The Effingham Lady Hearts saw their season come to a close Monday night after dropping a 53-49 decision to Mt. Vernon in an opening-round game of the Olney Class 3A Regional.
The Lady Hearts led 25-19 at halftime and were still on top 34-33 heading into the final eight minutes. But the Lady Rams outscored EHS 20-15 to pull out the win and advance to the regional championship, where they will face Olney Thursday night.
Annie Frost led EHS in scoring with 15 points, while Taylor Armstrong added 14. The Lady Hearts shot 35 percent overall, making 22-of-63 attempts. But they were just 2-for-20 from three-point range and 3-for-10 from the free throw line.
Effingham ends its season with a 12-19 record.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
It was not the type of game Obie Farmer was expecting.
Considering Paxton-Buckley-Loda was 23-3 entering the contest and the Panthers liked to play a 1-2-2 zone, Farmer was expecting a challenging, close game throughout.
But the Hearts jumped out to an 8-0 lead and were never headed. They led by double digits at halftime and then rolled to a 63-38 victory in the fourth game Saturday at the Teutopolis Shootout.
“It was a surprising game to me,” Farmer admitted. “Looking at their record and some of their point totals, I thought it would be a tough game. I thought we could win, but I expected a close game to the end, especially with the way we’ve played against 1-2-2 this year. Playing Lincoln the night before did us a favor.”
Lincoln, one of the best Class 3A teams in the state and a squad that features a tenacious 1-2-2 zone defense, had held the Hearts to just 46 points the night before.
And even though EHS grabbed the early lead, it did struggle against PBL’s defense early, turning the ball over six times in the first eight minutes. After back-to-back turnovers late in the opening quarter, Farmer called a timeout and had plenty to say to his squad.
“I wasn’t happy. I was about to lose my mind,” the EHS coach said. “I told them to start playing the way they’re supposed to.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Aggressive. Athletic. Tenacious.
Explosive. Physical. Precise.
Take your pick. All of these words describe the Lincoln basketball team.
And you could add dominating when you consider their results this season -- 24-2 overall; 10-0 in the Apollo Conference; and ranked No. 8 in the Class 3A poll.
The Railsplitters brought all of those accolades and their state ranking into Friday night’s contest at Effingham.
Yes, Lincoln went home with a 62-46 victory, but they knew they had received a challenge from the Hearts.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or what the score is, our guys are going to battle; and they’re going to battle the whole game,” said EHS coach Obie Farmer.
That mentality was tested at the very beginning.
The Hearts started slow – real slow. They missed their first six shots and turned the ball over three times in the first 5½ minutes of the contest. Lincoln, meanwhile, made six of its first eight shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, and jumped out to a 15-0 lead at the 2:34 mark of the opening period.
The Effingham Lady Hearts battled Olney all the way in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon, before dropping a 53-42 decision.
It was a close game throughout until the Lady Tigers went on a 23-11 scoring surge in the fourth period to come away with win and improve to 26-4 on the season.
The Lady Hearts held a slim one-point lead after each of the first three periods – 11-10 after the opening eight minutes, 22-21 at intermission and 31-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
Taylor Armstrong turned in a strong performance and scored 17 points for EHS. Annie Frost added eight.
The Lady Hearts, now 12-18, will open postseason play Monday in the Olney Class 3A Regional. They will face Mt. Vernon at 7:30 p.m. Charleston and Olney are the other two teams in the regional. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. Thursday.
Lincoln used a 21-8 second quarter scoring edge to pull ahead and went on to post a 60-34 win Thursday night at home over the Effingham Lady Hearts.
The Lady Railsplitters led 13-7 after the opening eight minutes, but expanded their advantage to 34-15 at halftime. Heading into the final period, Lincoln owned a commanding 46-19 lead.
Leah Schneider poured in 21 of her game-high 25 points in the first half to help the Lady Railsplitters take control.
Ella Niebrugge led EHS with nine points, while Annie Frost and Hayley Diveley both scored six.
The Lady Hearts finished 4-8 in the Apollo Conference and dipped to 12-17 overall. They will complete their regular season schedule Saturday at home against Olney.
Effingham will then open play in the Olney Regional on Monday. The Lady Hearts will face Mt. Vernon at 7:30 p.m.
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