NUIC players wrap up prep careers at Jim Shaw All-Star Classic

Area boys and girls basketball players from the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference competed in their high school uniforms one last time at the Jim Shaw All-Star Basketball Classic on Sunday at Eastland High School.

Competing players had to be in the WCCI-listening area and be an all-conference member. The event is sponsored by the Northwest Illinois Sports Hall of Fame.

In the boys game, Eastland’s Adam Awender earned the Most Valuable Player honor after scoring 33 points to help the South team beat North 93-64. Awender hit nine 3-pointers, including six in the third quarter. The team was coached by Eastland’s Tyler Zumdahl.

Milledgeville‘s Micah Toms-Smith scored 11 points, Brendan Greenfield had seven, Peyton Spears had 13 and West Carroll’s Tyler McGinnis had three. Lena-Winslow’s Michael Mowery scored 12 and Pearl City’s Tyler Clark had eight. Invitees that were unable to play included Morrison’s Colton Bielema and Fulton’s Braeden Brennan and Jacob Huisenga.

Reaching double figures for the North All-Stars were East Dubuque’s Bradin Lee (11) and River Ridge’s Damon Dittmar (14) and Joseph Winter (15).

In the girls game, the North team won 63-50 behind an MVP performance from River Ridge-Scales Mound’s Laiken Haas, who scored 29 points. West Carroll’s Caitlyn Stingley scored eight points in the second half and Domynique Lego scored two.

Morrison’s Camryn Veltrop led the South team with 20 points. Eastland’s Olivia Klinefelter had eight points and Fulton’s Kylie Smither added eight.

Milledgeville’s Kendra Hutchison had four points. Pearl City’s Fallyn Endress scored four and Kendra Kuhlemeier had six.

Area girls invited but unable to play were Morrison’s Kaylee Pruis, West Carroll’s Emma Randecker and Forreston’s Jayleigh Newill.

Morrison senior Camryn Veltrop (Drake Lansman)