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 Pleasant Plains (25-7) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. sectional championship game. Pleasant Plains ousted Gillespie 51-37 in Tuesday’s other sectional semifinal.

CSE, which won its 20th straight, nearly saw its 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter evaporate. Fortunately, complete disaster was averted, thanks to some late free throws from Karly Peters and a key basket compliments of Agnes Genenbacher. Those two developments combined to finally turn back Staunton (27-6), which had lost 62-26 to CSE in last year’s sectional.

Panthers coach Matt Long felt his club’s mental approach may not have been what it needed to be for a sectional semifinal, possibly due to the lopsidedness of last year’s postseason win over Staunton.

The bottom line?

“We’re all going to need to do better (against Pleasant Plains),” Long said. “That’s evident.”

Long, in his 31st year as CSE coach, is confident his club will do just that.

“We’ll regroup and we’ll be ready,” he said.

That’s the way Miller sees things, too.

“We’ll be ready to come out Thursday and go full throttle,” said Miller, who led all scorers with 23 points and was also the game’s top rebounder with 11.

The winner of Thursday’s sectional championship game advances to Monday’s 7 p.m. super-sectional at Vandalia against either Nashville (30-3) or Breese Central (30-2). Those two schools also play Thursday for a sectional title at Nashville.

CSE, which led 43-33 after three quarters, saw Staunton get as close as 49-47 with 1 minute, 40 seconds remaining. That’s when Peters stepped forward to make 5 of 6 free throws over the final minute. Those foul shots, coupled with a layup from Genebacher off a nifty feed via Miller, did not permit Staunton to inch any closer.

“I’ve been struggling lately at the line,” said a relieved Peters when reviewing her clutch performance moments after the game.

Peters was also one of the keys to CSE being able to hold the ball during different portions of the second half in an effort to both stem Staunton’s momentum and milk the clock due to CSE foul trouble.

“We were able to hang on to the ball and lock it down on defense late in the game,” Peters said.

Miller had struggled in the 44-41 regional championship win over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, scoring just four points, but came out blazing against Staunton. The 5-foot-10 Miller scored eight points in the first period and notched 21 points over the first 20 minutes of the game.

“Coach wanted us to come out and set the tone,” Miller “That (fast start) gave us some momentum.”

Brilyn Lantz scored 16 points for CSE, despite battling foul woes much of the game. Genenbacher ended with eight points and Parker Crim came off the bench to take away seven rebounds.

Peters’ only points were her free throws in the closing stages. Her success at the line did not surprise Long.

“I’m confident in any of our kids in a situation like that,” he said. “They know what is expected.”

Ele Feldman led Staunton, which entered Tuesday night with an eight-game win streak, with 15 points. She was coming off a 32-point game in the 66-40 regional championship win over Wood River.

CSE will face a well-balanced Pleasant Plains team that features three talented sophomores — Anna Weber, Bailey Leach and Grace Sabatka.

The 5-foot-10 Weber powered her way to 18 points and 18 rebounds against Gillespie (26-8). Leach scored 16 points and Sabatka collected nine points and nine rebounds. Pleasant Plains outrebounded Gillespie 40-21.

“Pleasant Plains has some girls who can shoot the three, and they can also go downhill with some strong kids inside,” Long said.

Central-Southeastern defeated Pleasant Plains 36-35 in last year’s postseason.