By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The past couple years Effingham Hearts basketball fans became accustomed to a certain style.
The Hearts played fast, looked for the first available shot and racked up a lot of points. They were athletic, quick and very potent offensively.
This year’s group is the exact opposite, but the early results have still been very positive.
“Most people keep saying we’re going to be down this year,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “I’m not sure we’re going to be down. We’re just different. Last year’s team did a lot of things well. This year’s team is also doing things well. Just different things.”
The much slower-paced, defensive-oriented EHS team posted its second straight win Friday night with a 48-30 decision over cross-town rival St. Anthony.
“This team plays together so well,” Farmer said. “They’re patient and look for good shots. We probably have more assists in one game than last year’s team had in a month. Last year’s team was very smart, but this is a smart group, too. Like I said, we’re just different this year.”
A big third quarter put Effingham in control.
The Hearts held a 21-15 lead at halftime and it was still a six-point game 90 seconds into the second half. That’s when Garrett Wolfe knocked down a three-pointer to start an 8-0 run. Wolfe added another free throw and Jett Volpi and Brayden Pals converted St. Anthony turnovers into baskets, expanding the EHS lead to 31-17 at the 3:42 mark of the third period.
A three by Max Koenig got the Bulldogs within 11, but baskets by Dalton Fox and Pals to close out the quarter sent the Hearts into the final eight minutes with a 15-point cushion, 37-22.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
If someone had told Obie Farmer before the game that the Effingham Hearts would score 62 points and win, his response would have been quick and abrupt.
“There’s no chance. That’s not the type of team we have.”
But for this game, he would have been wrong.
The Hearts overcame a string of fourth-quarter turnovers and some inconsistency at the free throw line to come away with a 62-54 victory Wednesday night in the St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament.
But it wasn’t easy.
Effingham led the entire game and was seemingly in control with a 49-36 cushion and 6:36 left to play. That’s when Robinson’s pressure defense started to take affect and the Hearts lead began to dwindle.
Ironically, EHS didn’t take another shot from the floor in the final 6½ minutes. Seven turnovers took away several possessions and the final 13 points came from the foul line.
Fortunately, it was enough.
Robinson’s Owen Schmidt started the comeback with a three-pointer, but free throws by Andrew Splechter and Dalton Fox kept the Hearts on top, 54-43, at the 3:28 mark. But the Hearts then turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions and the Maroons took advantage each time.
Schmidt hit a three, Noah Gilmore made a short jumper and Cooper Loll added two more baskets, including one at the 2:17 mark to trim the EHS lead to just two points, 54-52.
“They really came out and got after us,” Farmer admitted. “I called a timeout and told them to relax. We just needed to settle down and play at our pace. After they cut the lead to two, we seemed to get our rhythm back, settle back in and we started moving better.”
For the third straight game, the Effingham Lady Hearts have followed a similar pattern.
Jump to a quick lead and then roll to a victory.
Tuesday was no exception.
The Lady Hearts raced to a 19-7 lead and continued to expand on that, en route to a 59-20 victory over Vandalia in a second-round game at the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.
Meredith Schaefer, Madison Mapes and Ella Niebrugge each knocked down a three-pointer and combined to score 17 points, helping EHS grab that early lead. The Lady Hearts then outscored the Lady Vandals 33-9 over the next two periods to increase their cushion to 52-16.
Effingham had a balanced scoring attack, with three players reaching double figures. Schaefer finished with 12 points, while Mapes and Niebrugge both scored 10. A total of nine players got into the scoring column.
The Lady Hearts are now 2-0 in the tournament and 3-0 on the season. They will be back in action today (Wednesday), facing Flora at 6:30 p.m.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Lost possessions can prove critical in a basketball game, especially in a low-scoring affair.
Turnovers cost the Effingham Flaming Hearts six possessions in the fourth quarter alone.
And when Luke Stubhart connected on a 12-foot jumper with just 1.2 seconds to play, those missed scoring opportunities loomed large.
Stubhart’s clutch basket gave the Breese Central Cougars a 37-35 win over the Hearts Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams at the St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament.
“We’re not the type of team this year that can fly down the floor and take the first shot we see,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “What we can do is play good defense, be patient on offense and not turn the ball over. If we don’t have all those turnovers, who knows what happens in this game.”
Two of the Hearts turnovers resulted in easy baskets by Mason Hamon and Cody Dickshot, giving Breese Central a 35-29 lead with 3½ minutes to play.
To the Hearts credit, they never quit. Jett Volpi hit a free throw and then the Hearts converted back-to-back Cougar turnovers into baskets themselves. Garrett Wolfe connected from behind the arc and Brayden Pals then scored with just 54 seconds remaining to knot the game at 35-35.
Meredith Schaefer pumped in 12 first-quarter points, the Effingham Lady Hearts built a big early lead and then rolled to a 62-16 win over Newton in an opening-round game of the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.
Schaefer knocked down a pair of three-pointers and Ella Niebrugge added another, helping the Lady Hearts race to a 23-2 lead after the opening eight minutes. Effingham then outscored the Lady Eagles 15-6 in the second quarter to take a comfortable 38-8 advantage to the locker room at halftime.
Effingham extended its lead to 57-13 after three quarters and costed to the 46-point decision.
Schaefer finished with a game-high 18 points and Niebrugge, who finished with three baskets from long range, added 12.
The Lady Hearts, now 2-0 on the young season, will return to tournament action today (Tuesday). They will face Vandalia at 6 p.m. Effingham will also play Wednesday, facing Flora at 6:30 p.m.
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