“We escaped with a win. We didn’t earn it, that’s for sure.”

Those were the words from Effingham Coach Obie Farmer after his Hearts rallied to post a non-conference 45-42 victory Saturday at Robinson.

“Winners win, though,” Farmer added. “And we did find a way to win.”

Effingham trailed most of the game, but outscored the Maroons 13-7 in the final eight minutes to pull out their 14th win of the season.

Robinson led 14-12 after the opening quarter, 28-23 at halftime and 35-32 heading into the final period.

“Halftime was not a fun time for anyone in that locker room,” Farmer admitted. “Paint might have been peeling off the walls after that talk. It got a little heated. But the kids responded, which is one of the things I like best about this team.”

Parker Wolfe continued to his hot scoring streak, finishing with a game-high 23 points, including 11 in the crucial fourth quarter. Wolfe is averaging 30.6 points per game over the last five games. Nate Thompson added eight points.

The Hearts improved to 14-1 overall. They now enter the final week of their season with a chance to clinch an Apollo Conference title. They are 10-1 in the league and own a two-game lead entering the week.

They will travel to Charleston on Tuesday and then return home for their final two games – Friday against Mattoon, which will be Senior Night; and Saturday against Charleston, which was rescheduled from earlier in the season due to COVID concerns in Charleston.