“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.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
With six minutes to play, the Effingham Flaming Hearts found themselves down by four points, but with the style of play Lincoln employs, it felt like the deficit was even greater.
But remember that old adage? “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
That describes exactly what the Hearts did down the stretch Friday night.
Parker Wolfe scored seven straight points, including a huge three-pointer from the corner, and Nate Thompson made four pressure-packed free throws in the final 16 seconds.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Hearts walked off the floor 45-41 winners over the Railsplitters, knowing they were one step closer to an Apollo Conference championship.
Effingham is now 10-1 in league play and owns a two-game lead, with three conference games left in the season’s final week.
But that was certainly in jeopardy after the first two minutes of the final period.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Effingham kept trying to pull away.
But Teutopolis simply wouldn’t let that happen.
For the second straight night, J.H. Griffin Gymnasium was the site of a hard-fought basketball game between two rivals.
In the end, it was free throws and rebounding that made the difference, as the Hearts posted an important 77-73 Apollo Conference victory over the Wooden Shoes.
Effingham owned a 31-12 advantage at the free throw line, including 15-of-17 in the fourth period, and also held a 29-20 rebounding edge, including two big offensive rebounds late in the final quarter.
The Hearts owned a nine-point lead heading into the final period, 50-41. They expanded that to 12 points on one occasion and by 10 points three other times. After Parker Wolfe’s three-point play at the 4:11 mark, EHS led 61-51.
But the Shoes refused to go away.
Jordan Hardiek scored 10 points down the stretch, plus Max Niebrugge and Evan Addis both drained a pair of three-pointers, helping the Shoes close the gap. In fact, Niebrugge’s second three made it a one possession game and got THS within 75-73 with eight seconds still left.
But Parker Wolfe, who topped the 30-point plateau for the third straight game, made two foul shots just two seconds later to secure the win.
Freshman sensation Kloe Froebe proved to be a handful again Thursday night.
She pumped in 26 points to lead the Lincoln Lady Railers to a 49-39 victory at home over Effingham.
Froebe had 18 of her points in the first half, as the hosts built a 26-18 lead at intermission.
The Lady Hearts were able to stay within striking distance, but just couldn’t close the gap. They trailed 37-25 heading into the final eight minutes.
Annie Frost had a strong game for EHS, finishing with 20 points. She was the only Effingham player to reach double figures.
The Lady Hearts dipped to 5-8 overall and 5-7 in the Apollo Conference. They will play Monday night at Charleston and then return home for Senior Night on Tuesday against St. Anthony.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
So how would the Effingham Hearts respond after suffering their first loss of the season by the slimmest of margins less than 24 hours earlier?
That was the million dollar question as game time approached Saturday afternoon.
It didn’t take long for the Hearts to put any concerns to rest.
They scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed. Mt. Zion did go on one impressive scoring run in the second quarter, but Effingham re-grouped, rebuilt the lead and finished with a convincing 80-60 verdict at home in an Apollo Conference contest.
“I really thought the boys would be ready to play,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “They could have showed up and pouted, but they didn’t do that. They played hard and did what they needed to do to get an important win for us. They did a good job of bouncing back after that tough loss the night before.”
Parker Wolfe hit a pair of three-pointers, Jacob Stoneburner added another from long range and Garrett Wolfe scored five early points, helping the Hearts streak to an 11-0 and then 18-2 lead in the first six minutes of the game. It was a 20-6 edge by the time the opening quarter ended.
After a three, plus another bucket by Parker Wolfe, the gap was 19 points, 25-6, just 40 seconds into the second period. But that’s when the Braves started a three-point barrage. Over the next four minutes, they hit five straight – three by Dylan Roberts and a pair by Sean High – to put together a 17-2 scoring surge and trim the gap to 27-23.
The Hearts responded with a 7-0 run and took a 34-25 edge to the locker room at halftime.
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