Neoga Girls Take Second at Monticello Tournament

MONTICELLO -- Neoga High School finished second in the Monticello Girls Holiday Hoopla Basketball Tournament Monday evening.

The Indians played for the championship against Mount Zion and fell to the Braves 66-55. Mount Zion stepped out to a 14-5 opening quarter lead but Neoga mounted a comeback to pull within 23-20 at halftime. The Braves then went on a tear again in the third quarter with a 16-7 run that would put the game into the win column.

A. Davis led the winners with 15 points while Johnson tallied 14. Neoga was led by Butler with 22 points and Ott with 17. The Indians drop to 14-3 on the season.

In other games, Monticello beat Tuscola 58-33 for third place while Gibson City/Melvin-Sibley downed Stark County 48-32 for fifth place. The seventh place contest went to Ridgeview over Argenta-Oreana 59-33.

In the boys tournament, Neoga played for seventh place and fell to Farmer City-Blue Ridge 82-35. Neoga led 24-21 after the opening quarter but Blue Ridge took a 46-37 halftime lead. Blue Ridge then outscored the Indians 25-13 in the third period and 22-14 in the final quarter.

Neoga had three players in double digits, Baker with 17, R. Kersey with 12 and C. Kersey with 10.

In other games, Ridgeview downed Monticello 65-56 for the championship. The third place contest went to Gibson City/Melvin Sibley over Sangamon Valley 66-59 while Argenta-Oreana won the fifth place game over Tuscola 74-66.

Monticello Girls Tournament

Championship Game

MOUNT ZION (66)

Sarff 2-2 -- 7, Rouleau 0-1 -- 1, A. Davis 6-3 -- 15, Johnson 3-6 -- 14, Propst 4-2 -- 11, Miller 1-0 -- 2, M. Davis 4-8 -- 16. TOTALS 20 FG, 22 FT.

NEOGA (55)

Butler 9-3 -- 22, Partlow 0-0 -- 0, Ott 4-7 -- 17, Thies 2-3 -- 8, Hotze 0-0 -- 0, Miah 0-1 -- 1, Roy 3-0 -- 7, Banning 0-0 -- 0, Morrison 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 18 FG, 14 FT.

Mount Zion          14       9    16    27    --    66

Neoga                     5     15      7    28    --    55

3--point FG -- Mount Zion 4 (Johnson 2, Propst 1, Sarff 1), Neoga 5 (Ott 2, Butler 1, Roy 1, Thies 1).

Monticello Boys Tournament

Seventh Place Game

FARMER CITY BLUE RIDGE (82)

Zimmerman 9-7 -- 25, Baker 2-2 -- 6, Trotter 5-3 -- 13, Clancy 5-6 -- 19, Balazi 6-5 -- 17, Jameson 0-0 -- 0, Miller 1-0 -- 2. TOTALS 28 FG, 23 FT.

NEOGA (55)

C. Kersey 4-2 -- 10, R. Kersey 6-0 -- 12, Moore 2-2 -- 6, Baker 6-2 -- 17, Abernathy 0-0 -- 0, Morgan 1-0 -- 3, Pygott 2-0 -- 6, Holt 0-1 -- 1, Ramert 0-0 -- 0, Welch 0-0 -- 0, Hill 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 21 FG, 7 FT.

Blue Ridge          21    25    22    14    --    82

Neoga                  24    13    14     4    --    55

3-point FG -- Farmer City Blue Ridge 3 (Clancy 3), Neoga 6 (Baker 3, Pygott 2, Morgan 1).