Bulldogs ride 9-game win streak into championship game of Mattoon Holiday Tournament

By Fred Kroner

Mahomet-Seymour’s girls’ basketball team advanced into the championship game of the Mattoon Holiday Tournament by garnering two wins on Tuesday (Dec. 27) and two more on Wednesday (Dec. 28)

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs handled the host Green Wave, 49-45, and then overpowered Champaign Central, 43-25.

Against Mattoon, Kylie Waldinger achieved a season’s high with 19 points. She downed three three-point shots and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Savannah Orgeron contributed 14 points. Scoring five points apiece were Abby Bunting and Emma Dallas.

Bunting grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. Orgeron secured four rebounds. Chloe Pruitt and Waldinger each had three rebounds.

Durbin Thomas swiped a team-high four steals.

M-S led, 15-13, after one quarter and 33-21 at halftime.

Against Central, Orgeron’s 18-point performance boosted her past the 1,000-point mark for her career. She has 1,004 career points.

Pruitt’s 10-point outing included a 6-for-6 showing from the free throw line. Thomas had nine points (4-for-4 on free throws) and Bunting chipped in with four points.

M-S nailed 15 of 17 free throw attempts overall.

Pruitt hauled down a team-high seven rebounds. Bunting, Orgeron and Thomas all handled four rebounds. Waldinger grabbed three rebounds.

Orgeron and Thomas finished with three steals apiece.

The Bulldogs led Central, 10-2, after one quarter and 22-5 at halftime, giving up two total first-half field goals.

Orgeron led the way on Tuesday as M-S posted two wins in first-day action.

Orgeron netted 22 points in a 59-26 Bulldog victory over Olney Richland. She tossed in 17 points as M-S topped Altamont, 49-26.

Orgeron was at her best in the opening quarter against Olney. She scored 14 points in the first eight minutes and dropped in four shots from three-point range in that stretch.

The Bulldogs led, 21-16, after one quarter.

Thomas hit 13 points and Grace Binkley chipped in with seven points. In the fourth quarter, Binkley attempted – and made – the only free throw the Bulldogs shot.

Thomas netted eight of her points in the second quarter as M-S enlarged its lead to 37-19 at halftime.

Pruitt pulled down four rebounds. Bunting ended with three rebounds and three blocked shots. Waldinger blocked two shots.

Against Altamont, Orgeron contributed two blocks and two assists in addition to her 17 points.

Waldinger registered 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Pruitt scored six points and Thomas collected four steals. Bunting hauled down four rebounds.

The Bulldogs led, 14-9, after one quarter and 31-12 at halftime.

M-S (14-3) returns to action on Thursday (Dec. 29) against Galesburg in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Galesburg topped Mattoon, 45-41, in Wednesday’s other semifinal game.

Coach Garret Risley’s Bulldogs have a nine-game winning streak.