Record watch - again
Brittany Johnson of Olney East Richland is no stranger to records. In
the first round of this year's State Farm Holiday Classic, she set the single-game tournament record with 38 points. Last night, she scored 31 points, breaking the Illinois career high school basketball scoring record. With two games to play, Johnson is only 39 points away from setting the all-time Holiday Classic scoring record. Mendota's Jaci Bice had 107 points in 5 games in 1997. Johnson had 106 in four games last year. She's averaging 34.5 ppg through the first two games of this year's tournament.

30-30 club
Brittany Johnson's 31-point performance last night also gives her four career 30-point games at the Holiday Classic. In the first two rounds of the 2005 tournament, she recorded 31 and 30 points, respectively. The only other player in tournament history to record back-to-back 30-point games is Jaci Bice. Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain senior Kayla Pedersen can achieve the feat today. Pedersen had 32 points in a quarterfinal win
last night.

Charity stripe perfection
In her state record-setting performance, Johnson was perfect from the free-throw line (11-of-11). Over two games, she's 26-of-29, a mark of 89.7 percent. Galesburg's Brenna Saline etched her name into the Holiday Classic record books. Her 13-of-13 performance at the free-throw line is a new standard in the Class AA bracket (equaling Bloomington's Tasha Kindle's game of 10-of-10 in 2001). Saline only had one free-throw attempt her first game, which she missed.

T-Birds on top
Last night's Boys AA game between South Holland Thornwood and Quincy Notre Dame pitted a traditional Class AA power against a traditional Class A juggernaut (who now is in AA). It also meant a change at the top of State Farm Holiday Classic boys history. With Thornwood's win, the Thunderbirds now have a career .771 tournament winning percentage (37-11), tops among boys teams all-time. The loss drops QND to .759 (22-7), which is third all-time behind Thornwood and past Holiday Classic entrant Rockford Boylan (.767 in 43 career gms).

Liking the new digs
At the start of this year's Holiday Classic, six teams were making their first appearance. Five of those six won their first two games and appear in today's semifinals - St. Joseph-Ogden (Boys A), Chicago De La Salle (Boys AA), Metropolis Massac County (Girls A), Morton (Girls AA), and
Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain (Girls AA). The other new entrant, St. Charles (Mo.), is in the consolation bracket.

Streaks back in the semis
Since the Girls tournament started in 1997, the Galesburg Silver Streaks have appeared in the semifinals every year, except once - last year in 2005. This year, Galesburg is returning to the semifinals. The Streaks play Morton tonight, trying to avenge their lone loss so far this year, a 69-51 loss on Dec. 2.

No shot clock needed
If the first two games are any indication, expect some high octane offense in tonight's Girls AA semifinal game between national powers Bolingbrook and Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain. Bolingbrook, the defending Illinois state AA champion, has 138 points in two games (69.0 ppg). That includes a 49-point win last night over Bloomington, which ties for the second-largest margin of victory in girls tournament history. Red
Mountain, the Arizona state runner-up a year ago, is on pace to set a new tournament record for most points. The Lady Lions have scored 147 points (73.5 ppg) - the all-time record for four games is 268 by Galesburg in 1998. Red Mountain's 78-point outburst in the first round is tied for second for the top scoring performances all-time, and the Lions 47-point margin of victory in that game is the fifth largest in tournament history.

Searching for some O
Monmouth-Roseville (Girls A) and Grayslake (Boys AA) need some offense to avoid the record books. The Titans have been held to 52 points in two games. In 2003, Seneca set the girls A tournament record for fewest points scored, when the Irish netted 111. On the boys side, Grayslake has scored 63 points in two games. The Rams need 98 points in their two games today to avoid setting the mark for fewest points scored, which is currently held by Galesburg - 160 points in 2004.

DAY 2  |  December 28, 2006

Record watch
Olney East Richland senior guard Brittany Johnson poured in 38 points in Olney East Richland's first-round win over Orion last night. Johnson is now just 16 points away from tying the all-time Illinois prep hoops record, and 17 points away from being the sole record-holder.

Williamsville's Angie Sapp-Hartman (1989-93) currently holds the top spot, scoring 3,403 points in her career. Johnson's Tigers take on state-ranked Camp Point Central/Augusta Southeastern at 4:30 p.m. today at Redbird Arena.

