Alan Look (aka - Chimper) is the Best Look in Sports Action Photography. Stock photos include Nature, Autos, Industry, Travel and more.
Sports coverage includes Illini, Ridgeview Mustangs, Tri-Valley Vikings, El Paso - Gridley Titans, Lexington Minutemen, Normal Community Ironmen, Normal West Wildcats, University High Pioneers, Prairie Central Hawks, Heyworth Hornets, and other varsity sports in McLean County and the 309 Area Code. https://alanlookphotograhy.zenfoliosite.com
February 2, 2019 - Normal, IL: The Illinois State Redbirds and the Ramblers of Loyola Chicago squared off for a Men's Missouri Valley Basketball game to see who would walk away in sole possession of 1st place in the conference at near the midpoint of the season. Dick Ludtke, a long time broadcaster was on hand to do the radio play by play and was recognized before the battle for his 1000th Redbird Basketball broadcast.
Just over 8100 fans nearly filled the 10,500 seat Redbird Arena and stayed in their seats to watch the entire game. Although the point difference at the buzzer was 8 points in the Redbirds favor, the game was not really settled till inside the 1 minute mark. The frenzied late play kept a crowd that oftens leaves with minutes left on the clock, in their seats till the end.
The 108th McLean County Tournament kicked off a couple days late this year due to the weather. The original brackets and places of play are fairly skewed. The actual brackets being used are located at www.hoiconference.com if you need to find them.
Alan Look Photography is again covering as much of this historic basketball tournament as possible. Their work can be found at McLean County Tournament photos and galleries. There should be plenty of images to view and purchase.
The Illinois Wesleyan Lady Titans started 4 local ladies against the Titans. On the floor at the tip off were Seniors Rebekah Ehresman (EP-G), Molly McGraw (CCHS), Junior Maddie Merritt (TVHS), Sophomore Sydney Shanks (CCHS) with the 5th starter a Junior from Nokomis, Ashley Schneider.
The game progressed with both teams taking scoring runs and exchanging the lead. Close to midway through the 3rd quarter, the score was tied at 61. The Titans made the adjustments and ended the competition on top 88 to 81.
The Titans had 4 players in double figures. Rebekah Ehresman dropped in 16 to lead the Titans with Maddie Merritt and Kendall Sosa both adding 15. Raven Hughes rounded out those in double digits with 12. Hannah Frazier led the Thunder with 25 points and Maggie Dansdill with 19. The only other Thunder player in double digits was Jennifer Berg with 13.
In what looked like it would be a runaway win for the Hornets in the beginning of each half ended with a 2 point lead for the Hornets as they got possession of the ball with split seconds left avoiding a last second tie by the Cardinals. The Hornets successfully hit a lot of outside shots for 3 points.
When the corn isn't growing in Illinois there is always basketball. At the holiday break near the end of the year, there is always a holiday tournament somewhere in the state... in fact quite a few of them. Many have existed for years. Some have just a few schools. Some are the granddaddy of them all. The State Farm Holiday Classic is one if not the granddaddy. The Classic (as it is known by it's shorter name to many) has been around long before State Farm was it's title sponsor. It has grown over time but has hosted 64 teams for a good long time. It is Co-ed wit 32 girls teams and 32 boys teams. Most teams come from Illinois, but the past has seen other parts of the United State represented as well.
The Classic just concluded. There will be coverage by Alan Look Photography - Bloomington - Normal's Best Look in Sports Action Photography in the Normalite Newspapers and in the February issue of Best Look Magazine. Until then, you can enjoy this gallery of images.
Best Look Magazine's (a product of Alan Look Photography) latest publications are special issues that chronicle the Ridgeview Mustangs and the Normal Ironmen boys basketball teams play in Peoria at the IHSA State Finals. The Mustangs qualified for their 1st ever appearance and the Ironmen for their third. The Mustangs placed 3rd and the Ironmen placed 2nd. Both had excellent records and a tremendous amount of fun this season! Please take a look at our publications complete with front and back cover images, a short story and several high definition images. Be sure to check out our advertisers. They all really appreciate any business that comes their way. I'm sure you will get personalized service from everyone of them.
The Illinois State Redbirds Men's Basketball team lead the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks most of the first half. Seemed like everytime I looked up at the scoreboard it was 22-13. The Skyhawks got to work and took the lead in the early part of the 2nd half. Near the 11 minute left mark, the Redbirds began to stage a comeback and at the buzzer were back in the lead shooting down the Skyhawks 65-54. Justin McCloud broke his game high record with 11 points, Reggie Lynch dropped in with 12.
Thanksgiving weekend was full of action in Bloomington Normal. Boys Intercity continues at Shirk with one night left. Alan Look Photography covered a portion of the U High Pioneers v Normal Ironmen game.
