High School Basketball – Girls
QUINCY — Here is a look at the scoreboard and upcoming schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River: Played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center Friday, December 15 Quincy Notre Dame girls 59, Hannibal 21 MVP — QND’s Sage Stratton Saturday, December 16 North Shelby girls 38, Payson Seymour 33 MVP —…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Monday night proved to be Missouri’s night. Three Missouri squads — the Monroe City boys and girls basketball teams along with the Palmyra boys — snared victories at the 16th Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Monroe City girls used eight points apiece from JWCC signee…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the scoreboard and upcoming schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River: Played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center Friday, December 15 Quincy Notre Dame girls 59, Hannibal 21 MVP — QND’s Sage Stratton Saturday, December 16 North Shelby girls 38, Payson Seymour 33 MVP —…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Sage Stratton could see it in Marie Eversman’s approach. “She was not scared,” Stratton. Not at all. The freshman guard’s baseline jumper with two seconds remaining in regulation Saturday afternoon gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball a 51-49 victory over Troy (Mo.) Buchanan in the 16th Rumble on the River at John…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Taylor Fohey and Jada Brown are at opposite ends of their high school careers, one signed to play college basketball next season and the other about to finish the first semester of her freshman year. Yet, when they meet in the middle, they are as formidable as any twin towers around. Cairo (Mo.)…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Rumble on the River rumbled on Saturday with eight games being played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was there for half of the slate and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here are the results and the remaining schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River Shootout at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.
Read Full Article QUINCY — Sage Stratton’s assessment of the nearly 12-minute stretch in which the Hannibal girls basketball team went without a field goal Friday night should attract as much attention as the effort itself. “We put defense first and we work hard on defense,” the Quincy Notre Dame junior guard said. “It doesn’t matter what court…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s defensive dominance led to a 59-21 victory over Hannibal on Friday night in the opening game of the 16th Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article GERMANTOWN HILLS, Ill. — The Pittsfield eighth grade girls basketball team is coming home with a state championship. Pittsfield outscored Germantown Hills 12-2 in the first quarter of Thursday night’s Illinois Elementary School Association Class 3A title game, setting the tone for a 39-20 victory at Germantown Hills Middle School. The Lady Braves finished their…
Read Full Article HAVANA, Ill. — A second-quarter offensive spurt gave the Havana eighth grade girls basketball team the edge it needed to beat Liberty 36-25 in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A state championship game Thursday night at Havana High School. Liberty ends its season as the state runner-up with a 25-3 record. Havana outscored Liberty…
Read Full Article 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) …
Read Full Article QUINCY — Chris Duesdieker’s tireless effort is done with one goal in mind. Put the spotlight on area basketball. The collection of talented teams he is bringing to John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center and the intriguing matchups he has created for the 16th Rumble on the River have transformed the event from a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Above all else, protect The Pit. That’s more or less an unwritten rule when it comes to the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team. The Raiders’ home floor — a.k.a. The Pit — is more than a safe haven for the QND team. It has become a full-fledged basketball sanctuary for one of…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Pit is a tough place for opposing teams to win. Tuesday night, the Palmyra boys and girls basketball teams saw why. A strong start by the Quincy Notre Dame boys led to a 54-42 victory, while the QND girls pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 45-35 victory — their 24th…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — By design, Clare Williams’ first option was to pass the ball. Fortunately, that did not work out. Williams wound up unleashing a 22-foot bomb that found nothing but net as time expired Saturday night, sending the Palmyra girls basketball team to a 64-61 victory over South Shelby in the finals of…
Read Full Article ASSUMPTION, Ill. — It took the best defensive team in the state to derail the Western seventh-grade girls basketball team’s state championship dreams. Washington St. Patrick, which didn’t allow more than 13 points in any postseason game, clamped down defensively on the Wildcats in a 22-6 victory Thursday night in the IESA Class 1A state…
