Allyson Hardiek and Brooke Runge both scored six points in the fourth quarter Monday night, helping the Altamont Lady Indians pull away, en route to a 63-46 victory over Effingham in an opening-round game of the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.

The Lady Indians held a slim 11-10 lead after the opening period and expanded it to 30-22 by halftime. Hayley Diveley hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter to keep the Lady Hearts within striking distance.

Effingham made five threes in the third period – three by Ella Niebrugge and one each by Taylor Armstrong and Katie Carie – to close within 47-41 heading into the fourth quarter. But the final eight minutes belonged to the Lady Indians, as they outscored the Lady Hearts 16-5.

Hardiek finished with 19 points, while Runge added 15 for Altamont. Niebrugge paced EHS with 15 points and Armstrong scored 11.

Effingham, now 1-1 on the season, will return to tournament action today (Tuesday), facing Flora at 6 p.m. Altamont will play Newton at 7:30 p.m.

The Lady Hearts will also play at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Vandalia and then wrap up tournament play against Newton at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The Effingham Lady Hearts will make their annual appearance in the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.

There are five teams in this year’s field – Altamont, Vandalia, Flora and Newton, along with the Lady Hearts.

Games will tip-off Monday night, with games also scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Here is the full schedule:

Monday, Nov. 25

6 p.m. – Altamont vs. Effingham

7:30 p.m. – Newton vs. Vandalia

Tuesday, Nov. 26

6 p.m. – Effingham vs. Flora

7:30 p.m. – Newton vs. Altamont

Wednesday, Nov. 27

5 p.m. – Flora vs. Altamont

6:30 p.m. – Vandalia vs. Effingham

8 p.m. – Newton vs. Flora

Friday, Nov. 28

Noon – Flora vs. Vandalia

1:30 p.m. – Newton vs. Effingham

3 p.m. – Vandalia vs. Altamont

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

A new era is about to unfold for Effingham girls basketball.

Gone are nine players that accounted for 104 wins over a four-year stretch and included one Apollo Conference championship, plus two regional and two sectional titles and back-to-back seasons that ended just one win away from the state tournament.

Gone is virtually 100 percent of the team’s scoring, rebounding and even minutes played.

Gone is a special group of young ladies that not only won a lot of games and provided plenty of memories, but were also true teammates and friends throughout.

Gone are Carsyn Fearday, Abby Weis, Skyler Schafer, Natalie Carie, Miranda Fox, Madison Bushur, Kiyah Kuhlman, Jessie Herboth and Payton Koester.

“That was a great group. And having my daughter and her friends be a part of that made it very special,” said EHS coach Jeff Schafer. “Many of them spent quite a few nights at my house, beginning when they were little kids.

“I had to remind myself at times to just enjoy it and not make myself extra-crazy,” Schafer added. “As a coach, sometimes we forget to simply enjoy everything along the way.”

But as is always the case in high school, one group passing through simply opens opportunities for the next group moving in.

The Effingham Lady Hearts kicked off their 2019-2020 season in winning fashion Tuesday night, posting a 46-36 victory at North Clay.

EHS jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. It was still a 10-point spread at halftime, 28-18, and the Lady Hearts maintained control the rest of the way.

After losing all five starters, nine seniors and virtually all of its points and rebounds, the Lady Hearts put an inexperienced team on the floor Tuesday and performed well overall.

“We are learning on every possession,” said EHS coach Jeff Schafer. “We made some mistakes, but I’m really proud of the way they battled on every possession. The effort was excellent.”

Junior Taylor Armstrong, the player with the most returning experience, led the scoring attack with 12 points, while freshman Annie Frost also reached double figures 10. Frost almost had a double-double in her varsity game, also finishing with a game-high nine rebounds. Freshman Ella Niebrugge and junior Kennedy Sowell both scored seven points.

“This was a great start for us,” Schafer said. “We had some really good spurts of play and got a lot of contributions for a lot of kids.”

The Lady Hearts will next participate in the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton. They will play four games, beginning Monday, Nov. 25. EHS will face Altamont at 6 p.m.

Effingham will then play Flora at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26; Vandalia at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27; and Newton at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.

By Steve Raymond

News Report Staff

It’s not unusual for parents to travel a ways to see their son or daughter play a basketball game.

But 4,900 miles?

That’s exactly what Dave Wolfe did.

His oldest son, Grant, is preparing for his junior season at Illinois Wesleyan University and traveled with his teammates to play three exhibition games in Italy.

And Dave, along with his 11-year-old daughter Avery, was there to enjoy the 10-day trip.

“I was glad they came,” Grant said. “I got to spend a lot of time with them. They loved being there and getting to hang around with our team. I think Avery had pizza for every meal.”

The trip began Tuesday, Aug. 6, with the 10-hour flight that went from Chicago to Detroit to Rome; and Grant got home late last Thursday night. Since Illinois Wesleyan is an NCAA Division III school, the basketball team can take an international trip like this once every three years.