Central/Southestern
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. CAMP POINT, Ill. — It would be wise not to challenge Karly Peters on the pickleball…
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The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. CAMP POINT, Ill. — Mason Miller’s decision to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Dakota Neisen is no stranger to high expectations, which gives promise to the belief that his transition into his first full-time head coaching job will be a seamless one. Neisen, a Liberty High School graduate, has spent the last five seasons as an assistant for Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Central-Southeastern track coach Brad Dixon is about to have a busy week, but he doesn’t mind. “It’s going to be a heck of a lot of fun next week,” Dixon said. Dixon can have fun because at Wednesday’s Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional, the Panthers captured their first sectional title since 2005 and…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Curtis Rigg was on the right side of a photo finish this time, and it proved to be the deciding factor in the Central-Southeastern boys track and field team capturing a title at their home invite. Rigg, a junior sprinter and long jumper, lost to Macomb’s Kylan McMillan by .01 seconds…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls 4×100 relay team saved their best for last in 2024. That quartet could be headed for similar success in 2025. Macie Lierly, Faith Alford, Ellie Foote and Adi Foss won the 4×100 meter race at Friday’s CSE Invitational in 50.74 seconds — 2.64 seconds ahead of South Fulton…
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Central-Southeastern’s Agnes Genenbacher eked out two victories over Winchester West Central’s Maci Peterson in hurdles races during the Central-Southeastern Invitational on Saturday. Genenbacher beat Peterson by .16 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and by .06 seconds in the 300. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured multiple winners among the boys and girls during Friday’s…
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VANDALIA, Ill. — Same opponent, same round, same gym, and unfortunately for the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, the same result. Nashville ended the Panthers’ postseason journey one step shy of a trip to the state tournament for the second straight season, winning 58-41 in the Class 2A Vandalia Super-Sectional in the Vandalia High School gym.…
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VANDALIA, Ill. — A tear never visibly rolled down Matt Long’s face, but the makings of one welled up in his eyes when he was asked about his 32 seasons as the Camp Point Central and Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach. “I think it’s uncommon these days that people are patient enough to give you that…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — One of the first things Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long reminded his players at halftime Thursday night is they trailed by only six points. “He was right,” CSE senior forward Lauren Miller said. “We were only down six. For as bad as things had been, that had to mean something.” It…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — When practice is finished, Lexi Niekamp isn’t. A freshman guard on the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, Niekamp typically heads home after practice and puts herself through another tedious workout inside the indoor shooting facility on her family’s property. “Every night I’m in there shooting,” Niekamp said. Same shots, same rhythm, same amount.…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — Trailing by 12 points midway through the third quarter Thursday night, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team rallied to beat Pleasant Plains 51-44 in overtime in the Class 2A Waverly Sectional championship in Jim Roeschley Gymnasium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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WAVERLY, Ill. — The order in which the connection occurs — Miller to Peters or Peters to Miller — doesn’t seem to matter much. It’s lethal either way. Tuesday night, it ruined the Staunton girls basketball team’s chance to make amends for two consecutive postseason losses to Central-Southeastern before the Bulldogs even had the chance…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — With two older brothers who were all-state football players, Agnes Genenbacher really had no option other than to be tough and know how to take a tumble. “That’s my nature,” she said. Going against them also taught her to be competitive. “I always want to be the best in everything I do,”…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — By the end of the first quarter Tuesday night, there was little doubt the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team was headed to the sectional championship. Now the Panthers know a familiar face awaits. CSE beat Staunton 58-22 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Waverly Sectional, earning spot opposite Pleasant Plains in the…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters heard Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long loud and clear. With the Panthers trailing Petersburg PORTA 25-23 at halftime of Friday’s Class 2A Illini West Regional title game, Long’s message to Peters was short but powerful. “I told her, ‘It’s go time. Let’s go,’” Long said. Much of that encouragement…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters led the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s second-half push, scoring 10 points in the third quarter of the Panthers’ 45-41 victory over Petersburg PORTA in Friday night’s championship game of the Class 2A Illini West Regional. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team did not have its usual explosiveness on Tuesday, but Panthers coach Matt Long was not all that shocked. “Whatever the reason was, there wasn’t a lot of intensity in the gym tonight,” Long said. Several players, including all-state forward Lauren Miller, still battling sickness could have had…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The stage is set for the Class 2A Illini West Regional championship as top-seeded Central-Southeastern advanced with a 49-34 victory over Illini West on Tuesday, while fourth-seeded Petersburg PORTA moved on with a 47-31 victory over West Hancock. The regional championship will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Illini West High…