Read Full Article HAMILTON, Ill. — Lillie Woodworth is part of the final class of high school student-athletes who had their careers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Hancock basketball standout played only nine games as a freshman when the Illinois High School Association altered its calendar and shrunk season lengths in hopes of getting all fall,…
Read Full Article GALESBURG, Ill. — It didn’t matter what defense the Quincy High School girls basketball team employed. Galesburg found a way to beat it. The Silver Streaks were able to get into gaps and knock down perimeter jumpers, burying nine 3-pointers while securing the top spot in the Western Big 6 Conference with a 55-41 victory…
Read Full Article QUINCY — That first-half performance from the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team did not escape the eye of Raiders coach Eric Orne. “We were fully engaged,” Orne said. QND’s eventual 43-31 margin of victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin did not do justice to how the Raiders took control and dominated the first half Thursday…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Three Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball teams will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The IBCA announced its Class of 2024 honorees on Monday. The induction ceremony will be held May 4 at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena. Among the teams being inducted are QND’s 2011, 2012 and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There is no quantitative goal the Quincy High School girls basketball players set for what they hope to accomplish defensively each game. However, there is an emotional response they look to achieve. “I guess the goal would be to kind of embarrass the opponent in a sense,” senior point guard Leila Dade said.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team limited Sterling to five points in the first quarter and 11 overall in the first half, rolling to a 21-point lead by halftime and cruising to a 52-29 victory in Western Big 6 Conference action Saturday at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A pair of area seventh grade girls basketball teams will play for Illinois Elementary School Association state championships this week. Western advanced to the Class 1A title game with a pair of victories Saturday at Assumption Central A&M Middle School, while Nauvoo-Colusa advanced in Class 2A by winning twice at Riverton High School.…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The question is twofold. Just how good is the Palmyra girls basketball team at this point? Conversely, how accomplished can it eventually become? Junior guard Clare Williams said the evolution of this year’s club will be a process. It’s a long season and success will likely be measured by increments, not exclamation…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra boys and girls basketball teams completed a sweep of Canton on Friday night with the boys winning 57-37 and the girls battling for a 48-39 victory. Photographer Mathew Kirby spent his evening in the Palmyra gym and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Tristan Pieper cut right to the chase in her postgame assessment of the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 60-54 victory over West Hancock. “We knew they’d be strong,” said Pieper, a 6-foot sophomore who was one of four Raiders to score in double figures Thursday night at The Pit. In a game…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The Kelsey Stuart coaching era is off and running. The Brian Rea coaching era continues to breed success. The combination should make for an entertaining winter in the Flower City. The Palmyra girls basketball team stormed past Mark Twain 58-24 on Tuesday night in the Panthers’ season opener and Stuart’s first game…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 37-31 victory over Highland on Saturday evening was the 1,000th in program history. But that historic win did not come without a struggle. QND, which remains undefeated at 4-0, was not able to put away Highland (1-4) until the final minute of play at The Pit.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team remained unbeaten after four games with a 37-31 victory over Highland (Ill.) on Saturday during the Gully Transportation Basketball Shootout in the Pit. Jenna Durst had 14 points, and Sage Stratton had 12 for the Raiders. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the action from…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The players may graduate, but the in-your-face style the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball program plays year-to-year doesn’t seem to go anywhere. The Raiders’ suffocating defense once again was on display in their 52-27 win over Belleville Althoff in Friday’s start to the two-night Gully Transportation Shootout at The Pit. QND (3-0) forced…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team remained unbeaten after three games with a 52-27 victory over Belleville Althoff on Friday night during the Gully Transportation Shootout in The Pit. Tristan Pieper led the Raiders with 13 points and Sage Stratton added 11. QND forced 32 turnovers by the Crusaders. MRN Editor David…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The 2023-24 basketball season is a week old and some teams are just now reaching their tipping point. Make sure to check out the 2023-24 Muddy River Sports girls basketball preview section to learn more about the teams throughout our area in Illinois and Missouri.
