Chargers beat Mustangs for third time in 17 days, win CSE Classic championship

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Grant Surprenant knows there is nothing easy about playing and beating the same team three times in one season, let alone within a 17-day stretch.

That’s why the Illini West girls basketball coach was giddy with how the Chargers played down the stretch Saturday night.

Illini West limited Unity to one field goal and four points in the fourth quarter, and the Chargers were nearly perfect from the free-throw line over the same timeframe to pull off a 45-37 victory in the championship game of the CSE Classic at the old Central gym.

The Chargers, ranked third in Class 2A, were 9 of 12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and went 19 of 26 overall.

“When you play in big games, you need to make your free throws,” said Surprenant, whose team went 14 of 14 from the line in the semifinal victory over Central-Southeastern. “We’re certainly doing that. I think the girls are seeing what we’re doing in practice is carrying over.

“You can see the confidence when they step up to the line and make free throws.”

Illini West (22-1) led 34-33 going to the fourth quarter, but limited Unity, ranked fifth in Class 1A, to a Ashlynn Arnsman field goal and single free throws from Brooklyn Stiefel and Sophia Shaffer.

“We buckled down,” Surprenant said. “We eliminated their opportunities to get to the basket. We were closing the gaps off. We got rebounds. They weren’t getting second-chance opportunities. Once we got the rebound, we were able to get out in transition and put some pressure on them.”

Senior point guard Caydee Kirkham led the Chargers with 19 points, going 13 of 14 from the line and 7 of 8 in the fourth quarter. Reagan Reed added 11 points.

Arnsman led the Mustangs with 15 points and Shaffer added 13.

In the third-place game, Brown County beat Central-Southeastern 52-37. The Hornets led by 10 points going to the fourth quarter and then allowed the Panthers to score just four points the final eight minutes.

Klare Flynn led the Hornets with 24 points, while Lauren Miller led the Panthers with 14 points.