Already one in the books
Johnson already etched her name into the State Farm Holiday Classic record books. Her 38-point performance in the first round is the highest single-game total ever by a girl's performer. Mendota's Jaci Bice scored 37 points in a game in 1997, the first year girls competed at the Holiday Classic. Johnson, who sat out the fourth quarter of the blow-out win, already holds the Class A Holiday Classic four-game tournament scoring record. She scored 106 points in four games last year. Bice had 107 in 1997, when Mendota played five games.

Gra(a)duating
Three teams that often dominated the Class A boys bracket at the Holiday Classic found themselves in the Class AA boys bracket this year - and all won their first-round games. Quincy Notre Dame, Rock Island Alleman and Normal University High are now AA schools after the IHSA implemented an enrollment multiplier on non-boundaried schools. Alleman (a 13-seed) and U-High (a 10-seed) both pulled off upsets. Coupled with QND's victory over Galesburg, all three now find themselves in today's quarterfinals. (In the Girls field, U-High and Alleman remained in the A bracket this year due to tournament contracts.)

Lucky No. 13
Thirteen was a lucky number on the boys side of the field. Both No. 13 seeds (Stanford Olympia in Class A and Rock Island Alleman in Class AA) pulled off upsets. Olympia knocked off CPCI and Alleman defeated Sterling.

BCC for 3
In its 77-37 win over El Paso-Gridley, Bloomington Central Catholic put on a three-point show. The Saints hit 14 three-pointers, equaling the boys all-time single-game mark set by Galesburg in 1999.

Seeing red
Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain snapped its three-game losing streak in a big way. The Lady Lions defeated Urbana 69-22 - the 47-point difference is the fourth largest margin of defeat in girls tournament history. Red Mountain made its State Farm Holiday Classic debut, following an eighth-place showing last week at the prestigious Nike Classic. At that tournament, the Lady Lions defeated the No. 7 team in the country (Charlotte, N.C. Providence Day High), before losing to teams from San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty), Middleburg, Va. (Notre Dame Academy), and Wilmington, Del. (Ursuline Academy).

DAY 1  |  December 27, 2006

Record Watch
Heading in to play at the 2006 State Farm Holiday Classic, Olney East Richland senior guard Brittany Johnson is just 54 points shy of tying the all-time Illinois prep hoops record. Johnson enters play today with 3,349 career points. Williamsville’s Angie Sapp-Hartman (1989-93) scored 3,403 points in her career. Johnson is averaging 37.1 ppg this year. Johnson’s first attempt at the record occurs tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Orion, in a game played at Normal Community High School.

Girl Powwwwer
The 16-team field in the Girls A bracket features 12 teams that won Regional titles in 2005. Thirteen of the 16 teams bring in records of .500 or better. How strong is the field? If you remove the 18 games in which the Girls A entrants played other State Farm Holiday Classic opponents this year, the field’s collective record is 111-40 – a winning percentage of .735.

Beyond the Arc
The Rochester Lady Rockets are known for going above and beyond. The Lady Rockets have made at least one 3-point basket in 183 consecutive games. In December, the Lady Rockets have played six games (all wins), and have 23 3-point baskets during that span.

7-11 for the Knights
Peoria Richwoods (Girls AA) is the two-time defending State Farm Holiday Classic champions. Today, the Lady Knights take on the No. 7 seed, Naperville Neuqua Valley, which brings in an 11-2 mark. A win over No. 7 would give the Knights 11 – as in 11 consecutive wins at this event. Richwoods won its last two games of the 2003 tournament before reeling off eight straight victories in winning the 2004 and 2005 State Farm Holiday Classic titles.

Déjà vu?
At 8-1, Boys AA second-seed Peoria Notre Dame is off to its best start in school history. The only other time the Irish entered the State Farm Holiday Classic as a top-four seed, it lost – in the first round of the 2002 Holiday Classic to Grayslake. Today’s opponent – is Grayslake. The Irish are hoping to avoid a case of déjà vu and extend their Classic streak of three straight wins (PND won the consolation championship last year).

Welcome
Six teams will be making their State Farm Holiday Classic debuts today. In boys play, two teams tip off for the first time at the Classic – undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden (A) and Chicago De La Salle (AA). Among the girls teams that are newcomers, the Class A bracket features state-ranked Metropolis Massac County, whose lone loss this year is to a team from Paducah, Ky. Three teams will make their State Farm Holiday Classic debuts in the Girls AA field, including the top two seeds – Morton, Ill., and Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain – and another out-of-state entrant, St. Charles (Mo.)