Bombers make sure their energy doesn’t fizzle out, tame Mustangs with complete team effort

CARTHAGE, Ill. — There was no letdown for the Macomb girls basketball team on Monday.

Instead, the effort the Bombers put forth in the Jerry Logan Shootout against Mendon Unity was what Bombers coach Jackson Kane called “as close to a complete 32 minutes as we’ve had all year.”

“We were making shots, defending at a high level, getting deflections, getting steals, forcing turnovers, making effort plays all over the place,” Kane said.

After a 53-44 victory over Class 4A opponent Moline on Saturday at the Washington Street Gym, the Bombers — a Class 2A program — carried that momentum with them to the Illini West High School gym on Monday. Macomb dispatched the Mustangs 56-23, the Bombers’ third win by 30 or more points this season.

“It’s nice to respond in a great way after a great win,” Kane said. “I’m really proud of the girls for staying focused after a big win on Saturday.”

Macomb senior guard Kylie Robinson, one two Bombers to score 10 points, said the energy she and her teammates felt with that weekend win over the Maroons could not have translated to a letdown.

“We had a lot of energy off of that, so we just had to keep playing like we did that game,” Robinson said. “That was just our key to this game — energy.”

Even in a game in which the Bombers matched their fourth highest point total of the season and were only 11 points off their top mark, no player scored more than 10 points. Robinson and Ella Hare each had 10 points, Jordan Hines and Kathryn Stortzum were close behind with nine, and Drew Creasey contributed eight points, six of which came in the third quarter.

“Everything was running smoothly,” Robinson said. “We were really sharing the ball, passing it off when we needed to and taking smart shots.”

Hare, who had eight points in the first half and reached double figures in the third quarter, said she had one of her better offensive games of her junior season.

“Tonight I was more of an offensive threat,” Hare said. “I felt like I had a good shooting game, made the right passes and made smart moves around the basket.”

Robinson, who also had eight points in the opening 16 minutes, was her usual aggressive, savvy self.

“She was getting downhill, making good reads at the rim, kicking it out to our shooters,” Kane said.

Macomb held Unity to one made field goal en route to a 12-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched that lead to 29-13 by halftime. The Bombers opened the second half on a 12-0 run and kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard for the first 5:28 of the third quarter.

“They jumped on us early. Hats off to them,” Mustangs coach Cole Thompson said. “They worked their butts off. They just hounded the ball nonstop for four straight quarters and made it difficult for us to get anything on offense.”

The Bombers (16-7) will host West Prairie on Thursday, while the Mustangs (12-14) will have their senior night on Wednesday when they welcome Liberty to Mendon.

Shane Hulsey photos