GALESBURG — High school basketball fans can ring in the first Saturday of 2026 with a full day of hoops as the Sandburg Shootout returns Jan. 3 on the college's Galesburg campus.
The fifth edition of the event includes six boys basketball contests starting at noon. Matchups for the 2026 Sandburg Shootout are:
• Noon — United vs. Peoria Heights
• 1:30 p.m. — West Central vs. Hartsburg-Emden
• 3 p.m. — Monmouth-Roseville vs. Beardstown
• 4:30 p.m. — Rockridge vs. Abingdon-Avon
• 6 p.m. — Sherrard vs. Mendon Unity
• 7:30 p.m. — Galesburg vs. Bloomington
Among the highlighted games is unbeaten Abingdon-Avon — currently ranked No. 9 in Class 1A by nestohoops.com — taking on Rockridge at 4:30 p.m. The day will wrap up with Galesburg playing a game inside city limits away from John Thiel Gymnasium as it goes up against Bloomington.
"We have some really interesting matchups that fans from all around the area can look forward to," Sandburg men's basketball coach and shootout organizer Ryan Twaddle said. “Each year, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the teams that play here because they get to play on a college floor against a team they don’t normally see. We’re looking forward to hosting another great day of basketball.”
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. All tickets are available at the door the day of the shootout, and admission is good for all six contests.
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