Brown County, LaHarpe seventh grade girls basketball teams to play for IESA state titles

RIVERTON, Ill. — The Brown County seventh grade girls basketball team will play for a state championship after remaining undefeated with a pair of victories Saturday in the Class 7-2A state tournament.

The Hornets will be joined in the title pursuit by LaHarpe, which advanced to the Class 7-1A championship game. Liberty fell a game short of an all-area championship game, losing in the Class 7-1A semifinals and finding itself in the third-place game.

Brown County beat Effingham St. Anthony 51-28 in Saturday’s state quarterfinals at Riverton High School as Lydia Ransom scored 17 points and Marlee Kassing added 12. The Hornets then knocked off Bloomington Corpus Christi 43-17 in the semifinals as Ransom scored 12 points, Kassing had eight and Paityn Havens added seven.

Brown County (26-0) will face Spring Valley Kennedy (27-1) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the state championship game.

LaHarpe worked its way to the title game by beating Cissna Park 28-10 in the quarterfinals as Journey Miller led the way with 10 points. In the semifinals, LaHarpe beat Normal Epiphany 37-17 as Miller had 15 points and Aly Wibbell added 10.

LaHarpe (24-3) will face Carrollton St. John (18-5) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the championship at Central A&M Middle School in Assumption.

Liberty won its quarterfinal with a 32-24 victory over Oakland Lake Crest as Serah Mixer scored 18 points. In the semifinals, the Eagles suffered a 36-21 loss to Carrollton St. John as Ellie Brunenn led Liberty with seven points.

Liberty (20-6) will face Normal Epiphany (27-2) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the third-place game.