Saturday, February 14 Preview

Happy Valentines Day oh wait, WHO CARES??? The "Hallmark Holiday" will not be thought about in southern Illinois Saturday night because there is GRAC Basketball to be played. Action that will set your heart on fire so quick that Cupid will blush. Another exciting Wednesday night leads into some key mid-conference matchups. With Lake Land falling to Wabash, the Blue Knights took a half game lead over the Lakers for sole possesion of fourth place. Southeastern and Southwestern both won but were battled to overtime. John A Logan stole one of Cupids arrows and shot it through the heart of Rend Lake. With matchups that include #1 vs #2, or in a national point of view, #4 vs #9; #3 vs #4 the excitment will be at an all time high on Saturday night. So grab your box of chocolates, or in our case a bag of popcorn, and a soda, sit back and let the games begin.

Hallmark Holiday Matchups:
Lake Land, 15-9 (5-6) @ Kaskaskia, 10-14 (2-8) 3:00PM
Last Outing:
Lake Land 79 @ Wabash Valley 86 (2-11-09)
Kaskaskia 62 @ Southeastern Illinois 67 OT (2-11-09)
Last Meeting:
Kaskaskia 78 @ Lake Land 83 (1-17-09)
Notes:
Both the Lakers and the Blue Devils have seen better stretches than what they are going through right now. Kaskaskia has dropped 5 straight while Lake Land, without two starters, has lost 2 straight. One of the streaks will end Saturday night in Centralia. Which one will come out of Cupids Chokehold for a W.

Wabash Valley, 15-8 (4-6) @ Rend Lake, 12-13 (2-9) 8:00PM
Last Outing:
Lake Land 79 @ Wabash Valley 86 (2-11-09)
Rend Lake 64 @ John A. Logan 96 (2-11-09)
Last Meeting:
Rend Lake 84 @ Wabash Valley 86 (1-17-09)
Notes:
Coach Sparks loads up the IECC vans with his smoking hot Warrior team and heads to Ina to face Coach Wills and his Warrior squad. The Warriors knocked off the Lakers of Lake Land, and lost a close game in double overtime to Logan. They look keep Rend Lake from breaking their 6 game losing streak. However, the Warriors of Rend Lake are not one to lay down for just anyone. They are a team known for not backing down from a challenge and laying down.

John A. Logan, 16-7 (8-3) @ Olney Central, 15-9 (5-5) 7:30PM
Last Outing:
Rend Lake 64 @ John A Logan 96 (2-11-09)
Olney Central 71 @ Southeastern Illinois 90 (2-9-09)
Last Meeting:
Olney Central 56 @ John A Logan 87 (1-17-09)
Notes:
The Blue Knights look to regain some pride after the smack down Coach Imhoff and the boys put on them in Carterville. Losers of two straight Coach Burris and Blue Knight Nation look to regain momentum into the home stretch of the conference season. The Volunteers of Logan and winners of four straight look to keep the streak alive and keep making room between theirselves in 3rd place and the Blue Knights and Lakers in 4th.

Cupids Game of the Night:
#4 Southeastern Illinois, 22-1 (10-1) @ #9 Southwestern Illinois, 23-2 (10-1) 3:00PM
Last Outing:
Kaskaskia 62 @ Southeastern Illinois 67 OT (2-11-09)
Southwestern Illinois 87 @ Lincoln Trail 78 (2-11-09)
Last Meeting:
Southwestern Illinois 74 @ Southeastern 82 (1-17-09)
Notes:
Not only the best matchup in the GRAC, but possibly the best matchup in the country Saturday night. These two top ten teams battle it out for the second time this season. Both 10-1 in the league, these two school have battled for the top spot for the last two or three years. Southwestern and the Harrington gang look to get a little pay back from the 8 point loss in Harrisburg in mid-January. Both coming off overtime thrillers, they look to keep up their winning ways. Anyway you have it there is only going to be one number 1 when Sunday morning rolls around. Who will Cupid fall in love with and shoot with his infamous arrow.