Donaldson started the surge with a jumper. Wolfe and Beals then hit back-to-back shots from long range. Beals scored again and Alyssa Martin added a short jumper. Then, as the final seconds were ticking down, Donaldson launched a three from the top of the key. The ball bounced around the rim and finally dropped through the net as the horn sounded.

That capped a 15-1 scoring run and sent the Lady Hearts to the locker room owning an 18-point advantage, 37-19.

“We knew we had to score tonight,” EHS coach Jeff Schafer said. “Mt. Vernon is very talented. We had to attack offensively and make shots. I thought we moved the ball very well, got good shots and knocked them down.”

Effingham was 9-for-17 from three-point range in the opening half.

Three minutes into the third period, Austin drilled another three and the EHS lead expanded to 22 points – the largest of the game – at 44-22.

But the Lady Rams weren’t about to give up. Despite two more-three pointers by Beals, they managed to close to within 17 points, 53-36, heading into the final eight minutes.

Mt. Vernon’s full-court pressure forced Effingham into six turnovers and the lead continued to evaporate. Consecutive threes by Melaina Zedalis and Maelee Allen trimmed the margin the 11 two minutes into the fourth quarter. Another three by Allen and a pair of free throws by Kamaree Pollard cut it to single digits, 66-57, at the 2:14 mark.

But the next 90 seconds proved to be the clincher. Martin, who scored 11 points in the final period, turned in a three-point play, Austin hit another three from the corner and Wolfe added a short jumper and a free throw to secure the win and a berth in the sectional championship.

“That pressure they put on you is tough,” Schafer noted. “You have to use a pass fake and then make good, strong passes. At times, we did that pretty well, and at times, we didn’t. We made a ton of mistakes, but still found a way to win.”

The 14 three-pointers were a season-high for the Lady Hearts.

“They were good shots, too,” Schafer said. “I don’t think we forced any tonight. A couple times, we drove the ball inside and then kicked it out for good shots. The percentage of made threes goes way up when you do that.”

The Lady Rams, who finished their season at 26-7, got 20 points from Pollard and 17 from Zedalis.

Effingham had four players in double figures. Beals, who was 6-for-9 from three-point range, led the way with 20 points, while Martin scored 18, Wolfe had three threes and netted 16, and Austin knocked down four from long range and added 12.

The Lady Hearts were 25-for-39 overall, a blistering 64 percent clip. They were 14-for-23 from behind the arc and 11-for-13 at the line.

“I thought the crowd and atmosphere in here tonight was great,” Schafer said. “We talked about that before the game. I told the girls to just embrace the moment. It’s awesome to coach and play in an environment like this.”

The Lady Hearts improved to 29-4 on the season. They will now face Highland, a team they dropped a 38-34 decision to in December. The Lady Bulldogs are 24-10 overall.

“They are really good,” Schafer noted. “They have no weaknesses. They have a couple good guards and a great post player. This game will come down to who makes a couple extra plays and makes a couple extra shots. Hopefully, we can find a way to turn the table on them this time.”