Led by Al Renner's 23 points, the visiting Illineks shocked Unity 58-49 in overtime Tuesday to extend their winning streak to 14 games. Next up: Senior Night this Friday against Judah Christian. Be there!

By Gargoyle sports staff

Posted Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006, The OG, sports

[Note: Visit our gallery for photos of the game.]

TOLONO — Just a few years ago, the Uni boys would have been history if they had fallen behind perennial Class A power Unity by 13 points in the first quarter — especially if they had been on the road, facing a hostile Rockets crowd.

But not this group of Illineks. Forget about the 19-5 record and 13-game winning streak Uni brought into this matchup. More important than those numbers was the senior leadership that players like Al Renner, Austin Berger, Ben Sims, Daniel Jacobs, Zhe Gao, and Cameron Cropek have shown all season.

And they would need it Tuesday night.

Trailing 17-4 just minutes into the game, the Illineks did something the 16-7 host Rockets probably didn't expect.

They kept their poise, calmly regrouping and refusing to cave in. Instead, they began playing the kind of tenacious D that led to their gaudy record in the first place.

Al Renner hit a trey to cut Unity's lead to 17-7, and from that point on it was just a matter of time. Uni went on to defeat the Rockets 58-49 in overtime, raising its record to 20-5 and extending its winning streak to 14 games.

“We weren't playing our game,” Renner said of Uni's poor start. “But we didn't fold. We locked down on defense and slowly got back in it.”

Renner finished with 23 points, including four free throws in overtime that iced the win. His brother, sophomore Mike Renner, followed close behind with 18 points, three in overtime. Jacobs added seven points, Berger and Gao each chipped in four, and Sims netted two.

Trailing only 27-22 at the half, Uni took control of the game in the third quarter, building a 36-29 lead over the stunned Rockets.

“We were pumped at halftime,” Al Renner said. “We knew we could play with these guys.”

By the start of the fourth quarter, Uni led 39-34, and just about everyone but the most partisan Rocket fan could tell that this performance by the visitors was no fluke. It was time for the home team to get serious.

Spurred on by senior Henry Deters, Unity clawed away at the Illineks lead, tying the game 47-47 with only 34 seconds left.

Even so, Uni seemed in control. The Illineks ran down the clock and put the ball in Al Renner's hands for what they hoped would be the final shot. But Renner missed a layup with 2.9 seconds left. After a timeout, an additional 1.2 seconds mysteriously appeared on the scoreboard. No matter. Deters missed an open shot, and the game went into overtime.

As soon as Mike Renner hit the first two points of OT, the game was effectively over. The Illineks played relentless defense, forcing turnovers and contesting every rebound.

With 1:07 left and Uni ahead 50-47, the Rockets fouled Jacobs. When the senior hit both free throws, the spirit went out of the home crowd. The suspense was gone, and the final minute was pure bliss for Illinek fans as they savored one of the biggest victories in recent school history.

“This was a marquee win,” Al Renner said. “Now maybe people will know who we are.”

[Note: For a related discussion, see David Boyle's Feb. 15 entry in the Gargoyle staff blog.]