basketball, Oak Lawn. Einikis made 7-of-14 shots and scored 17 points in a 60-45 victory over Lincoln-Way West at the Medieval Classic. He also grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. Kyle Funkhouser, senior, guard/forward, boys basketball, Oak Forest. Funkhouser scored 18 points on 6-of-10 …

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Home Sweet Hinsdale for Sandburg Boys Basketball

After losing three straight in a disappointing appearance in Hinsdale South's Thanksgiving Tournament, the Eagles have turned things around.

After what transpired in November, one could safely assume that "a trip to Hinsdale South" wasn't on the holiday wish lists of Sandburg's boys basketball players. The Eagles were trounced by Benet in their season-opener at Hinsdale South on Nov. 22 and then dropped back-to-back contests to the Hornets (54-49) and Hinsdale Central (55-49). Since their struggles in the aforementioned Thanksgiving tournament, though, the Eagles have won five of six. They trounced Providence 67-41 in an opening-round game on Tuesday in the inaugural Hinsdale South Holiday Tournament. On Wednesday, they had a tremendous defensive effort to beat Minooka 37-29. "We were over here during Thanksgiving, and I don't think we played vert well," Sandburg coach Todd …

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Boys Basketball: Strong Defense Propels Sandburg

Sandburg 37, Minooka 29: The Eagles received 13 points from Brian Dace in a low-scoring victory Wednesday at the Hinsdale South Holiday Tournament.

The Skinny: Sandburg played a physical, smart defensive game and got just enough offense to hold off Minooka 37-29 in Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup against Minooka in the inaugural Hinsdale South Holiday Tournament. The Eagles led 19-14 at halftime, but the Indians fought their way back, pulling to within 31-29 late. After Minooka missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with under a minute remaining, Sandburg's Nick Lehnerer drained two free throws with 29 seconds left to make it 34-29. The Indians would not get any closer, while the Eagles' Joe Kuligoski put an exclamation point on the victory with a dunk just before time expired. Patch’s MVP: Sandburg's Brian Dace was the lone scorer for either team in double digits, totaling more…

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Scrawny Memories for Sandburg Boys Basketball's Mr. Brawny

Sandburg senior Joe Kuligoski's hard work in the off-season is paying off for the Eagles this winter. He scored a game-high 17 points in a 56-33 victory over Brother Rice on Tuesday night.

The effort and body abuse involved in diving for a loose ball on the hardwood is quite similar to sliding hard into second base to break up a double play. Sandburg's Joe Kuligoski turned in his glove and bat after sophomore year, so he no longer has to break up two. Instead, he's scoring two points at time while wearing high-tops and nursing floor burns as a full-time basketball player. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior was on top of his game during Tuesday night's non-conference game against Brother Rice. Kuligoski led the Eagles with 17 points and also was dominating on the boards, helping his team out rebound the Crusaders 33-23. Kuligoski collected nine of his team's rebounds in Sandburg's 56-33 victory. "Joe played like a man, he really …

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Boys Basketball: Sandburg Deflates Brother Rice

Sandburg 56, Brother Rice 33: The Eagles dominate all facets of the game in routing the Crusaders in Orland Park.

The Skinny: Brother Rice jumped ahead 4-0 but Sandburg responded with a 9-0 run and never looked back en route to notching a 56-33 boys basketball victory on Tuesday night. Sandburg sophomore Malek Harris drained a 25-foot three-pointer to end the opening quarter and give the Eagles a 16-9 lead which seemingly demoralized the Crusaders. Sandburg opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run to leap ahead 25-9, and Brother Rice never made it much of a contest. It was a 58-point turnaround from last year's meeting as Sandburg was blasted at Brother Rice 78-42. Patch’s MVP: Sandburg senior Joe Kuligoski had a game-high 17 points and was also the top rebounder with nine. Key Stats: Brother Rice was held to only four field goals in the first half. …

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