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CHICAGO — Here are the latest Associated Press Illinois girls basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (5) 27-2 78 3 2. Lisle Benet (2) 26-2 68 2 3. Lyons 28-2 63 1 (tie) Nazareth…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Sure, they played a game Tuesday night. But wrapped around what was registering on the scoreboard was a celebration, for both an unequaled senior class of players and a retiring coach whose 32-year mark with the Central-Southeastern program may never be matched. For the record, CSE turned back West Hancock 66-41…
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QUINCY — Lauren Miller stood in the middle of the lane before an inbounds play with her hand cupped covering her mouth as she continually coughed. Moments later, she drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key that extended the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s first half lead over Palmyra on Saturday to eight points,…
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CHICAGO — Here are this week’s Illinois Associated Press girls basketball state rankings, as voted on by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Lyons (7) 27-1 95 2 2. Benet (1) 24-2 73 1 3. Kenwood 25-2 72 T3 4. Alton…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Lauren Miller did not make any excuses, even after she vomited at halftime of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s game against Pittsfield on Monday. “It was just from all the hacking and coughing,” she said. “It seems like that’s just going around.” Miller, like several of her teammates, felt under the…
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CHICAGO — Here are this week’s Illinois Associated Press girls basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Benet (10) 22-1 109 1 2. Lyons (1) 24-1 96 2 3. Alton 23-1 79 3 (tie) Kenwood 23-2 79…
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CHICAGO — Here are the latest Illinois Associated Press girls basketball state rankings, as compiled by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from across the state. First-place votes are in parenthesis. Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Benet (8) 20-1 125 1 2. Lyons (4) 22-1 114 2 3. Alton (1) 20-1 93…
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CHICAGO — Here are this week’s Illinois Associated Press girls basketball state rankings as voted on by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Benet (3) 17-1 48 1 2. Lyons (1) 19-1 43 2 3. Kenwood (1) 18-1 40 3 4. Alton…
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CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press girls basketball state rankings as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Benet (4) (15-1) 72 2 2. Lyons (2) (16-1) 68 1 3. Kenwood (1) (16-1) 64 3 4. Alton (1) (16-1) 53…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Karly Peters diplomatically handled the question of whether Tristan Pieper fouled her. “I don’t know,” said Peters, a senior guard on the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. “I mean, I think so, but it doesn’t really matter now.” With Quincy Notre Dame leading CSE 37-34 and three seconds left in Tuesday’s West…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — A battle of state-ranked teams unfolded the way you might expect — no breathing room for either. The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, ranked sixth in Class 3A, outlasted Central-Southeastern, receiving votes in the Class 2A poll, 37-36 Tuesday night in Central’s North Gym. Muddy River Sports Photographer Addi Zanger…
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BREESE, Ill. — How do you combat a 6-foot-6 presence looming in the middle of the lane who is 8 inches taller than anyone else on the court? Bury enough 3-pointers to make her wingspan inconsequential. That’s exactly what the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team did Saturday afternoon. The Panthers made six 3-pointers in the first…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — When Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long burned a timeout 2 minutes, 13 seconds into the second half Monday, his players fully understood why. “We had some dumb turnovers and silly decisions,” senior forward Lauren Miller said. A 14-point halftime advantage had been sliced in half as Bloomington Central Catholic opened the…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Sure, winning a third consecutive championship at the State Farm Holiday Classic would be nice. The top-seeded Central-Southeastern girls basketball team received celebratory hugs and pats on the back after Saturday night’s 56-42 victory over Paris in the semifinals of the small school girls bracket. The Panthers earned a spot in Monday’s…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The play actually proved to be meaningless … which is why it was emblematic as well. The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team already had built a 30-point lead late in the third quarter Friday night and was on its way to a 56-25 victory over Winnebago in a quarterfinal game in the small…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long calls his team’s annual trip to the State Farm Holiday Classic a “business trip.” “One of the biggest reasons why we come here is we’ve won a lot of big games here over the years,” Long said after his team, the No. 1 seed in the…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — It was a no-brainer for Karly Peters. The same goes for Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger. When Schwagmeyer-Belger was hired as the head coach of the John Wood Community College women’s basketball team in June, Peters’ decision on where to play college basketball became much easier. “I knew right when she got the job…
