By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The deciding moments in many basketball games are the final minutes or even seconds of a quarter.
Thursday night’s game between cross-town rivals – Effingham and St. Anthony – is a perfect example.
With 2:24 to play in the first half, it was a one-point game.
Up to that point, the Effingham and St. Anthony girls had battled on even terms. The game had been tied four times and the lead changed hands on three occasions. The largest lead by either team had been five points.
The Lady Hearts then closed the half on a 6-0 run.
Now fast forward to the third period. With only 51 seconds remaining, the host Effingham team had seen its one-time 10-point lead reduced to only six. But three straight possessions resulted in a quick 8-0 surge that ballooned the lead to 14 points.
Those two runs were the difference in the game, as the Lady Hearts went on to post a 59-41 victory over the Lady Bulldogs.
“We have a team that fights and competes, but they have a real good ball club,” St. Anthony coach Aaron Rios said. “Those last 50 seconds of the third period, especially, really hurt. After that, I thought we just ran of gas.”
“I think that’s where our depth really showed,” EHS coach Jeff Schafer added. “We’re able to play seven -- sometimes eight – girls, so we’re able to rotate kids in and keep them fresh. That really comes into play at the end of the quarters. It certainly did tonight.”
With a little over two minutes to play in the opening half, Nancy Ruholl and Lilly Gannaway had just converted Effingham turnovers into baskets, and the Lady Bulldogs were within 24-23.
The Effingham Lady Hearts raced to an early lead and then coasted to a 67-29 victory Monday night at home over Charleston.
Bella Austin scored seven first-quarter points, while both Averie Wolfe and Bria Beals had five, helping the Lady Hearts build a 23-5 advantage after the opening eight minutes. Effingham extended its lead to 40-16 by intermission.
The Lady Hearts had five players in double figures. Alyssa Martin and Sydney Donaldson both scored 12, while Wolfe had 11 and both Beals and Austin finished with 10.
Effingham improved to 10-2 overall and 4-0 in the Apollo. They will play at home once again Thursday, hosting cross-town rival St. Anthony.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
The Effingham Hearts were right there.
As the clock ticked under a minute, they were tied with Mahomet-Seymour, a team many believe can challenge Mt. Zion for the Apollo Conference title.
But Jackson Bohm tipped in a missed shot with just eight seconds to play to give the Bulldogs a lead and then Landyn Hannah capped things off, making a couple foul shots with less than a second remaining to seal a 41-37 victory for the visiting Mahomet-Seymour team.
After Bohm’s bucket, the Hearts had a chance to tie or win the game on their final possession. But an attempted lob pass was intercepted, thwarting a terrific effort by Effingham.
“We gave ourselves a chance,” said EHS coach Mack Thompson. “These kids gave great effort tonight. I like what I’m seeing from this group.”
With 3:13 showing on the clock, the Hearts were trailing 36-32. But like they did throughout the entire game, they kept battling.
Cole Phillips hit a short jumper to cut the lead in half. After Lucas Dyer made a free throw for the Bulldogs, EHS sophomore Jake Niebrugge nailed a long three-pointer to knot the score at 37-37, with 1:41 to play.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Just 90 seconds into the second half, the Effingham Lady Hearts found themselves trailing Mahomet-Seymour by three points.
Effingham wasn’t shooting the ball well and had already turned the ball over twice in the early portion of the third period.
Looking for something that might ignite a spark in his team, Coach Jeff Schafer switched defenses to a Diamond Press.
“I was just trying to pull different strings,” the veteran coach admitted. “I really didn’t expect it to work like it did. But that was the defense that got us going. I feel like it changed the entire complexion of the game.”
He’s absolutely right.
That defense forced Mahomet-Seymour into four turnovers, didn’t allow a point over the next five minutes, and ignited a 15-0 run that did, in fact, turn the game around.
The Lady Hearts used that scoring spree to build a double-digit lead, en route to a 60-54 victory at home Saturday afternoon in a key Apollo Conference contest.
A three-point play by Reese Gallier and a driving layup by Kylie Waldinger had given the Lady Bulldogs a 27-24 lead at the 6:24 mark of the third period.
But after going to the Diamond Press, the home team took control.
The Effingham Lady Hearts returned to their winning ways Thursday night and did so in dominant fashion.
Effingham jumped out to a quick lead and then cruised to a 63-21 win at Mattoon.
This one was over quickly.
Tessa Raddatz knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the opening quarter, helping the Lady Hearts take a 16-4 lead after the first eight minutes.
And the lead continued to balloon from there. Saige Althoff scored seven points and Raddatz added five more as EHS expanded its lead to 39-6 at halftime.
Raddatz finished with a game-high 15 points to lead Effingham’s scoring attack. Althoff was also in double figures with 10.
The Lady Hearts are now 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Apollo Conference. They will return home for another conference game Saturday, playing host to Mahomet-Seymour.
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