Niederman guides Chargers to victory over Cyclones in Hancock County Tournament

WARSAW, Ill. — The Illini West boys basketball team was missing its leading scorer and rebounder Tuesday night, but did not miss a beat.

The Chargers kept their record spotless in the 104th Hancock County Tournament, turning back West Prairie 61-42 at Warsaw High School.

Wesley Robertson, a 6-foot-1 junior guard averaging team highs of 15.2 points and six rebounds, was sidelined with a hand injury, but backcourt mate Tre Neiderman more than picked up the slack.

Neiderman, a 5-foot-8 senior, registered a game-leading 19 points, including three 3-point field goals in the first half when Illini West built a 34-23 advantage by intermission.

“We had (Robertson) out, and we knew we had to step up,” said Niederman, who averages 10.6 points per game. “I felt we played with a lot of energy and controlled the tempo.”

Second-year Chargers coach Blaize Kimmell lauded his club’s effort.

“There’s a lot of pride in this program,” said Kimmell, who said Illini West “turned up the pressure” defensively.

Kimmell said he is uncertain if Robertson will be able to play in either the Chargers’ Friday game against Mendon Unity at 6 p.m. or Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against West Hancock, the contest that could ultimately decide the tournament championship. 

Robertson’s injury required stitches, according to Kimmell. Robertson scored 24 points in Illini West’s 54-46 tournament-opening win over Southeastern last Saturday.

Illini West 14-6 overall. West Hancock (16-4) and Unity (14-6) are the other schools with a shot of at least sharing the Hancock County title. Southeastern (6-12) and West Prairie (8-10) round out the five-team field.

Stephen Sparks (14) and Ethan Carlisle (12) combined for an additional 26 points for Illini West, which is seeking a fourth straight 20-win season.

Kimmell said one of this year’s specific goals is to win at least 22 games, which would be an Illini West record. The Chargers have won 21 games twice (2011-12 and 2022-23).

Illini West gradually pulled away from West Prairie in the second half, thanks to a balanced attack that saw seven different players score. Wes Smith, a 6-foot-5 junior, led the Chargers with seven rebounds.

Kimmell realizes Illini West’s next two games will be its strongest tests in the tournament, starting with Unity, a team it has already beaten once this season. The Chargers stopped Unity 51-28 back in early December, but assures his club will not get caught looking ahead to West Hancock.

“We played really well when we beat Unity at home in December, but this is a neutral site, so it could be much different,” Kimmell said.

Kimmell said Unity’s Sawyer Allen, a 5-foot-10 junior, will be a major concern. Allen is averaging 20.3 points per game in this week’s tournament.