‘It was an emotional night’: CSE beats West Hancock in final home game of seniors’ careers

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 before an appreciative crowd of about 925 on a cold February night

“This was a special night, it was an emotional night,” said multi-talented 5-foot-10 senior Lauren Miller, who scored 25 points and inched closer to becoming the second 2,000-point scorer in school history.

Miller has been an integral part of CSE’s success during her career, not only helping forge a 25-3 record so far this season, but for the 84 victories spread across the last three years, the most in any three-year run in Panthers history.

“I’ve been blessed to be part of this program,” said Miller, one of seven seniors on the CSE roster who longtime coach Matt Long “started” against West Hancock.

Miller, Karly Peters, Marlee Long, Anna Peters, Claire Huston, Kayli Bockhold and Amanda Stephens all took the floor to open the game, which, of course, resulted in a technical foul.

The message, however, was clear. 

Long thought far more of their contributions to the program than he did to any technical foul. He felt all seven deserved to start what was their final home appearance.

When asked who he was starting prior to the game, the 58-year-old Long had a simple, three-word response.

“All of them,” he said.

Long had much more to offer about his three decades-plus at Central.

“I can’t tell you how much it has meant to coach here all these years,” he said.

Long talked of attending weddings of past players and eventually getting to hold their babies.

“It’s special, it really is,” he said.

Long’s career win total at CSE currently sits at an unofficial 636 since the start of his first season, way back in the fall of 1993.

“I hope he knows how much he is appreciated for what he has done,” Miller said. “He built this program.” 

Long has loved the Camp Point community as much as its girls basketball.

“There are great people here, especially the parents of the girls who have gone through the program,” he said. “For about the last nine years, I had been saying ‘One more year.’”

Well, this is finally the final season Long has talked about for almost a decade. Whenever and wherever the Panthers leave the court for the last time this season, it will be Long’s final exit, too.

Right now, Long prefers to concentrate on the present.

“It’s still business as usual, until that business is done,” he said.

West Hancock coach Jerry Jerome, whose club is 18-11, also had plenty of words of praise for Long and CSE.

“They’re just a good team,” Jerome said. “Everyone plays hard, plays physical, they don’t make mistakes and they have a great leader in Lauren Miller. They’re one of the top five or six Class 2A teams in the state. They’re just good.”

Central’s win over West Hancock was its ninth in a row since a 37-36 loss to Quincy Notre Dame back in mid-January. Central has defeated West Hancock six straight times.

The Panthers wrapped up Tuesday night’s victory early, outscoring West Hancock 21-2 after falling behind 8-2 to open the contest. Central led 38-16 at halftime and 62-29 after three periods.

Lexi Niekamp, just a freshman, seconded Miller in the CSE scorebook with 20 points (15 coming in the third quarter). Peters was Central’s other double-figure scorer with 12 points. Miller led the Panthers with nine rebounds.

Miller’s career point total now stands at 1,926. The only players above her in CSE annals are Laney Lantz (2,287) and Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger (1,951). Lantz graduated in 2019, Schwagmeyer-Belger in 2008. 

Jadyn Climer and Dettriona Church paced West Hancock with 14 points apiece. Climer hauled in eight rebounds.