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QUINCY — Physical defense wins games. “It does in our opinion,” Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long said. And you can’t ease into that. “It’s even more important to do it out of the gate and get them down early,” Panthers guard Karly Peters said. It’s precisely what the Panthers did Thursday in overwhelming previously…
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CHICAGO — Here are the latest Associated Press Illinois boys basketball state rankings, as voted on by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the stat. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Lyons (2) (8-0) 64 3 2. Benet (7-1) 52 T6 3. Whitney Young…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Lexi Niekamp has only played eight games for the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, but the freshman guard already understands the Panthers’ standard. Niekamp also knew that despite leading 27-13 at halftime against Illini West on Monday, the Panthers did not meet that standard for a significant portion of that first half,…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, ranked ninth in the Class 2A state poll, outscored Illini West 21-6 in the third quarter and pulled away for a 55-27 victory Monday night in the Central old gym. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was on hand and put together this photo gallery:
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CHICAGO — Here is a look at the first Illinois Associated Press girls basketball state rankings, as voted on by a panel of sports writers and sportscasters from throughout the state: Class 4A Rank School Total Points 1. Loyola (4) (5-0) 40 2. Whitney Young (1-0) 35 3. Lyons (5-0) 27 4.…
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MT. STERLING, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team didn’t need a pep talk. In fact, Panthers coach Matt Long had not spoken a word to his team from the moment they left the gym after their 56-37 loss to Breese Mater Dei on Saturday in the Pana Thanksgiving Tournament championship to when they took…
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MT. STERLING, Ill. — The rivalry between Brown County and Camp Point Central took center stage Monday night with the Brown County boys basketball team winning 62-34 and the Central-Southeastern girls winning 59-26 in the head-to-head matchups. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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Coverage of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is brought to you by: CAMP POINT, Ill. — Amidst the individual accolades and recognition, Lauren Miller has not fulfilled her ultimate quest. That goal seems well within reach for Miller and the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. In 2023-24, Miller averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals and…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — An anatomy and physiology class helped give Brilyn Lantz direction. Thoroughly invested in her science classes at Southeastern High School and wanting a profession that enabled her to give back to the community, Lantz discovered a career in radiology would achieve that. “I love science,” Lantz said. “It was a big motivator…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — As good as Lauren Miller’s statistical resume is, the numbers alone don’t set her apart. Nor do the postseason accolades, which proved be across-the-board impressive when you realize the Central-Southeastern junior forward was considered one of the 10 best Class 2A girls basketball players in the state by two different organizations.…
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QUINCY — From freshmen making an immediate impact to seniors leaving a lasting legacy, the area girls basketball scene featured remarkable individual performances that led to widespread team success. Eleven players earned all-state honors while six teams won at least 20 games with two regional titles, one district championship and two sectional crowns. It made…
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QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her Central-Southeastern girls basketball teammates elevated her game to that of a first-team all-stater. The 5-foot-10 junior forward was named to the Class 2A all-state first team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, one of three CSE players to be honored by the…
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QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s game is drawing interest from NCAA Division I and II women’s basketball coaches throughout the Midwest. For good reason. The Central-Southeastern junior forward was named a Class 2A second-team all-stater this week by the Illinois Media. She is the only area girls player to be named all-state in any of the…
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VANDALIA, Ill. — The southern half of the state already has learned. The rest of the state will find out this weekend. The Nashville girls basketball team is exceptionally good and a state championship threat — now and for the next three years. The Hornettes, ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A state poll, field…
