Panthers lock down in closing stretch to quell Fightin’ Irish comeback

NORMAL, Ill. — Having watched a nine-point advantage dwindle to three, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball players simply refused to let Kankakee Bishop McNamara draw any closer.

The Panthers made their free throws, too.

Central-Southeastern outscored Bishop McNamara 8-2 over the final 2 minutes, 40 seconds of regulation Tuesday night and earned a 36-27 victory in the opening round of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Normal Community High School. The Panthers made 6 of 8 free throws in a 47-second stretch of the fourth quarter to put the game away.

A three-point halftime lead ballooned to a 24-15 edge at the end of the third quarter as the Panthers held the Fightin’ Irish to one field goal in the frame. Bishop McNamara didn’t score the final 4:45 of the third quarter.

However, the Fightin’ Irish twice trimmed the deficit to three points in the fourth quarter, closing within 28-25 after Leigha Brown scored in the post with 3:20 to play.

C-SE’s Amanda Stephens scored on a layin off an inbounds pass with 2:40 to play to kickstart the Panthers’ closing run. Brilyn Lantz went 4 of 6 from the line in the fourth quarter and finished with nine points for C-SE, while Tori Fessler added nine points.

The seventh-seeded Panthers will face second-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals at Bloomington High School.