By Andrew Lovdahl
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006, The OG, sports

Rachel Skoza in action against LeRoy.
(Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)

URBANA — Sophomore Rachel Skoza and junior Aran Yoo combined for 30 points for the second consecutive game as Uni defeated the visiting LeRoy Panthers 43-33 in a nonconference matchup this afternoon at Kenney Gym.

The win, the Illineks' third straight, raises their record to 6-7 overall. They were led by Skoza's 18 points and Yoo's 12. Two days earlier, Skoza finished with 16 points and Yoo 14 as the team beat DeLand-Weldon 64-26.

Heading into winter break, the girls have enjoyed a turnaround from their 3-7 start. The Illineks lost starting point guard Samantha Nguyen during their Nov. 16 opener when the junior suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Losing such an important player led News-Gazette sports reporter Fred Kroner on Dec. 10 to dub the Illineks “the area's early-season hard-luck team.”

But using a combination of Yoo and junior Sarah Pfander at the point, head coach Rebecca Murphy has brought her team back into sync.

“We've settled down offensively,” Murphy said. “The loss of Sam put us in a little tailspin, but we've come out of that. Aran and Pfander gained valuable experience, and they're playing better. That's had an impact on the rest of the team.”

In today's game, LeRoy scored the first four points, but with about 2:30 left in the first quarter Yoo tied the score at 6-6. The Panthers never saw the lead again.

The visitors came within 1 of the Illineks in the second quarter. After Uni took a 14-8 lead, LeRoy scored a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer in quick succession to bring the score to 14-13. However, Yoo countered with a long trey of her own.

By the end of the half, Uni led 17-15. Pressing hard in search of turnovers, the aggressive Illineks had committed 10 fouls, but the Panthers failed to connect on a single free throw. For the game, LeRoy shot 23.5 percent from the line, making only 5 of 17 shots.

“We pressed successfully for the first time in a long time,” Murphy said. “That was the key to the game. We forced a lot of turnovers and got a lot of transition baskets.”

The Illineks took control of the game for good in the third quarter, using their pressure strategy to outscore LeRoy 13-3 and build a 30-18 advantage.

The final period became progressively more intense as the Panthers began committing hard fouls — “First and 10!” shouted Uni music teacher/subbie boys basketball coach Rick Murphy after a particularly blatant instance — but the Illineks maintained a comfortable lead. The final margin of victory, 10 points, was the smallest it had been since late in the third quarter.

Skoza and Yoo played virtually the entire game. Junior Marika Iyer (who grabbed 5 rebounds, including 4 defensive boards) and sophomore Kaylie Dastrup (who scored 4 points) played in every quarter as well, giving Uni strong support from the bench. Senior backup Bianca Zaharescu also contributed valuable minutes.

Skoza led the Illineks in rebounding with 13 boards (4 offensive, 9 defensive). Senior Mandy Grill grabbed 7 (including 5 offensive).

Yoo recorded a team-high 7 steals, followed by Skoza and Pfander with 4 each. Yoo also led the team with 5 assists. Pfander added 2.

The varsity's next two matches will be road games: at Buckley Christ Lutheran (Jan. 2) and Decatur Christian (Jan. 4).

In JV action, LeRoy downed Uni 27-8. The next JV game is not until Jan. 6, when Fisher visits.

VARSITY RECORD: 6-7 overall, 2-1 East Central Illinois Conference
(Games at Kenney Gym in bold)

Season Preview: Illineks ready for season opener tonight

Nov. 16: Atwood-Hammond, W 37-35
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 14 pts
— story: Illineks triumph in season opener

Nov. 18: Hoopeston (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), W 45-23
— leading scorer: Ruthie Welch, 13 pts
— story: Illineks win one, lose one in Oakwood

Nov. 18: Chrisman (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 50-48
— leading scorers: Rachel Skoza & Jessi Sullivan, 15 pts each
— story: Illineks win one, lose one in Oakwood

Nov. 20: Blue Ridge (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), W 52-47
— leading scorer: Sarah Pfander, 13 pts
— story: Illineks down Blue Ridge in tournament action

Nov. 21: Oakwood (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 72-39
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 16 pts
— story: Shorthanded Uni loses to undefeated Oakwood

Nov. 24: Milford (at Oakwood/Westville Thanksgiving Classic), L 44-24
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 10 pts
— story: Uni finishes sixth in Thanksgiving Classic

Nov. 28: Shiloh, L 45-25
— leading scorer: Ruthie Welch, 5 pts
— story: Uni drops third straight

Nov. 30: Villa Grove, game postponed because of bad weather

Dec. 5: Paxton-Buckley-Loda, L 34-23
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 9 pts
— story: Slump continues as Uni falls to PBL

Dec. 8: Decatur Lutheran, L 57-38 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 14 pts
— story: Uni begins conference play with loss to defending champ

Dec. 9: Villa Grove, L 38-27
— leading scorer: Kaylie Dastrup, 9 pts
— story: Villa Grove hands Illineks fourth home defeat of season

Dec. 11: Judah Christian, W 44-29 *
— leading scorer: Aran Yoo, 13 pts
— story: Illineks end six-game losing streak

Dec. 14: at DeLand-Weldon, W 64-26 *
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 16 pts
— story: Illineks win by 38

Dec. 16: LeRoy, W 43-33
— leading scorer: Rachel Skoza, 18 pts
— story: see above

Remaining games: see schedule

*East Central Illinois Conference opponent