By Fred Kroner
The firsts keep on coming for the Mahomet-Seymour girls’ basketball team.
Coach Garret Risley’s second Bulldog team added two more marks on its season resume on Friday (Feb. 25).
Playing at Lincoln, M-S secured a 52-43 win over the host school, securing the school’s first-ever sectional championship in girls’ basketball.
The triumph, the third of the season over Lincoln (24-9), also resulted in the first 30-win season in girls’ basketball at M-S.
The Bulldogs, who have reached the Elite Eight in Class 3A for the first time ever, are 30-4 entering a Monday (Feb. 28) super-sectional contest at Highland against Bethalto Civic Memorial (31-4).
Cayla Koerner (19 points) and Savannah Orgeron (16 points) were the Bulldogs’ offensive catalysts.
Durbin Thomas collected eight points, Nichole Taylor notched six points and Ivie Juarez scored all three of her points from the free throw line.
It’s not unusual to see so many contributors.
“One of our strengths is balance,” Risley said. “The girls are playing great right now. To me, it seems like they are playing looser and leaving everything on the court.”
The Bulldogs don’t get rattled when they are behind or plays don’t go their way.
“We talk about there being ups and downs in games, and when the going gets tough, move on to the next play,” Risley said. “Trust yourself, and eventually they will go in.”
Juarez and Taylor each cleared eight rebounds in the sectional finals. Orgeron had six boards and Thomas ended with four
Juarez and Thomas each had three steals.
M-S led, 15-12, after one quarter, but the teams took a 26-26 tie into the locker rooms at halftime.
Lincoln surged ahead, 31-28, in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs had shot into the lead for good, 42-33, entering the last eight minutes.
Koerner tallied eight of her points in a third quarter in which M-S outscored the Railplitters, 16-7.
The M-S wins over Lincoln this season were by margins of nine points, 11 points and nine points.
One reason the Bulldogs have been able to outscore teams is not just what the offense is doing. The defense has been up to the challenge.
“We’ve seen our fair share of (scoring) standouts and Abby Bunting knows she will be guarding those types of players,” Risley said. “She has grown into that role.
“Durbin Thomas handles the primary ballhandler. In the paint, Nichole Taylor and Ivie Juarez have done a nice job, and Cayla Koerner leads us in steals. She’s like the safety in football and can read the offense. Across the board, we’ve had girls willing to step up.”
In the super-sectional encounter, the Bulldogs will take on a Civic Memorial team which knocked off Mattoon in the sectional finals, 72-68 in overtime. Mattoon had administered three of the M-S losses this season.
“They are a good three-point shooting team and like to play fast, which is how we like to play,” Risley said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us.
“We’ll try to force them to run their half-court offense. Anyone at this point is a great team.”
Risley won’t make a ton of adjustments entering the school’s first Elite Eight appearance.
“Teams have to prepare for us like we have to prepare for them,” he said. “The most important thing for us is to fine-tune what we are doing.
“These girls don’t seem like they are satisfied yet. They haven’t put a cap on the season.”
In The Associated Press final Class 3A state poll, M-S was ranked 10th, Lincoln was ranked 11th and Civic Memorial was ranked 12th. Mattoon was ranked sixth.
