Men’s Game
GALESBURG — The Sandburg men’s basketball team will need some help to win a share of this season’s Arrowhead Conference title.
The Chargers had a chance to clinch the championship Thursday at Black Hawk but were turned away in an 84-55 loss. Sandburg (17-11 overall) finished its conference schedule with a 4-2 record, while Black Hawk moved into first place at 4-1.
The Chargers will share the title with the Braves should Black Hawk lose its final Arrowhead game Tuesday at Illinois Valley. Sandburg is aiming for its first conference title since 2018 and sixth in program history (1972, 1984, 1985, 1990, 2018).
Sandburg trailed 33-30 at halftime of Thursday’s contest and was down 38-35 after Matt Bockman‘s 3-pointer from the right corner with 17:45 to go. The Braves, though, pulled away by putting together a 7-0 run and scoring 21 of the next 28 for a 59-42 lead with 11:00 to play.
Women’s Game
GALESBURG — The Sandburg women’s basketball team suffered its first Arrowhead Conference loss in Thursday’s 85-50 defeat at Black Hawk, but the Chargers still control their own destiny when it comes to repeating as league champions.
Sandburg (18-9, 6-1) fell into a tie with the host Braves for first place in the Arrowhead with one game remaining. The Chargers can clinch at least a share of the title with a win in their conference finale at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Highland. Black Hawk plays its final Arrowhead game Tuesday at Illinois Valley.
The Chargers couldn’t recover after finding themselves in a 30-15 deficit after Thursday’s opening quarter against the Braves.
Freshman Tiera Hall totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving her her second double-double of the season. Hall’s first came in Sandburg’s Nov. 13 win over Eureka JV. Hall was 5 for 11 from the field against Black Hawk and had three of her boards on the offensive end. She also had three assists and two steals.
Antonia Kisler had a team-best 12 points for the Chargers but was saddled with two fouls early in the first half. Kisler was 4 of 11 from the floor in addition to totaling nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Brook Pieper had seven points and a team-leading 11 rebounds in the defeat.
