‘We got up and kept working’: Even in loss, Saukees prove they belong in conversation among state’s best

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pittsfield girls basketball coach Noah Mendenhall knows one result does not define a season.

But in the Saukees’ case, one game could provide a snapshot of a team’s potential.

On Monday, the state-ranked Saukees rallied from a 41-30 third quarter deficit against Quincy Notre Dame, the No. 2 team Class 3A, to take a 49-47 lead on Lila Simon’s three-point play with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter, but that lead was short-lived.

QND junior guard Ari Buehler made what turned out to be the game-winning 3-pointer with 1:30 left, and Sage Stratton made four free throws in the final 16 seconds to ice away a 54-49 victory.

“Most of that, state rankings and such, it is what it is,” said Mendenhall, whose team came into the game No. 9 in the Associated Press Class 2A state poll. “I’m proud of the girls for what they’ve earned, but you’ve still got to come out and show it and prove it. They played well tonight. It came down to a battle of possessions there. Battling back to take the lead after being down 11, that’s impressive. It shows the fight and the competitiveness that the girls have.

“I told the girls, ‘You’re not defined by one loss, and you’re not defined by one win. You’re defined by what we do program-wide. Keep your heads up.’”

Simon and the Saukees kept believing, even when they were down by double digits.

“It’s just that mindset that we’re not down that much and that we have the opportunity to keep coming back,” Simon said. “We know we can do this. We’ve proven that before several times throughout many of our other games, so it’s not like it’s impossible for us. I think we just had faith in each other and faith in ourselves.”

Fellow senior Madison Frieden said the Saukees’ attitude never took a negative turn.

“It says a lot about our team that we’re able to keep that mindset of we’re going against one of the best teams in the state, and the whole game, we felt like we had it and we were right there,” Frieden said. “When we went down, we didn’t let our heads hang. We got up and kept working.”

Raiders coach Eric Orne noticed the Saukees’ grit and fearlessness from the QND sideline.

“They played really hard, and that’s a compliment to their coach and players. They played extremely hard tonight and had no fear,” Orne said. “That’s a different mentality than some of the teams we can play. I give them a lot of credit. They’re going to be a tough out in 2A. I just think they’re doing things well and playing at a really good pace that is enjoyable to watch, a fast pace. They’re very talented.”

Pittsfield entered its clash with the QND at 17-0, but QND was just the Saukees’ second opponent currently ranked in the top 10 in any of the four classes in Illinois. The Saukees defeated Brown County, the No. 9 team in Class 1A, in the Lady Hornet Classic and Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic by six and seven points, respectively. The Saukees also beat Hardin Calhoun, which is among those receiving votes in the Class 1A poll, 52-47 on Dec. 12.

“People were maybe expecting, ‘OK, they’ve played some decent teams,’ but they weren’t expecting us to give (QND) such a good game,” Frieden said. “We almost won tonight, so I think that really shows how we can compete. They’re 3A, and I think that shows how we stack up in 2A.”

Even though Pittsfield’s bid at a perfect season is over, Mendenhall said the Saukees have bigger goals.

“A perfect season’s great. Everybody wants it, but we learn a lot from losses and a lot from a win. The season goes on,” Mendenhall said. “Every game is a big game. You have to get up like this for every game. I’m just proud of the girls. I told them how proud I am of them.”

The Saukees may be young — seven of the 12 players on the roster are freshmen or sophomores — but they are talented. Freshman guard Reese Ramsey scored 22 points on Monday and is averaging 20 points per game overall.

“She’s special,” Mendenhall said. “She asks a coach questions that most freshmen don’t ask, like, ‘Hey, I made this girl collapse (on defense), is this the better shot?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s great. You’re looking at that. You’re seeing the game other than where the ball’s at.’ She’s just tremendous.”

Ramsey said a fearless mentality has proven fruitful in her first season of high school basketball.

“I try to have a high level of confidence so I know that I can make every single shot I take,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey makes up a formidable freshman backcourt tandem with point guard Lincoln McCartney, the Saukees’ second-leading scorer and rebounder and pace-setter in assists at four per game. Ramsey and McCartney are also averaging a combined 7.1 steals per game.

“We’ve been playing together since third grade,” McCartney said of herself and Ramsey. “I mean, we both just love it so much. We feed off each other’s energy, and we both just want to see each other succeed. We’re a great duo.”

The freshmen put that chemistry on display at a pivotal point in Monday’s game when Ramsey delivered a pass right into McCartney’s shooting pocket for a 3-pointer that trimmed the Saukees’ deficit to 44-41 with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter.

“Our dynamic is awesome,” Ramsey said. “We always know where each other is on the floor. We could close our eyes and still know where the other one is. It’s amazing.”

Combine Ramsey and McCartney’s prowess with that of sophomore Deeghan Allen, the Saukees’ third-leading scorer and leading shot blocker, as well as the senior leadership from the likes of Simon, Frieden, Taylor Peebles and Hannah Williams, and the Saukees may have something special brewing.

“We’re capable of going very far,” Frieden said. “I think it’ll be fun to see how much we can achieve once the time comes when we get into regional play. I’m excited for that.”

The noise inside Voshall Gymnasium on Monday provided evidence that Saukee nation is excited, too.

“It was just electric in here,” Mendenhall said. “We’re making shots and the gym is just vibrating. The girls were living up to it and enjoying it.”

Now it’s time for the Saukees to keep living up to it.

“We’re a young team, and I think a lot of people have doubted us so far, but I think this really puts our name out there if it hasn’t been already and shows that we can compete with these teams that are ranked really high up in the state,” Simon said.