Read Full Article QUINCY — The curtain splitting the Quincy High School gym into two distinct segments slowly started to rise when Wednesday night’s junior varsity girls basketball game ended. Behind it sat the QHS pep band, ready to belt out the school fight song, among other tunes. “I love our band,” QHS senior forward Taylor Fohey said.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys and girls basketball teams have a new broadcast home. The school announced the creation of the Raider Sports Network, which will live stream QND basketball games this winter. The first game on the network will be Thursday’s girls basketball game at Hardin Calhoun. The boys basketball season kicks…
Read Full Article QUINCY — They started as a group of freshmen with plenty of potential and now they are seniors coming off a 20-win season and looking to make a statement with postseason success. For Quincy High School’s Leah Chevalier, Leila Dade and Taylor Fohey, the upcoming basketball season is their chance to leave a legacy. The…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Over the past couple of falls, Candra King has hardly missed a University of Central Missouri football game. “There were a couple of weekends this fall where I was on a college visit and that made it tough,” she said. Watching her older brother, Weston, finish his career at the NCAA Division…
Read Full Article MENDON, Ill. — Sophia Shaffer is trying to savor the moment. A senior multi-sport athlete at Unity High School, Shaffer has learned through injury and triumph to be undeterred and play for the love of the game. “It’s why I want to make sure this year is fun,” Shaffer said. She also realizes this is…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The adventurous and curious side of Kate Minor shines through no matter what the Hannibal multi-sport standout is doing. That’s especially true when she’s flying above the clouds or taking a walk in the woods. Outside of playing golf and basketball for the Pirates, Minor is a pilot in training, taking lessons…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — Macie Fisher and the Canton softball players open the season with a target squarely on them. Not only are the Tigers the reigning Class 1 state champions, but with a wealth of talent and experience returning, they should be the team to beat in Northeast Missouri this fall. That means every opponent…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It became obvious to the Illinois all-stars during their preparation for the Muddy River Showcase that Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne was taking this as seriously as anyone.. “Coach Orne made it really intense,” Unity’s Ashlynn Arnsman said. “It felt like a real regular-season game.” The Missouri all-stars realized how…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Do you believe in Magic? The Illinois girls all-stars certainly do. Q-City Magic, that is. Six of the 10 players on the Illinois roster for the Saturday’s Muddy River Showcase began playing together in sixth grade as part of the Q-City Magic program coached by the late Gayland Blakemore. It allowed the Showcase…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Illinois girls had length and athleticism. The Missouri girls had guard play and quickness. It made for an entertaining chess match in the second Muddy River Showcase, played Saturday at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. A 30-10 spurt in the third quarter enabled the Illinois squad to pull away for…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The depth of talent that will be on display Saturday during the second Muddy River Showcase is quite impressive. Consider these stats: • Among the 40 players comprising the four rosters, 14 scored 1,000 or more points in their high school careers; • There are 14 planning on playing basketball in college; •…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. MENDON, Ill. — Ashlynn…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. SHELBYVILLE, Mo. — Ava…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There is one thing each of the players participating in the second Muddy River Showcase have in common. They can call themselves alumni. The top senior basketball players from West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri have all officially graduated from their respective high schools, but they will team up to represent their communities and…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. SHELBINA, Mo. — Culver-Stockton…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. HANNIBAL, Mo. — Nora…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — When it…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. SHELBINA, Mo. — Miranda…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — The bookends…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. EWING, Mo. — Ansley…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. MENDON, Ill. — A…
Read Full Article The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. MOUNT STERLING, Ill. —…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — It didn’t take long for Palmyra to find its next girls basketball coach. Two weeks after the Palmyra School Board voted not to renew the teaching and coaching contract of Tim Southers after one season as the Panthers head coach, the board voted unanimously in special session Tuesday to hire Kelsey Stuart…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The state of flux the Palmyra High School athletic department finds itself in continued Tuesday night when the school board voted unanimously to not renew the contract of Tim Southers as both a teacher and the varsity girls basketball coach. Southers was informed at noon Tuesday both of his positions would be…
Read Full Article QUINCY — With spring break taking place on the backend of the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s third-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament, the Raiders had to wait an extra week for their fire truck ride and welcome home celebration. The time lapse gave the Raiders time to appreciate all they had…
