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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s happening around the area:
Shauna Green is the scheduled guest for ‘Monday Night SportsTalk,’ at the Esquire this upcoming Monday from 5-6 p.m.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Illinois women’s basketball is getting the state’s top player next season. Destiny Jackson, the standout point guard from Whitney Young, added another honor to her collection by winning Ms. Basketball on Friday. This is after she won the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year honor.
➜ 2. Will Jackson win The News-Gazette’s All-State girls’ basketball Player of the Year honor? Find out when our 48th All-State team is unveiled April 24.
➜ 3. Stop by the Esquire in downtown Champaign on Monday for the last episode of ‘Monday Night SportsTalk,’ this school year. Shauna Green, who has led the Illini women’s basketball team to a 63-35 record and two NCAA tournament appearances so far, is our guest from 5-6 p.m.
Illinois State athletics
Unity graduate Elyce Knudsen shined in her lone season with the Illinois State women’s basketball team.
Numbers game: 2,803
points Elyce Knudsen scored in five college basketball seasons. The Unity graduate and 2020 News-Gazette Player of the Year produced a school record 2,310 points in four seasons at Division III Millikin. She didn’t slow down after making the move to D-I, tallying 493 points and a single-season program record 92 three-pointers this past season at Illinois State. The Redbirds finished with a 24-13 record and reached the WNIT semifinals.
Gavin Bailey and the Mahomet-Seymour baseball team will host reigning Class 2A state champion St. Anthony on Monday evening.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. St. Anthony at Mahomet-Seymour baseball. It’s a showdown of Bulldogs on Monday when Mahomet-Seymour (5-2) hosts the reigning Class 2A state champions in St. Anthony (5-1). First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
➜ 2. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond at Champaign Central softball. Central has won its first five games. Can the Maroons keep the good vibes rolling at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday against the visiting Knights?
➜ 3. Normal Community at Centennial girls’ soccer. Good test for the host Chargers (4-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Champaign against the Ironmen (3-3), a Big 12 power who has four straight Class 3A regional championships.
From left, the Rigsby family: Hillary, Maddux, Law, Stephen, Thayren and Baler.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Watseka baseball coach Stephen Rigsby:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Chicago Cubs.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... Barry Bauer, Don Zimmer and Joe Maddon.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … excuses.
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