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VANDALIA, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team trailed for all but the opening minutes in Monday night’s 41-32 loss to Nashville in the Class 2A super-sectional at Vandalia High School. CSE got within 36-32 with 3:51 to play but didn’t score again, making just three free throws in the final eight minutes. Lauren Miller…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — There were quite a few blue T-shirts with white lettering scattered across the Central-Southeastern stands Thursday night. The message the shirts carried was a simple one: “Trust the Process.” CSE girls basketball coach Matt Long’s explanation of that phrase was not particularly complicated, but still rather poignant — even more so following…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players never lost faith in each other or the belief the sectional championship would be theirs, fending off Pleasant Plains 43-37 to win the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional on Thursday night. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery of the Panthers’ victory:
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Peters' free throws help CSE hold off Staunton's fourth-quarter surge and reach sectional title game
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Lauren Miller’s assessment was spot on. “We have to do better Thursday,” the Central-Southeastern junior forward said. The CSE girls basketball team escaped Tuesday night’s Class 2 sectional semifinal game with a hard-earned 56-50 victory over Staunton in front of about 600 fans at Beardstown High School. Central-Southeastern (28-2) advances to face…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The fourth quarter may have gotten a little too close for comfort, but the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team withstood Staunton’s late surge to secure a 56-50 victory in the semifinals of the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional on Tuesday night. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from the game:
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Karly Peters’ response was both euphoric and prophetic. “This feeling is amazing, and we’re not done yet,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior forward for Central-Southeastern’s No. 6-ranked Class 2A girls basketball team. Peters was one of several Panthers who figured prominently in the CSE’s 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin during…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team took advantage of the friendly confines of its home gym Thursday night, earning a 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 2A regional championship in front of a standing room-only crowd. The Panthers went 14-0 at home this season while advancing to the Beardstown…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — From Matt Long’s perspective, Monday night was a borderline disappointment — except for the final score. From the way Lauren Miller saw things, there’s room for improvement but a win’s still a win. The bottom line? The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 18th straight victory was a little rough around the edges,…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The top-seeded Central-Southeastern girls basketball team and fourth-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin remained on a collision course as both won Class 2A regional semifinals Monday night at Central High School. The Panthers beat Pittsfield 51-28 and the Cyclones upended West Hancock 42-32. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from semifinal…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — During the 25-2 regular-season record the state-ranked Central-Southeastern girls basketball team compiled, a milestone moment occurred that allowed current and former Panthers to celebrate the impact of their coach. Matt Long, who has been at the helm since the 1993-94 season, won the 600th game of his career, becoming just the…
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CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (7) 31-0 79 1 2. Alton 27-2 65 2 3. Bolingbrook (1) 23-3 63 3 4. Maine South 27-1 48 5 (tie) Nazareth 24-3 48 4…
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QUINCY – About 20 hours after rallying late to beat South Shelby in a Clarence Cannon Conference game at home, the Palmyra girls basketball team discovered Central-Southeastern doesn’t give up leads so easily. Lauren Miller scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter and C-SE grabbed a 17-point halftime lead Saturday afternoon…
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Here are the Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (4) 29-0 66 1 2. Alton (3) 25-1 64 2 3. Bolingbrook 21-2 55 3 4. Nazareth 21-3 38 5 5. Maine South 25-1 37 4 6.…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Central-Southeastern girls coach Matt Long was singing “What a Long, Strange Trip it’s Been” as he entered his victorious locker room at the Midwest Athletic Center on Saturday night. His teenage players probably didn’t know the song or the artist the lyric was from (“Truckin’” by the Grateful Dead), but the result…
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Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (7) 27-0 106 1 2. Alton (3) 24-1 92 T2 3. Bolingbrook (1) 20-2 88 T2 4. Maine South 22-1 75 4 5. Nazareth 18-3 61 5 6. Normal…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Havana girls basketball coach Michelle Brady cut right to the chase. “We got our teeth kicked in,” Brady said without one bit of hesitation at the onset of her postgame assessment. Brady’s remark came moments following state-ranked Central-Southeastern’s 59-40 victory on a Thursday night when the outcome was all but decided…
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CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (5) 22-0 75 1 2. Alton (2) 21-1 67 3 (tie) Bolingbrook (1) 18-2 67 5 4. Maine South 20-1 42 2 5. Nazareth 15-3 38 6 6.…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Brilyn Lantz preferred to look at the big picture following the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 48-38 victory over Illini West. Sure, she posted team highs of 19 points and five rebounds Thursday night during the final game of pool play in the 31st CSE Classic, but she was most concerned with…
