The Sentinel: Girls Basketball

Illini Prairie announces girls' all-conference basketball team

SJO's Addison Brooks earned a spot on the IPC Second Team her junior year.

URBANA - The Illini Prairie Conference presented its girls' basketball all-conference team this week. Teams members are selected by coaches from each of the ten teams. This year's IPC First Team is comprised of two outstanding freshman players. Two players from Central Catholic and two from IVC were named to the top team this season.

Bloomington Central Catholic won the league title, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record.

See the complete list below of this year's all-conference players.

Illini Prairie Conference Final Standings

1. Bloomington Central Catholic 9-0 / Overall: 24-9
2. Illinois Valley Central 8-1 / Overall: 20-11
3. Pontiac 6-3 / Overall: 15-17
4. Monticello 6-3 / Overall: 20-11
5. St. Joseph-Ogden 5-4 / Overall: 12-17
6. Tolono Unity 5-4 / Overall: 14-17
7. Prairie Central 3-6 / Overall: 12-21
8. Paxton-Buckley-Loda 2-7 / Overall: 4-27
9. Rantoul 1-8 / Overall: 4-26
10. St. Thomas More 0-9 / Overall: 5-24

First Team

Karissa Cook, Central Catholic, 9
Emme Hurie, Central Catholic, 11
Anna Foster, IVC, 10
Alayah Nelton, IVC, 9
Megan Allen, Monticello, 12
Trinity Miller, Pontiac, 11

Second Team

Logan Shanks, Central Catholic, 12
Kayt Miller, IVC, 10
Tanner Graham, PBL, 12
Jayla Hammond, Prairie Central, 10
Addie Brooks, SJO, 11
Emily Decker, Unity, 12

Honorable Mention

Kate Stolfa, Central Catholic, 10
Meg Uhren, Central Catholic, 12
Sarah Cresap, Monticello, 10
Ali Weidner, Monticello, 10
Grace Lanning, Pontiac, 11
Araceli Serna, Pontiac, 9
Josie Roseman, Rantoul, 11
Sara Kearney, SJO, 12
Ashley Wells, STM, 12
Claire Meharry, Unity, 11

State Basketball |
Montini hangs on to beat QND in 3A semifinal at girls' state basketball tournament

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Montini's Nikki Kerstein keeps the ball away from Notre Dame's Sierra Thomas. Kerstein was the leading scorer in the contest and collected eight boards in the state semifinal Thurday.

BLOOMINGTON - Montini's pursuit of a fifth IHSA state championship remains alive after a hard-fought 50-41 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in a Class 3A state semifinal Thursday night at CEFCU Arena.

In a matchup featuring seven lead changes, the Lady Broncos found their rhythm late, outlasting a Quincy Notre Dame program that has captured six state titles since 1981. Despite holding the lead for nearly three minutes less than their opponent, Montini delivered in key moments to secure a spot in Saturday's Class 3A title game against St. Ignatius at 6 p.m.

Nikki Kerstein powered Montini's offense with a game-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field. The 5-foot-8 senior took over in the second half, scoring 16 of her points after the break while also grabbing eight rebounds. Peyton Farrell added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, providing a crucial inside presence for the Lady Broncos.

Quincy Notre Dame kept pace for much of the game behind Tristan Pieper's 14 points and nine rebounds. Jenna Durst chipped in 13 points, while Sage Stratton and Ari Buehler each scored seven to round out the Lady Raiders' offensive effort.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Members of the Montini girls basketball team celebrate after punching their ticket to the Class 3A title game on Saturday at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals.

The loss ends Quincy Notre Dame's bid for a seventh state title, forcing the program to wait another year for a chance to add to its championship legacy. Meanwhile, Montini moves one step closer to its first state crown since 2014.

Trailing for extended stretches and utilizing the talents of only five players, Montini found ways to deliver in decisive moments. Kerstein's second-half surge and Farrell's work on the glass proved pivotal as the Lady Broncos maintained composure and capitalized on scoring opportunities when it mattered most despite the starting five playing the full 32-minute game.