20141129 Boys Intercity - UHS v NCHS at Shirk Center photos - Images by Alan Look
The Illinois State Redbird Men's Basketball Team hosted the Penguins from Youngstown State. The game was tied 65-65 at the end of regulation play leading to over-time. The Redbirds took care of business in the extended play coming out with the win.
Lots of local talent on the IWU basketball teams this season. I know I'm going to miss someone - apologies in advance. Molly McGraw, Rebekah Ehresman, A couple of Seibrings - Trevor and Spencer, Brady Rose and Jaylen Beasley... Maybe I did get them all. If you enjoyed seeing them play high school ball, check out the IWU schedules and pay a visit to Shirk to see them play some college hoops! Be sure to check out the Normalite Newspapers and Best Look Magazine for more coverage and images by the Best Look in Sports Photography in Bloomington Normal.
One could point to any number of different things that could have changed the outcome of this 60-55 game favoring the visiting Utah State Aggies. Illinois State Redbirds hosted them for the first home non-conference game of the season on Sunday November 16th.
Led by Malik Wildermuth with 21 points the UHigh Pioneers flew past the Rantoul Eagles Friday night 72-59. Wildermuth scored 18 points from behind the 3 point stripe. Ohio State recruit Keita Bates Diop poured in 17 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Top scoring for the Eagles was from freshman Kevonte Williams with 20.
There were more exciting games in Bloomington - Normal this weekend than one sports shooter could handle. Friday night started it off with games at both U High and Bloomington. With the Bloomington Raiders hosting the Normal West Wildcats, it was a pick to watch the intercity rivals. Bloomington came out on top this round.
On Saturday, it was the annual Pink Games at Illinois Wesleyan as both the Men's and Women's teams hosted the Elmhurst Bluejays. Both genders of the Titans sported some Pink and proceeds from a raffle and other fan oriented events went to the fight on breast cancer. The Titans came out winners as well as they bested the Bluejays in both games.
In McLean County Illinois, the granddaddy of local basketball tournaments has been held for 103 times in 104 years. It's changed a lot over the years as school districts grew larger or small and many consolidated. The current day tournament is a coed tournament including boys and girls brackets. The schools filling those brackets are from the county or from the Heart of Illinois Conference (HOIC). County proper teams have dwindled over the years as consolidation erupted. Schools that currently have a McLean County presence are Heyworth, LeRoy, Ridgeview, Lexington, El Paso - Gridley, and Tri Valley. The only non-Bloomington-Normal school I can think of that has students from the county but isn't included in the tournament is Olympia.
This year, the Ridgeview Mustangs entered the tournament undefeated and with Coach Rodney Kellar looking for his 500th win. He got that win as Ridgeview defeated El Paso Gridley in the semi-final. Ridgeview stood up against the Blue Ridge Knights in the final. The game was an epic battle that tied at 49 in regulation. The Knights managed a score with 6 seconds left in OT that went unanswered leaving them ahead by one point as the buzzer sounded.
In the girls brackets, El Paso - Gridley's Lady Titans took home the 1st place brass for the 4th straight year. Watching Codee Schlipf, The Ehresman girls and the rest of the team is a real treat. It wasn't all roses during the championship game for the girls. They faced off against HOIC foe - Tremont Turks. It was a back and forth battle with both sides sharing lead changes.
Images from all games can be found at Alan Look Photography, and a few presentation and other small video links can be found there as well.
The Wichita State Shockers showed up at Redbird Arena on January 22 with an undefeated season. They left with it still intact. The Redbirds scored the first points of the game and kept it a back and forth game through the first half. Starting the 2nd half, the Redbirds had a 3 point lead. The Shockers however picked up their game, leading by as much as 18 points. The Redbirds stormed back with less than 8 minutes left to cut the margin to 9. The effort fell once more as the Shockers led by 15, 70-55 at the buzzer.
In a very fast paced game slowed by only fouls and time outs, the Heyworth Hornets fell to lower ranked Blue Ridge Knights on Tuesday January 21st at the Shirk Center in Bloomington as a part of the 103rd McLean County Tournament. Blue Ridge advances to the Semi Finals to face Tremont on Friday night, Heyworth moves to the consolation bracket and faces Le Roy on Thursday at Lexington High School.
A span of 8 days every January in McLean County is reserved for the McLean County Basketball Tournament. The tournament has been held 103 times in the last 104 years. Through several iterations as time moves on, the tournament now includes several county schools and several non-county schools but all are a part of the Heart of Illinois Conference. The tournament is co-ed with brackets for girls as well as boys.
On the boys bracket this year, the Mustangs of Ridgeview got a first round by as the number one seed. They took on the Knights of Fieldcrest in the first of 4 quarter finals on Monday January 20th. The two teams have been rivals for several years. This year, the number one seeded and undefeated Mustangs grabbed the win notch and move to a semi final game later this week.
Normal Community Ironmen jumped out to an early lead on Friday night against the Champaign Central Maroons, leading by a score of 16-2 at the half. The Maroons made more of a game of it the second half, but the Iron took the win.