The Hinckley-Big Rock boys basketball team — led by 24 points and 18 rebounds from senior Martin Ledbetter — outlasted Serena 72-68 in overtime to win the championship of the Class 1A Marquette Regional on Friday night at Bader Gymnasium in Ottawa.

Michael Chami had 13 points and 11 rebounds to help Sycamore knock off Belvidere North to claim a regional title for the first time since 2017.

Marquise Bolden made a heads-up play to avoid a defender and then drained a 3-pointer, the third of straight 3s, on his way to 20 points DeKalb's 57-45 win over Hononegah to claim the Harlem regional title.

NIU athletic director Sean Frazier is betting that having football and Olympic sports in separate conferences will set the university up well in an ever-changing landscape of college athletics. It seems like it's a good bet.

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Northern Illinois University held a press conference Thursday at the Convocation Center to announce that they will be joining the Horizon League starting with the fall 2026 season for most sports other than football.

The NIU Board of Trustees on Thursday approved $1.4 million to pay the entrance fee to join the Horizon League, effective July 1, 2026. The move will officially end NIU’s run as a full member of the Mid-American Conference, of which they’ve been a member since 1997.

The Hinckley-Big Rock Royals and the Serena Huskers boys basketball teams defeated the Marquette Crusaders and Newark Norsemen, respectively, in Wednesday's Class 1A Marquette Regional semifinals at Bader Gym. H-BR and Serena will meet at 7 p.m. on Friday in the title game.

Dixon built a 31-9 lead and held on a 40-30 victory over the Knights in a Class 3A Boylan Sectional semifinal on Tuesday behind 15 points from Ahmyrie McGowan.

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The Dixon and Kaneland girls basketball teams met Tuesday in a Class 3A sectional semifinal at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford.