Lora Weber was the consummate team player on the Lady Tornadoes Basketball Team from 1994 through 1998 and as member of the 1997 team, she helped guide the Lady Tornadoes to a second place finish in the Illinois State Tournament. She, along with teammate Allison Curtin and Coach Carol Wilson, Joe Champley and the 1984 Baseball team, will be inducted into the Taylorville High School Sports Hall of Fame at a banquet Saturday evening, April 19th at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of Taylorville Memorial Hospital.
A four year starter, Weber provided the leadership, the hustle and the pure basketball sense that helps teams to be considered great. A 5’ 10” point guard who was deceptively quick, Lora Weber not only helped her team at the offensive end, scoring 1, 298 points in her career, but also had 622 career steals ( 6th in the IHSA record book), and 806 career assists (5th in the state).
She was selected Co- MPV with teammate Allison Curtin in 1997 and 1998. She was a first Team all Central State 8 all-conference selection in both 1997 and 1998. Weber was selected third team all state tournament in 1997 and designated an honorable mention member of the 1998 Class AA All- State Team.
When the Lady Tornadoes played in the Chicago Public League Annual Christmas Tournament in 1997, Weber was selected to the all tournament first team. She was selected to the All Area First Team in both 1997 and 1998 by the Decatur Herald and Review and the Champaign News Gazette honor her with an honorable mention on their All- State team in 1998.
During her career as a Lady Tornado, Lora Weber played in 125 basketball games and walked off the court on the winning team 114 times. She helped set the standard for the qualities that continue to represent Taylorville girl’s basketball still today.
Upon graduation from Taylorville High School, Lora received a scholarship to play basketball at Bradley University. From 1998 through the 2002 season at Bradley, she played in 99 games and scored 527 points. She is only one of six players in school history with 500 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists. She is one of only two players to twice lead the team in rebounding, assists and steals in the same season!
Weber ranks 10th in school history with 180 career steals and her 75 steals as a senior is 9th best. As a senior she averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 assists a game. She also led the Lady Braves in free throw percentage. She also holds the Bradley record with an average of 9.5 rebounds per game in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Lora Weber earned honorable mention All Missouri Valley Conference honors and was named a first all defensive team member following her senior year. She also was named a first team Missouri Valley Conference Scholar Athlete.
Illustrating how well rounded an athlete she was, Lora Weber received the Carl Gross Service Award in 2002 which recognizes a student athlete who is committed to volunteerism on campus and in the local community and she topped that by being awarded the Bradley Watonga Award which is given each year to the Bradley senior student-athlete who best combines athletic ability and academic achievement with community service. It is considered the highest honor given to a student athlete at Bradley.