QND’s Schreacke, Southeastern’s Stephens named to News-Gazette all-state hoops teams

Quincy Notre Dame's Abbey Schreacke, left, and Southeastern's Danny Stephens were named to the Champaign News-Gazette's all-state teams. | Matt Schuckman photos

QUINCY — Abbey Schreacke and Danny Stephens each received one final prep basketball honor to add to each of their illustrious careers. The Champaign News-Gazette tabbed them both as first-team all-staters. Quincy Notre Dame’s Schreacke and Southeastern’s Stephens — both are bound for Mizzou — were named respectively to the News-Gazette’s 46th all-state girls basketball…

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Southeastern’s Stephens picks up two more all-state plaudits, IBCA honors 10 area players total

Southeastern senior forward Danny Stephens earned Class 1A first-team all-state honors from the Associated Press, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and the Chicago Sun-Times. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The ending wasn’t the ceremonial sendoff Danny Stephens had earned, but the postseason accolades the Southeastern senior is receiving are a stirring reminder of all he has accomplished. Stephens, the 6-foot-7 forward, completed a trifecta of first-team all-state basketball honors, earning Class 1A plaudits from the Associated Press, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association…

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Suns’ Stephens receives O’Flaherty Award, first-team all-state honors for second time

Southeastern forward Danny Stephens was named the Red O'Flaherty Player of the year Award winner and a Class 1A first-team all-stater by the Associated Press. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — An injury kept Danny Stephens from playing in the postseason. It isn’t keeping him from racking up postseason honors. The 6-foot-7 senior forward from Southeastern was named as the repeat recipient of the Red O’Flaherty Player of the Year Award as well as a Class 1A first-team all-stater by the Associated Press for…

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Short-handed Suns no match for revved-up Raiders over final three quarters

AUGUSTA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team could sympathize watching Southeastern all-state senior forward Danny Stephens walk to mid-court during Monday’s senior night festivities in street clothes, unable to play in the highly anticipated showdown between two of the area’s top teams. “We just went through it,” QND coach Kevin Meyer said.…

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Stephens’ complete effort in Shootout allows Suns to pull away in fourth quarter

Southeastern senior forward Danny Stephens scored 31 points Saturday in the Suns' 56-41 victory over Steelville in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Just give Danny the ball. “That’s pretty much what we did,” Southeastern boys basketball coach Brett Ufkes said. “He usually makes me look good.” Sure, Ufkes was having a little bit of postgame fun Saturday when discussing senior Danny Stephens’ performance in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at Quincy Notre Dame’s The…

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Central bounces back from last-second loss to defeat Southeastern for third place at Macomb

MACOMB, Ill. — The Central boys basketball team rebounded from a crushing last-second loss in Friday afternoon’s semifinals and defeated Southeastern 51-43 in the third-place game at the 76th annual Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. Breyhar Wiskirchen led the Panthers (10-3) with 18 points.  Isaac Genenbacher scored 12 for Central, and Drew Paben added 10. Danny Stephens scored 30…

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Patience on offense, suffocating defense serving Southeastern well at Macomb

Southeastern's Danny Stephens prepares to make a move to the basket while being guarded by Macomb's Langdon Allen during Wednesday night's quarterfinal game at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament in Western Hall. | David Adam

MACOMB, Ill. — Al Davis would have been proud. Most of the players on the Southeastern boys basketball team likely have never heard of the former owner of the NFL’s Oakland/Los Angeles (now Las Vegas) Raiders, but their “Just win, baby” mentality showed Wednesday night in a 30-27 victory over Macomb in the quarterfinals of…

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Area Distributors Area Player of the Week: Southeastern’s Danny Stephens

Southeastern senior forward Danny Stephens scored a career-high 52 points against Winchester West Central in the championship game of the Beardstown Tiger Classic. | Muddy River Sports photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The number of 50-point games fashioned by an area boys basketball player can be counted on both hands. Southeastern’s Danny Stephens moved the number closer to having to go to the toes to keep track. In the championship game of the sixth Beardstown Tiger Classic, the 6-foot-7 Stephens scored 52 points in…

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Southeastern’s Stephens finds right college fit close to home, commits to play hoops at Mizzou

Southeastern's Danny Stephens, the 6-foot-7 first-team all-state forward, verbally committed to be a preferred walk-on at the University of Missouri. | Matt Schuckman photo

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Tuesday’s steady rain didn’t cause Danny Stephens or his father, Jeremy, any delays in getting the fields on the family farm worked over. “We finished them (Monday),” Stephens said. “So it was good timing.” And for as much as Stephens, the Southeastern senior, feels at home on the basketball court, he feels…

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Stephens, Suns power through to capture program’s first sectional title in 30 years

The Southeastern boys basketball players celebrate their 45-34 victory over Peoria Christian in the Class 1A Abingdon Sectional championship game. Photo courtesy Steve Davis

ABINGDON, Ill. — Late in the first half Friday night, Danny Stephens turned to the bench and tugged at his jersey, signaling he needed a break. The breather never came for the Southeastern standout forward, but that didn’t stop him from powering the Suns to a dazzling finish and 45-34 victory over Peoria Christian in…

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Stephens follows 39-point performance with 32 in sectional semifinal victory over Monmouth United

Southeastern's Danny Stephens is surrounded by five Monmouth United players — from left, Nolan Leffler, Aidan Parkins, Cormaic Flynn, Colin Jenks and Abel Wilson — as he spins to the basket during Wednesday night's Class 1A boys basketball sectional semifinal at Abingdon-Avon High School. | David Adam

ABINGDON, Ill. — Former University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal liked to say, “You dance with who brung you,” when referring to the importance of consistency — especially when his quarterback was handing the ball off to Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell. The Southeastern boys basketball team has consistently danced with Danny Stephens…

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