Brother Rice’s Ahmad Henderson shoots a game-winning 3-pointer against Fenwick his sophomore season. He has also had last-second game winners in his junior and senior seasons. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Hoops Wrap: Ahmad Henderson’s late-game heroics lift Rice over Marist
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
There is no rule that says Ahmad Henderson needs to sink a game-winning basket at least once a season.
If there was such a rule, the Brother Rice senior would follow it to perfection.
Henderson worked his closing-seconds magic in one of the area’s hottest rivalries in a 49-48 victory over host Marist on Jan. 17.
His driving shot fell as time expired put the exclamation point on a game in which the Crusaders trailed by nine in the fourth quarter. The Niagara recruit scored Rice’s final 10 points of the game and hit a milestone in the game, scoring his 1,000th career point.
Henderson is no stranger to end-of-game heroics.
During his sophomore season, he nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat Fenwick, 54-53.
Last season, he hit what turned out to be a game-winning 3-points with 11 seconds remaining on in a 38-36 victory over St. Ignatius.
He didn’t have a last-second shot in the Crusaders’ following game Jan. 21, but he popped in 20 points in a 64-59 won over Rolling Meadows at the When Sides Collide Shootout at Benet. Rolling Meadows won this season’s Jack Tosh Tournament over winter break, beating Lyons in the final.
King on top 100 list
Saint Xavier’s Jaeden King was named to the Bevo Francis Top 100 watch list.
The Bevo Francis Award is presented to the top player in small college basketball, including NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.
Bevo Francis played in the 1950s and once led the University of Rio Grande to a 39-0 record. He scored 116 points in a game against Ashland College.
Milestones
Argo girls basketball star Apple Guerrero scored her 1,000th career point in a 54-12 South Suburban Red victory over Eisenhower on Jan. 17.
Saint Xavier’s Claire Austin, a Marist graduate, became just the third player in Cougars history to haul down 1,000 career rebounds, surpassing the mark in a 95-32 win over Trinity International University on Jan. 21
Sandburg’s Josie Canellis, who hit the 1,000-point mark earlier in the season, passed Erin Catell for third on the Eagles all-time scoring list. Canellis entered this week with 1,199, passing Catell’s 1,195. Erika Nelson is first on the list with 1,395. East Coast TV television analyst Sarah Kustok is second with 1,242.
It doesn’t appear that Kustok will be disappointed if she falls to third. Kustok responded to a tweet about Canellis’ leap to third by writing “Let’s goooooo” followed by five handclap emojis.
Ram reunion
Reavis will celebrate the boys basketball program’s 2003-2004 season at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 before the Rams take on Eisenhower in a South Suburban Red game. This season is the 20th anniversary of the team that had the best record in program history at 23-3.
Local News
Evergreen Park High School student excels at multiplying
Spread the loveBy Kelly White An Evergreen Park Community High School student has been adding up his future. Sophomore Xarles “Chaz” Barnes recently discovered a unique talent of being able to multiply any two numbers ranging from 1-100 simply in his head. Barnes said he does not memorize the answers, they just come to him…
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of…
Marist cheerleaders takes 2nd in state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer After Marist’s cheerleaders watched a video of their state finals performance on Feb. 5, there were some long faces and tears as the girls filed out of the video room and into the cooling-off room. After a long meeting, there were more long faces. “I’ve had better days,”…
Balanced Nazareth wins East Suburban Catholic
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Correspondent Moments before the opening tip in the East Suburban Catholic Conference tournament title game, Carmel coach Ben Berg said his team was playing with house money.” Berg was referring to how Corsairs — 4-3 in conference play entering the tourney — were not expected to be playing in the…
Playing the race card remains popular
Spread the loveBy Ray Hanania Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke is freed from a system that protects real criminals. Van Dyke went through the criminal justice system for shooting Laquan McDonald, a drugged-up, weapon-carrying thug with a history of violence who refused to listen to police after curfew in Chicago. Van Dyke was…
Need more free speech, not enforced silence
Spread the loveBy Thomas Knapp “They can have Neil Young or [Joe] Rogan. Not Both.” Thus the ultimatum from legendary musician Young, over his concerns with what he deems “misinformation” on the subject of COVID-19 vaccines, to streaming service Spotify. Spotify, unsurprisingly, chose Rogan. It invested an estimated $100 million in bringing the Joe Rogan Experience podcast…
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School packs meals for needy during holidays
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Wishing everyone to have the best holiday season, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students packed meals for those in need before they went on Christmas break. The school, 5345 W. 99th St., Oak Lawn, hosted its annual Feed6 Meal Packaging event on December 4, where students gathered together, while socially distanced, with…
McCord shows off Stagg student artworks
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Stagg High School art students proudly had their work showcased at a local gallery. McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road, Palos Park, featured the art of Stagg’s most creative until January 28. “Having my work as part of an art show in an art gallery like McCord is significant to…
Enjoy fiscal bliss while it lasts
Spread the loveBy Rich Miller I think by now you can see why Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign spent so much money over the past month or so on TV and digital ads touting the state’s improved fiscal position. Illinoisans have been (accurately) fed fiscal horror stories about their state for decades. I don’t have to…
No injuries when Metra train hits school bus in Orland Park
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong No children were injured Friday afternoon when their school bus stalled on railroad tracks in Orland Park and the bus was hit by a Metra commuter train. The Orland Fire Protection District responded to an emergency call Friday when a school bus from American School Bus Co. carrying students from…
Neighbors
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Remembering Lee Milner
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A group of lawmakers and influential environmental advocates are calling for broad changes to the state’s energy industry and a massive increase in state oversight of Chicagoland’s transit system – which faces a projected $730 million budget shortfall. Advocates for the policy platform, which is broken up into…
Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With about three weeks to go before the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring legislative session, supermajority Democrats showed their strength this week as fiscal forecasters noted state revenues remain on track. April is typically a make-or-break month for state coffers, as income…