By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
For the second game in a row, the Effingham Lady Hearts saw their opponent go on a scoring run.
And for the second game in a row, the Lady Hearts responded in winning fashion.
Last Friday, the Newton Lady Eagles used a 19-5 run to wipe out a deficit and build a nine-point lead. But Effingham then staged a rally and pulled out the victory in the waning seconds to win the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament.
Tuesday night, the Taylorville Lady Tornadoes ran off 11 consecutive points to eliminate a double-digit deficit, tie the game and capture the momentum to open the second half.
But, again, the EHS squad had an answer.
After missing 11 straight shots and turning the ball over twice, the Lady Hearts then closed the third period on a run of their own and went on to post a 45-31 victory at home in a key early-season Apollo Conference matchup.
Effingham held a seemingly comfortable 21-10 advantage with less than two minutes to play in the opening half. But the Lady Tornadoes scored a late basket and trailed by nine at halftime.
And when the third period began, the Lady Hearts went ice cold from the field, missing their first 11 attempts. Meanwhile, Grace Rogers hit a short jumper plus a three-pointer to spark a 9-0 run for the visitors. When Peyton DeMichael scored a driving layup at the 3:31 mark, the score was tied 21-21 and Effingham coach Jeff Schafer wanted a timeout.
The Casey-Westfield Warriors wasted no time taking control, bolting to a 21-point early lead, en route to a 65-36 decision Tuesday night at home over Effingham.
Hayden Parcel scored 10 points in the first eight minutes, helping the hosts break out to a commanding 26-5 lead. The Warriors led 44-17 at halftime and 61-30 heading into the fourth period.
Cannon Bockhorn and Jude Traub both scored eight points to lead the Hearts. Ryan Richards scored a game-high 19 points for Casey-Westfield.
The Hearts, now 1-4, will return to action Thursday night. They will travel to Taylorville for an Apollo Conference contest.
The Effingham Hearts notched their first win of the season Saturday afternoon and did so in a big way.
The Hearts jumped out to a double-digit lead early and then rolled to a 66-29 decision over Robinson in the seventh place game of the St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament.
Cannon Bockhorn drilled a pair of three-pointers and scored eight points, and both Jake Niebrugge and KJ Kellams also connected from behind the arc, helping EHS race to a 24-5 lead after just eight minutes.
But that was just the beginning. Cole Phillips scored four points, and both Nolan Fearday and Jude Traub connected from long range in the second period, as the Hearts took a commanding 43-12 advantage to the locker room at intermission.
The EHS lead ballooned to 60-24 after three periods, resulting in the continuously running clock.
Bockhorn led the scoring attack with 17 points, while Phillips scored eight and Brady McDaniel and Kellams both added seven.
Effingham, 1-3, will travel to Casey-Westfield on Tuesday.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
So how do good teams – ones that will be favored to win most games – respond when trailing and the game is on the line?
Do they succumb to the situation? Commit silly fouls, turn the ball over, take bad shots?
Or do they respond under pressure and make the plays necessary down the stretch to come away with a win?
That’s exactly the situation the Effingham Lady Hearts found themselves in Friday afternoon.
They were the heavy favorites to not only beat Newton, but also win the early-season tournament.
Early in the fourth quarter, however, they found themselves trailing by eight points. EHS was still down by one, 51-50, with a minute to go.
“I thought that’s when our game experience really showed,” said EHS coach Jeff Schafer. “These girls help each other and know they can trust each other. At that point, it’s up to the kids to make plays.”
Which is exactly what they did.
With 18 seconds to play, Effingham’s tough defense came up with a steal and Averie Wolfe was fouled three seconds later. The junior point guard made both foul shots to give the Lady Hearts their first lead since early in the second half. After a missed shot by Newton, Alyssa Martin grabbed the rebound and was fouled with four seconds to play.
Martin made one of her foul shots, and when Newton was unable to got off a last-second shot, the Lady Hearts had a hard-fought 53-51 victory in the championship game of the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.
This one was over quickly.
The Effingham Lady Hearts raced to a 20-point lead in the opening quarter Wednesday night and cruised to a 58-9 victory over Flora in a second-round game of the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton.
Effingham, now 2-0 in tourney action, will play for the championship on Friday. The Lady Hearts will tangle with the host Lady Eagles. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s game was no contest. Saige Althoff scored 10 points in the first eight minutes, helping Effingham build a commanding 25-3 lead. The gap widened to 40-5 at intermission.
Althoff finished with a game-high 12 points. Sidney Donaldson also reached double figures, finishing with 11 points, while Alyssa Martin and Bella Austin both added eight.
The Lady Hearts are now 4-0 on the season.
Page 11 of 74