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CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (2) 18-0 45 1 2. Maine South 20-0 44 3 3. Alton (3) 15-0 40 2 4. Normal Community 18-2 23 4 5. Bolingbrook 14-2 22 5 6.…
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CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous rank. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (3) 18-0 62 2 2. Alton (3) 15-0 58 3 3. Maine South (1) 18-0 52 7 4. Normal Community 17-1 42 8 5. Bolingbrook…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is becoming pretty good at playing from behind. Eleven days ago, the Panthers trailed Quincy Notre Dame 27-2 but had two chances to win the game in a 35-31 loss. Twenty-four hours before playing in the small school girls bracket championship at the State Farm Holiday Classic,…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to hand Galena its first loss in a 45-40 victory in the championship game in the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the action from the game.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — High school basketball fans clamoring for a shot clock would not have enjoyed the final five minutes of Central-Southeastern’s 39-25 victory over Kankakee Bishop McNamara in the semifinals of the small school girls bracket in the State Farm Holiday Classic on Friday night at the Shirk Center. Once the Panthers built their…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team only led 18-17 at halftime but pulled away in the second half to defeat Kankakee Bishop McNamara 39-25 in the semifinals of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at the Shirk Center on Friday. CSE will play Galena for the title at 3:30…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long knew some people might think he was trying to be funny, but when it comes to girls basketball, he’s usually quite serious. “We told (the Panthers) we wanted to be ticks on their belly buttons,” Long said after his team’s 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team forced 18 second-half turnovers and didn’t allow a field goal for nearly a quarter and a half in a 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals of the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic on Thursday afternoon at Bloomington High School. MRN…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The No. 1 seed played like the No. 1 seed. The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s defensive intensity frustrated and stymied Normal U-High from start to finish in Wednesday night’s 67-19 victory in the opening round of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Normal Community High School. It…
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QUINCY — A pair of girls basketball teams hoping to build momentum before tackling the challenging task of being the No. 1 seed in a holiday tournament gained a much-needed boost Thursday night. It just happened to come in vastly different ways. West Hancock, the No. 1 seed in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, used…
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QUINCY — The West Hancock and Central-Southeastern girls basketball teams put a cap on the 16th Rumble on the River Holiday Shootout with victories Thursday night. The Titans beat Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton 58-49 and the Panthers dispatched Fort Madison (Iowa) 49-16. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at John Wood Community…
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QUINCY — Eric Orne’s post-game expressions captured his thoughts perfectly. There was the occasional wince, coupled with the rubbing of the top of his head with the palm of his hand. Even an occasional sigh. “Today is my birthday … and I feel like I aged 10 years tonight,” said Orne, the veteran Quincy Notre…
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CHICAGO — Here is a look at the Illinois Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts 1. Bolingbrook (4) 9-0 71 2. Loyola (2) …
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters did not offer any excuses. Nor did she try to sugarcoat the first-half performance turned in by the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. “We weren’t working hard enough on defense in the first half, but we kind of locked it down in the second half,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior. That…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — This was not pretty by any stretch of the basketball imagination. “But we found a way to win when things were not going well,” Matt Long said. “I’ll compliment our girls for being able to do that.” Long, beginning his 31st year as Central-Southeastern girls coach, saw his club pull out…
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Freshmen don't wither in spotlight, help QND girls capture sectional title over Central-Southeastern
PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long was asked any advice he has for the seven teams left in the Class 2A state tournament for how to beat Quincy Notre Dame. “It’s only happened once,” he said succinctly. “Good luck.” The No. 1-ranked Raiders took early command of Thursday night’s sectional championship…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, the defending Class 2A state champion, won its 26th consecutive game on Thursday night with a 44-29 decision over Central-Southeastern in the sectional championship at Pleasant Plains High School. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Well, that didn’t take very long. Central-Southeastern had all but secured a Class 2A girls basketball sectional semifinal victory over Staunton before some patrons had found their seats Tuesday night at Pleasant Plains High School. CSE scored the first 18 points of the game, which quickly turned the contest into a…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team scored the game’s first 18 points and cruised to a 62-26 victory over Staunton in the Class 2A girls basketball sectional semifinals at Pleasant Plains High School. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.
