Basketball Recap: Normal University Comes Up Short

On Saturday, the Normal University Pioneers were within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 68-62 to the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin Blue Devils. That's two games in a row now that the Pioneers have lost by exactly six points.

Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Keison Peoples, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten boards. The dominant performance gave Peoples a new career-high in rebounds. Chaz Dubois was another key player, going 6 for 10 on his way to 18 points.

Normal University has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-8 record this season. As for Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, the victory keeps them at an undefeated 17-0.

Normal University and Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. Normal University (ranked 141st) will meet Springfield Southeast (ranked 522nd) at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Similarly, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (ranked 82nd) will meet Armstrong (ranked 294th) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.