With the win, Montini can focus on surpassing another Catholic school powerhouse, St. Ignatius, for the Class 3A championship title and bragging rights for the next year. Quincy Notre Dame will close its season in the third-place game Friday evening at 7:45 p.m. against the Washington's Lady Panthers.

State Basketball |
Carrollton Lady Hawks secure spot in Class 1A title game with convincing semifinal victory at state

Carrollton players and fans explode with excitement — Carrollton basketball players on the bench errupt with fans at the sound of the final buzzer in their state semifinal game against Cissna Park at CEFCU Arena in Normal. The Lady Hawks advanced to the Class 1A title game after a resounding victory Thursday morning.

Lauren Flowers goes up for shot over Cissna Park's Mady Marcott. Flowers led all scorers with 28 points and eight rebounds.

NORMAL, IL - In a display of dominance at the CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University campus, the Carrollton Lady Hawks soared to a commanding 55-39 victory over the Cissna Park Lady Timberwolves in their Class 1A state semifinals at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals on Thursday morning.

Led by a scorching performance from Lauren Flowers, who tallied 28 points and showcased her shooting accuracy with 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, Carrollton wasted no time asserting their authority. Flowers ignited the offense with a pivotal three-pointer following two early free throws, setting the tone for the Lady Hawks' victory.

By halftime, Carrollton had firmly established their lead, thanks to strategic play under the guidance of head coach Brian Madson. "I told them in the locker room at halftime to keep their composure and move the ball around," Madson emphasized. He was proud of the way the team played in the first half saying, "Confidence is contagious, and so is the lack of it."

The Lady Hawks' confidence continued to soar after the game mid-game break.

The second half saw Carrollton extend their lead to 23 points by the third quarter, effectively securing their fifth appearance in the state title game in school history. Blake Driskill contributed 11 points, while Harper Darr added 10 and Abby Flowers chipped in with six points, underscoring a cohesive team effort that highlighted their depth and resilience.

Harper Darr battles for a loose ball with Lauryn Hamrick — Carrollton's Harper Darr battles for a loose ball with Cissna Park's Lauryn Hamrick.

Defensively, Lauren Flowers asserted her presence in the paint with eight rebounds, complemented by Chloe McAdams' six rebounds, stifling Cissna Park's scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Despite a valiant effort from Cissna Park, led by Addison Lucht and Lauryn Hamrick with 12 points each, and Josie Neukomm contributing nine points, the Lady Timberwolves fell short of advancing to the title game in their first state appearance in 25 years. Hamrick and Neukomm both secured eight rebounds apiece.

Looking ahead, Carrollton will face the winner of St. Edward High School and Pecatonica in the Class 1A title game on Saturday at 1pm. Meanwhile, Cissna Park will compete for third place against the loser of the upcoming matchup.

"I'm super excited to be playing on Saturday," said Madson during the postgame press conference."This team just sticks together, fights for each other. It is going to fun this coming Saturday."

SJO girls come up short at IPC/Sangamo Challenge Shootout

MAROA - St. Joseph-Ogden led by two points after the first quarter against Auburn in their Illini Prairie-Sangamo Challenge game on Saturday. After limiting the Trojans to ten points, Auburn scored 12 points in each of the remaining three quarters to defeat the Spartans, 46-32.

The Spartans' scoring was driven by their starting five. Senior Katie Ericksen led the team with nine points, while Sara Kearney went 2-for-2, finishing with seven points. Hayden Dahl and Addison Brooks contributed six points each, and Kayla Osterbur added four points.

Auburn sophomore Addi Jones led all scorers with 11 points, supported by teammate Addison Wheatley who scored eight of her 10 points in the second half, helping the Trojans secure the victory over SJO.

