By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Survive and advance.
In the postseason, that’s the ultimate objective.
Yes, coaches want their team to play well.
But even more importantly, they want to play . . . again.
Did the Effingham Lady Hearts play well Thursday night?
In some phases – defense and rebounding – a resounding ‘yes.’
In other phases – shooting and turnovers – not so much.
But they will play . . . again.
The Lady Hearts led for the final 25 minutes of the game and by 14 points at one time.
But they had to withstand a furious comeback by Troy Triad, aided by Effingham’s inability to take care of the basketball.
The EHS girls then tallied the final 10 points of the game – mostly at the free throw line – to post a 50-38 victory in the championship game of the Troy Triad Class 3A Regional.
“This one has an extra special feeling,” said EHS coach Jeff Schafer, who has guided the team to two straight regional titles and 10 overall in his career. “First of all, it was a tough matchup against a good team. Plus, with the injuries we’re going through.”
The Effingham Hearts will enter postseason play, hosting a Class 3A regional.
The Hearts are seeded No. 9 and will play their first game on Monday, Feb. 24. But since it’s an opening-round contest, they play on the road, traveling to Charleston to face the Trojans, who are seeded No. 8. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
The regional championship is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, at Effingham High School.
The winner will advance to the Marion Sectional, which will begin Tuesday, March 4. Regional winners from Carbondale, Highland and Waterloo will advance to the Marion Sectional.
Here is the complete schedule for the Effingham Regional.
Monday, Feb. 24
Game 1 – 6:30 p.m. – No. 9 Effingham at No. 8 Charleston
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Game 2 – 6 p.m. -- No. 1 Centralia vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 – 7:30 p.m. – No. 4 Herrin vs. No. 7 Mattoon
Friday, Feb. 28
Game 4 – Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3 (championship)
The Effingham Lady Hearts needed a strong second half and they got it.
Trailing by a point at halftime, Effingham went on a 14-5 scoring surge in the third quarter to take the lead and went on to post a 47-32 victory Monday night over Centralia in a semifinal game of the Class 3A Troy Triad Regional.
The Lady Hearts led 9-6 after the first period, but were behind 20-19 at intermission.
In the decisive third quarter, Averie Wolfe knocked down a three and scored five points, and Alyssa Martin added four, as EHS turned the deficit into a 33-25 lead heading into the final eight minutes. The Lady Hearts then went on a 14-7 run to secure the win.
Effingham had three players in double figures. Martin and Wolfe both scored 13 points and Sidney Donaldson added 10.
The Lady Hearts, now 24-7, will play for the regional championship Thursday night. They will face Troy Triad at 6:30 p.m. The winner will advance to the Bethalto Civic Memorial Sectional.
The Highland Bulldogs built an early lead and went on to post a 62-36 decision at home Tuesday night over Effingham.
The Bulldogs led 17-8 after the opening eight minutes. The hosts then increased their lead to 38-17 at halftime and 48-24 after three quarters.
Cannon Bockhorn led Effingham with eight points, while Jake Niebrugge scored six.
The Hearts, who dipped to 7-23, will wrap up their regular season Thursday night at Mt. Zion.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
A one-time, 14-point lead had dwindled to just five in the opening two minutes of the second half.
For a team that had lost 12 games in a row, there had to be a little doubt starting to creep in.
But the Effingham Hearts responded in a big way by answering with a game-changing 10-0 run to regain control.
In fact, the final 13 minutes was all Effingham as it built a commanding lead, en route to a 67-43 win Saturday over Sullivan in the second game of the Wooden Shoes Shootout in Teutopolis.
The Hearts, who had not won a game in 32 days, were red hot in the early going and bolted to a double-digit lead in the opening eight minutes.
But the Redskins battled back and were within five points, 31-26, two minutes into the third period.
A three-pointer by Jenner Pals got EHS back on track and proved to be the beginning of the game-deciding stretch. Jake Niebrugge hit a pair of foul shots, Jude Traub connected from long range and Max Flack turned a Sullivan turnover into a basket, completing the 10-0 scoring spree.
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