By Sergei Pourmal
Gargoyle co-editor-in-chief
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006, The OG, sports

The Uni boys basketball team extended its winning streak to 16 games as it defeated Judah Christian 65-50 in the first round of the IHSA Class A playoffs Monday night at Armstrong.

The Illineks jumped on Judah early, outscoring them 19-7 in the first quarter. Uni's early lead only increased as the night progressed, expanding to 41-22 by the end of the second quarter.

Although Uni's offense had some sloppy moments in the second half, including a number of turnovers and missed layups, the Illineks managed to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the contest.

Sophomore Mike Renner brought some spectacle to the game, as he opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, followed shortly by an alley-oop from his senior brother, Al. Junior Michael Belmont topped off the evening with a buzzer-beating two-pointer.

Mike Renner led all scorers with 13 points. Senior Zhe Gao, continuing his hot streak, was second for the Illineks with 11 points, including three treys. The Illineks are now 22-5, the third-best record in school history. (The 1943-44 team is first with a 24-4 record, and last year's team is second with a 23-5 mark.) Renner and Gao also advanced in the IHSA three-point showdown, after both scoring 10 of 15 shots.

The win came as little surprise as Uni had defeated Judah 68-29 on Friday to close out the regular season.

To reach this Friday's regional championship game, Uni will have to defeat the host Armstrong-Potomac Trojans. The game begins Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

A fan bus will leave Kenney Gym at 6:15 p.m. Anyone interested in riding the bus should contact Athletic Director Sally Walker.

For those driving to Armstrong, directions are here and here.

The Illineks are the third-highest seed in the Armstrong regional (A-P is second and Milford first). Despite their 21-5 regular-season record, including head-turning wins over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (75-58) and Unity (58-49, in overtime), the Illineks were still considered underdogs on the eve of the playoffs.

In Sunday's News-Gazette, writer Jeff Mezydlo predicted that Milford would defeat Armstrong-Potomac for the regional title, meaning the Illineks would lose to A-P on Wednesday. To be fair, Mezydlo also named Uni as one of several darkhorses who could pull off a major surprise.

Here is the regional schedule for this week:

Monday: Uni 65, Judah Christian 50

Monday: St. Thomas More 73, Hoopeston Area 71

Tuesday: Milford vs. STM, 7:30 p.m., Armstrong H.S.

Wednesday: Uni vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 7:30 p.m., Armstrong H.S.

If Uni wins, then …

Friday: Uni vs. winner of Milford vs. STM, 7:30 p.m., Armstrong H.S.

If Uni wins, then next week …

March 1: Uni vs. winner of the Westville regional, 7:30 p.m., Watseka H.S.