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PETERSBURG, Ill. — Matt Long admittedly ran the full gamut of emotions Thursday night. “I felt like I went from about being ready to black out to relaxing on a yacht,” said Long, the girls basketball coach at Central-Southeastern. More than 15 minutes after CSE’s 31-28 nail-biting victory in the Class 2A regional championship over…
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Central-Southeastern rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Petersburg PORTA 31-28 in the Class 2A regional championship game at Petersburg on Thursday night. CSE, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, moves on to play Staunton (26-6) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pleasant Plains in the sectional semifinals. Mike Pritchard provided Muddy River…
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Abbey McMillen’s free throw with no time left on the clock gave the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team a 36-35 victory over Pleasant Plains on Monday night in the Class 2A regional semifinal at Petersburg PORTA High School. Pleasant Plains tied the score at 35 when freshman Anna Weber scored from inside the lane with 27.9…
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Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (4) 27-2 65 1 2. Bolingbrook (1) 24-3 62 2 3. Alton (1) 27-1 56 4 4. Geneva (1) 24-3 55 3 5. Kenwood 25-4 39 5 6. O’Fallon 27-4 33…
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QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday inside Quincy Notre Dame’s The Pit watching the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout unfold. Here are some of the images he captured throughout the day:
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QUINCY — Matt Long is quick to point out his Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is still quite young with two sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup. “They haven’t been in the big wars,” he said. “Even if they were last year as freshmen, they don’t really understand what the big game is.” Still,…
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Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (3) 24-2 55 2 2. Bolingbrook (2) 22-3 51 4 3. Geneva (1) 21-3 50 3 4. Alton 25-1 48 1 5. Kenwood 23-4 33 8 6. O’Fallon…
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Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Alton (7) 24-0 79 2 2. Fremd 22-2 69 3 3. Geneva (1) 19-3 59 4 4. Bolingbrook 21-3 58 1 5. Normal Community 23-2 37 6 6. Whitney Young…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — It’s never over til it’s over. Somehow, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team emerged Saturday night with the championship of the 30th Lady Panther Classic. CSE’s 36-32 victory over Brown County was fueled by a frantic final 1 minute, 47 seconds that saw the Panthers score 10 of the game’s closing 13…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — If given an option, Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long likes his team to get up and down the floor as quickly as possible. But that personal preference is not any sort of prerequisite for the Panthers to win. Case in point: CSE’s 37-26 victory over Illini West in Thursday night’s…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team handed Unity consecutive losses for the first time this season, while Central-Southeastern continued its winning ways as both teams battled their way into the championship game of the CSE Lady Panther Classic. Brown County, ranked fifth in Class 1A, knocked off second-ranked Unity 47-43 in…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long referred to top-seeded Paris as “a monster.” Consider his squad the beast slayers then. The Panthers completed a remarkable run to the State Farm Holiday Classic championship Friday afternoon, making 5 of 6 free throws in the final 18.2 seconds to hand the Tigers their first…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Because of the widespread success of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball players across all sports, it’s easy to forget how youthful the Panthers are. “I know,” C-SE coach Matt Long said. Still, a majority of the time, C-SE has three sophomores, sometimes four, on the floor. That makes this week’s run to the…
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