Read Full Article QUINCY — With spring break scheduled immediately after the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team won the third-place trophy at the Class 2A state tournament at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena, the welcome home celebration had to be put on hold. Tuesday, the Raiders finally were able to enjoy their fire truck ride and the…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne listened intently as senior guard Abbey Schreacke discussed how the Raiders needed to regroup following a gut-punch loss Thursday in the Class 2A state semifinals and play the third-place game two hours later. “We’re going to have to find something deeper inside of us…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team found a way to push their tears and frustration aside following a loss in the semifinals of the Class 2A state tournament and rebounded for a 66-57 victory over Chicago Butler College Prep late Thursday evening at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena. Muddy River Sports…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The coaching adage “you can’t teach size” needs to come with a addendum. It would read, “You can’t always combat it either.” The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team discovered how true that can be Thursday. Forced to contend with Breese Mater Dei’s Alyssa Koerkenmeier — a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward — and…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The chance to defend its Class 2A state championship eluded the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team after the Raiders fell 61-54 to Breese Mater Dei in Thursday’s semifinals of the state tournament at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman put together this gallery of images he…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Only two girls basketball players across Illinois were named first-team all-staters on every ballot submitted by the Associated Press panel of voters. It’s no surprise Abbey Schreacke was one of them. The Quincy Notre Dame senior guard was the leading vote-getter in Class 2A for the second straight year after guiding the top-ranked…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — A year ago, Tristan Pieper had to watch somewhat from afar as the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team won the Class 2A state championship. “The very top of the student section,” Pieper said of her seat in Redbird Arena. The view will be quite different this year. “Of course, it will,”…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — A 15-0 run over the final five minutes of the first half put the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team in complete control of its 51-23 victory over Deer Creek-Mackinaw in the Class 2A Macomb Super-Sectional on Monday night at The Hangar, earning the Raiders a spot in the final four. Muddy…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team’s second-place finish in the Western Big 6 Conference led to three players earning all-conference honors. Meanwhile, the QHS girls placed two players on the All-WB6 squad. Sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III garnered first-team plaudits, while sophomore forward Keshaun Thomas was a second-team selection and junior guard…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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.
Read Full Article ABINGDON, Ill. — Dave Phelps tried to highlight the Brown County girls basketball team’s laundry list of accomplishments this season during his postgame speech Thursday night. Those aren’t easy to see through tears. A record-setting 31-win season and the second Sweet 16 appearance in program history came to an end in the Class 1A Abingdon…
Read Full Article ABINGDON, Ill. — The physical play of the Havana girls basketball team kept Brown County from finding any offensive rhythm Thursday night and resulted in a 40-34 loss in the Class 1A Abingdon Sectional championship game. The Hornets end their historic season with a 31-4 record. Mount Sterling photographer Scott Bemis captured the action in…
Read Full Article ABINGDON, Ill. — No one actually reached for the panic button. “We kind of hovered over it a little bit,” Brown County girls basketball coach Dave Phelps said. What kept the Hornets from hitting it is what made Tuesday night’s second-half rally possible. They never lost faith in each other. A nine-minute scoring drought in…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team went on a 30-6 run in the first half, then opened the second half with a 19-2 run as they had no problem defeating Hillsboro 67-30 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Sectional at Pleasant Plains High School on Tuesday night. MRN Editor…
Read Full Article 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.
Read Full Article ABINGDON, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team overcome a rough first half offensively by scoring 19 points in the third quarter and pulling away from Elmwood for a 47-35 victory in Tuesday night’s semifinals of the Class 1A Abingdon Sectional. Mount Sterling-based photographer Scott Bemis captured action and shared this photo gallery with…
Read Full Article QUINCY — What transpires over the next three weeks will help define how the 2022-23 prep basketball season in the Gem City is remembered. Already it’s been historic. It could become legendary. The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball teams open regional play Wednesday, both harboring high hopes while knowing significant hurdles…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A range of emotions washed over the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team in a matter of moments on Thursday night. First was a sense of relief after the Raiders thwarted an upset bid by Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, which got as close as four points in the fourth quarter before the hosts won…
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