Published on January 7, 2026 8:47 am
Last Updated on January 7, 2026 8:49 am
BY MILLIE LANGE
Effingham High School played host to Olney and sent the Tigers home with a 59-49 loss in boys basketball action Tuesday evening.
The Hearts trailed Olney 15-12 after the opening quarter despite putting in two from beyond the arc. Jenner Pals led with five points while Jude Traub also hit a three-pointer.
But the Hearts came back with a slight 14-13 second period to pull within 28-26 at halftime. Max Buzzard kept the Hearts in the game, scoring three baskets for six points while Cannon Bockhorn and Traub hit a three each.
The two teams played to a 14-14 tie in the third quarter and Olney held a 42-40 lead going into the final quarter.
Effingham came roaring back with a 19-7 final quarter as Pals connected on four baskets for eight points while Jake Niebrugge scored five points and Bockhorn went four of four at the line.
Pals finished with 20 points, connecting on nine field goals, two from beyond the arc. Traub chipped in with nine points and Buzzard and Cole Phillips scored eight each.
EHS is now 6-10 on the season.
In the junior varsity contest, Effingham was a 60-35 winner. The Hearts had two players in double figures and 10 scored in the contest. Ian Kinkelaar led the way with 22 points while Dagg Thompson added 11.
At Effingham
OLNEY (49)
Brown 7-4 — 19, Ameter 2-0 — 6, Seaman 0-3 — 3, Kocher 0-0 — 0, Klingler 0-0 — 0, Redman 2-0 — 5, Hires 4-0 — 10, Germak 1-4 — 6, Thomas 0-0 –0. TOTALS 15 FG, 12 FT.
EFFINGHAM (59)
Niebrugge 3-1 — 7, Bockhorn 1-4 — 7, Pals 7-2 — 20, Buzzard 4-0 — 8, Traub 3-0 — 9, Phillips 4-0 — 8. TOTALS 24 FG, 5 FT.
Olney 15 13 14 7 — 49
Effingham 12 14 14 19 — 59
3-point FG — Olney 7 (Hires 3, Ameter 2, Brown 1, Redman 1), Effingham 6 (Traub 3, Pals 2, Bockhorn 1).
Junior Varsity Game
Olney 10 5 14 6 — 35
Effingham 17 18 16 9 — 60
Olney — Kocher 2, Padilla 0, Hefferman 6, Snyder 8, Fox 11, Hallam 4, Conts 4
Effingham — Rohr 0, Kinkelaar 22, Moon 2, Loew 0, Richmond 1, Jones 0, Thompson 11, Westjohn 2, Traub 7, Flack 4, Wendt 3, Love 6, Warner 2
At Robinson
Effingham St. Anthony was a 74-51 winner over Robinson Tuesday evening.
The Bulldogs stepped out to a 17-9 opening quarter lead behind Miles Waldhoff’s six points and five from Jonny Gannaway.
St. Anthony held a 30-22 halftime lead. Gannaway chipped in with four more points while Keenan Griffith added a three-pointer.
The Bulldogs then went on a 22-13 third quarter run to lead 52-35 going into the final period. Aidan Lauritzen who had six points n the opening half, connected on four baskets that included a three-pointer for nine in the quarter. Griffith added seven and Waldhoff five.
The Bulldogs finished out with a 22-16 final period. Waldhoff hit two three-pointers and two free throws for eight.
Waldhoff finished with 21 points on eight field goals, two from beyond the arc, and three of four at the line.
Three other players finished in double figures. Lauritzen added 15, Griffith 13 and Gannaway 10.
St. Anthony also captured the junior varsity victory, 67-32.
The Bulldogs were led by Blake Verdeyen with 17 and Alex Mayer with 16.
In freshman/sophomore action, St. Anthony won 45-35.
Camden Bloemer led with 15 and Charlie Hoene added 12.
At Robinson
ST. ANTHONY (74)
Verdeyen 1-3 — 5, Waldhoff 8-3 — 21, Vonderheide 0-0 — 0, Storm 0-0 — 0, Sehy 2-0 — 4, Bierman 0-0 — 0, Lauritzen 7-0 — 15, Mayer 2-0 — 4, Jansen 0-2 — 2, Griffith 5-1 — 13, Gannaway 4-2 — 10. TOTALS 29 FG, 11 FT.
ROBINSON (51)
Papantanapouus 0-0 — 0, Sparks 4-3 — 11, Hires 1-0 — 2, G. Hoalt 1-0 — 3, J. Hoalt 2-1 — 5, Brown 0-0 — 0, Williams 0-0 — 0, Hardiman 1-0 — 2, Arnone 1-0 — 2, Dunlap 10-2 — 24, Turner 1-0 — 2. TOTALS 21 FG, 6 FT.
St. Anthony 17 13 22 22 — 74
Robinson 9 13 13 16 — 51
3-point FG — St. Anthony 5 (Waldhoff 2, Griffith 2, Lauritzen 1), Robinson 3 (Dunlap 2, G. Hoalt 1.
Junior Varsity Game
Robinson 8 10 10 4 — 32
St. Anthony 20 18 20 9 — 67
Robinson — Truitt 7, Hire 8, Pajero 0, Deckard 2, Schmidt 3, Williams 4, Stark 0, McCammon 3, Reynolds 5, Whitaker 0
St. Anthony — Verdeyen 17, Vonderheide 8, Storm 6, Bloemer 2, Bierman 0, Gowin 1, Sehy 6, Mayer 16, Wagner 0, McAllaster 0, Storm 2, Hoene 3, Looman 6
Freshman/Sophomore Game
Robinson 5 10 12 8 — 35
St. Anthony 13 15 8 9 — 45
Robinson — Hires 8, Deckard 0, McCammon 3, Truitt 12, Williams 2, Bogard 0, Stark 2, Reynolds 8
St. Anthony — Gowin 3, Bierman 0, McAllaster 4, Bloemer 15, Tingley 2, Vogel 0, Wagner 2, Whittier 1, Sandschafer 0, Storm 4, Hoene 12, Looman 2