CHAMPAIGN – No one needed to inform Vashoune Russell that Urbana's image in boys' basketball was just about at rock bottom when he took over as head coach in 2009.

After all, this UHS graduate had been on the coaching staff as an assistant for the previous six seasons.

"It was very negative," Russell said. "I was part of that."

Now, Russell and his Tigers are part of an extreme makeover, the latest proof coming Friday night at Combes Gym. With a 78-64 comeback victory against Champaign Central, an Urbana team that had been a combined 5-34 in the Big 12 the previous three seasons is now 7-5 in the conference – assuring the Tigers their first winning league mark since 2004-05.

By knocking off the Maroons for a second time this season, Urbana also clinched a share of the Twin City title with Centennial at 3-1.

"For all these years they've been saying Urbana's going to finish at the bottom, very last," Tigers junior forward Devin Carter said. "And we're proving to people ... every single game that we're good. That we can do it."

On this night, Urbana did it the hard way, falling into a 15-point hole in the second quarter and entering the second half trailing by 12.

"I just told them to relax, stop forcing things," Russell said of his halftime message. "We were forcing everything on offense. Our defense looked like we didn't want to play defense.

"I just told them to stick to the game plan, and the game plan was to do what we do best – to press the ball and move our feet on defense and get turnovers."

An energized fullcourt press quickly got the Tigers back into contention in the third quarter. With Central turning the ball over five times in the period, Urbana went on a 12-0 run to tie the score at 35.

"The second half, they turned up the pressure," Maroons coach Scott Davis said. "They made us rush. We missed easy baskets. They just got that momentum and got on a roll."

Central managed to regroup and held a 49-46 lead entering the fourth quarter. But the tone had been set and the Tigers were not to be denied. Scoring the first nine points of the period, Urbana took the lead for good and kept adding to it. By the end of a withering 19-3 surge, the Tigers held a commanding 65-52 lead.

By game's end, the Maroons found their total of 21 turnovers too much to overcome.

"We didn't really show that much pressure in the first half," said Carter. "We were supposed to, but we just didn't do it. But then we came out excited, confident. We stepped it up, and they couldn't handle the pressure."

Carter and Deonta Jones each scored 16 points for the Tigers. Reserve Darrion Brown contributed 12 points, including nine in the second half. Another reserve, Lawrence McMillion, scored five of his seven points in the first half to help keep Urbana within striking range.

"We had a lot of great role players," Russell said.

Urbana's coach clearly is playing his part, too, in guiding this turnaround.

"Just trying to get it going the right way is a goal of mine," Russell said. "It's a goal of everybody that's involved."

Normal West 40, Centennial 38. Corvon Butler scored 18 points and Josh Piper had 12, but the Chargers fell on the road. The Wildcats took the lead with a 12-4 advantage in the second quarter and held off a late Centennial charge.

Danville 58, Bloomington 42. Jaron Cunningham scored 23 points for the Vikings, who pulled away in the fourth quarter. Dennis Hightower added 14 and JaVanta Gaines 10.