INA, Ill. (January 20, 2026) — The RLC Warriors Basketball team came into the spring semester with high hopes to continue the season's success into MWAC conference play. Although they opened with a challenging away game against #15 ranked Danville, the Warriors' second-half rally proved they could compete with the best, a realization that has fueled their recent success.
“I am proud of how our guys competed in the second half to get it close, but we needed that same urgency in the first half. Especially on the road.” said Head Coach Tim Wills. “Since that game, we have put together our best stretch of the season, and we are excited to keep it rolling."
The Warriors came into the next game hungry and jumped out to a 19-point lead vs. Lincoln Land Community College, which eventually led to the first win of 2026. This win started a five-game winning streak that included wins over No. 20-ranked Illinois Central College, NJCAA Division I Southwestern Illinois College, and No. 4-ranked Parkland College, all in the span of one week.
“It was as competitive a week. Some years you get to play highly ranked teams often and you have to show up every time,” said Wills.
The Warriors showed up again as they knocked off Spoon River College 71-47 last night, bringing the winning streak to five. Next up on the schedule is a long road trip to John Wood Community College on Saturday and a home game vs. Lewis and Clark Community College Wednesday, Jan. 28. That will close up the first half of the conference schedule and lead into another matchup with highly ranked Danville Area on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the newly renovated Banterra Center at Rend Lake College.
“The next game is the most important one," said Wills. "All of our focus is on [JWCC], but we are very glad that our players are enjoying some of the success that they’ve been working towards. The fans have been great this season and we are excited to keep showing our competitive brand of basketball.”
The Warriors are now 13-6 (4-1 in conference) with four wins over NJCAA Division I schools and four wins over ranked teams.