Bulldogs to play for third in IESA State Tournament
By FRED KRONER
Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Girls’ Basketball
Mahomet-Seymour’s junior high girls’ basketball team has the chance to secure the highest state finish ever by an eighth-grade girls’ basketball team from the school.
The Bulldogs (20-9) will play for third place in the IESA Class 4A state tournament against Bolingbrook Jane Addams (23-1) at 6 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 14) at Normal Parkside.
To date, the best-ever state finish for an eighth-grade girls’ basketball team from M-S is fourth place in 2001.
On Saturday (Dec. 9) at Parkside, the Bulldogs handed Matteson Colin Powell a 34-10 loss in the quarterfinals behind a season-high 15 points from Penelope Bird.
M-S held Matteson scoreless in the first quarter and expanded a 7-0 lead into an 18-6 edge at halftime.
Charlotte Sinclair totaled eight points, Audra Martin hit four points and Katie Hunter made three points. Marley Cloward and Lily Freiman each contributed two points.
Later Saturday, the Bulldogs fell behind Mount Zion, 7-0, in the opening quarter in the semifinals and lost a 36-14 decision.
Sinclair and Cloward recorded four points apiece for M-S. Martin had three points, Hunter added two points and Kennedy Ashby connected on a free throw.
Mount Zion led, 20-7, at halftime.
To qualify for state, Hunter scored four points in the final 40 seconds as the Bulldogs rallied to defeat University Park Crete Monee, 30-27, in the IESA Class 4A sectional championship game on Wednesday (Dec. 6).
M-S led the entire game, played in Mahomet, until Crete Monee made a three-pointer in the final minute to capture a 27-26 lead.
Hunter nailed a three-point shot, with an assist from Freiman, with 40 seconds remaining, pushing M-S into a 29-27 lead.
When Crete Monee missed a potentially game-tying shot, Hunter grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 20 seconds left.
She hit the second of two free throw attempts, creating the final margin.
Hunter scored a team-high 10 points, eight falling through the net in the fourth quarter. Martin tallied eight points and Bird had six points.
Sinclair recorded three points. Freiman contributed two points and Cloward added one point.
M-S led, 7-1, after one quarter and 9-4 at halftime. Entering the fourth stanza, the Bulldogs’ lead was 13-7. The two schools combined to score 37 points in the fourth frame.
The sectional title for the eighth-grade girls’ program was the sixth overall for M-S. Other M-S teams that advanced to state as eighth-graders in basketball were 2021, 2009, 2001, 2000 and 1999.
Additionally, the 1984 team reached state before there were separate divisions for eighth- and seventh-grade teams.
Fifteen players are on this year’s M-S state roster: Kennedy Ashby, Madi Bain, Faith Benedict, Penelope Bird, Mackenzie Bonham, Marley Cloward, Lily Freiman, Nora Huang, Katie Hunter, Audra Martin, Lilly Meyer, Madisyn Morgan, Maci O’Connell, Penelope Porter and Charlotte Sinclair.
Jimmy Lanphear is the M-S head coach, and he is assisted by Maggie Franklin.
