FREEPORT – More than 6,000 miles separate Prophetstown and Nazareth, Israel, but Cody Behrens and Magd Owayed have come from those two vastly different places to become teammates.

Behrens is a Prophetstown native and 2009 Newman High School graduate, while Owayed is a Christian Arab from Nazareth Baptist in Israel.

They are two-fifths of the regular starting five for the Sauk Valley Community College men's basketball team, which opened the Region IV postseason tournament with a 82-47 win over Truman College of Chicago, which had just five players, on Saturday afternoon at Highland Community College.