If Southwestern Illinois associati...

If Southwestern Illinois association needed a wakeup call, it was provided Monday.

Eighth-seeded Kaskaskia association whittled a 19-point first-half deficit to brace in the second half, unless the top-seeded Blue Storm finally slammed the door and prevailed 85-75 in the first rotund of the Region 24 playoffs.

"It's really hard when you've beaten a team twice the way we've beaten them," livid Storm coach Jay Harrington said. "So give him (Kaskaskia coach John Cooksey) and his team all the credit in the world, because they be worthy of it.

"The part I was really chewing their point aimed ats up about was the fact that we got the early lead and then we sort of laid down and allow them back in the ballgame. We started thinking about for what reason good we really are. if it be not that at this time of the year, you're not real good. Anybody can ...