With a record of 9-15, the Spartans have two games remaining in the season before regional play begins on February 17. They visit Rocket Center on Thursday to face the 13-14 Unity Rockets. SJO concludes the regular season with another road trip to Paxton-Buckley-Loda, who are 4-24 overall and 2-6 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

Unity edges Pontiac 42-41 in conference clash

PONTIAC - Unity held off a second-half surge from Pontiac to secure a narrow 42-41 victory in Illini Prairie Conference action on Monday. Leading 22-17 at halftime, the Rockets clinched the win, positioning themselves in third place behind Central Catholic (6-0) and Illinois Valley Central (7-1).

Lauren Haas led Unity with 11 points, including six of ten successful free throw attempts in the second half despite going 0-3 from the field. Grace Bickers contributed nine points, while Claire Meharry added seven—all scored in the opening half.

Pontiac rallied in the final quarter, taking 23 shots and converting 14 points. Their aggressive play in the paint resulted in 14 free throw attempts, of which they made nine.

Trinity Miller and Grace Lanning paced Pontiac's offense with 13 points each. The loss drops Pontiac to 3-3 in conference play and 11-13 overall. Lanning shot 4-for-6, and Miller went 3-for-5 from the free throw line.

With consecutive victories under their belt, Unity looks to climb to second place as they host Illinois Valley Central at the Rocket Center on Thursday.

Grace Bickers shines as Unity defeats Prairie Central, 50-26

Unity's Grace Bickers

Grace Bickers drives to the paint during Unity's Country Financial Shoot game at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in December. The rising sophomore star led the Rockets in their home win over Prairie Central on Thursday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

TOLONO - Grace Bickers' total point production in Unity's home conference game against Prairie Central was greater than the combined effort of any three players from the Hawks' girls' basketball team. The sophomore shooting forward led all scorers with 15 points and capped the game with six rebounds for the Rockets.

Unity, behind a solid second half of play, outscored their opponents 29-13 and defeated Prairie Central, 50-26. The win moved the Rockets over the .500 mark with a 12-11 overall record and 4-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference.

"It was a great team defensive effort, and we were able to convert that defense into points on the other end," said first-year head coach Michael Donovan on the win. "Offensively, we were patient against the zone and moved the ball well to create good shots for teammates."

It was nearly a total team effort for the Rockets on Thursday, with 10 of the 11 players on the roster contributing to the final score. In supporting roles, Kendal Zerrusen and Emily Decker finished with five points each.

Decker, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her cross-country running career at Ball State University in Indiana, also snagged six rebounds for the Rockets.

It was outside shooting that gave Unity the advantage they needed, making five of 19 attempts from behind the arc. Prairie Central made just one of 11 long-range shots. The Rockets also dominated the points-after-turnover stat, with nearly half their total points (26) coming after Prairie Central turnovers.

Prairie Central was paced by Jayla Hammond's five points.

Unity has three games lined up next week, with two opportunities to move up in the conference standings. The Rockets travel to Pontiac (11-12, 3-2) on Monday to face the Indians in a regular-season conference game. On Thursday, they will host Illinois Valley Central (15-6, 5-1) at the Rocket Center and finish the week on Saturday with a home game against PORTA (18-5).

Harper drains 21 for the Urbana in loss to Prairie Central

URBANA - In a career performance, Lai'yonna Harper scored a game-high 21 points in Urbana's home basketball game against Prairie Central on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to help the Tigers secure the "W' in the 48-35 non-conference loss to the Hawks.

Junior Madison Shade finished with seven points, and Sofia Recio rounded out the top three UHS scorers with three points.

The visiting Hawks were led by Jayla Hammond's 14 points, the sophomore and one of two team captains, delivered nine in the third quarter. Two other players notched double figures. Cami Slagel finished with 13 points, and the other captain Abi Nimbler chipped in another 11.

The Tigers play their next three contest on the road, starting with a trip to Peoria to take on Richwoods for a 12:30 PM varsity game on Saturday. The team then heads to Normal University High School for a non-conference game against the Pioneers. Then, on Thursday, it is another trip west to Peoria for a Big Twelve battle with the Rams of Manual.