Blazing start helps top-seeded Unity claim Lady Tiger Classic for first time in school history

Unity's Sophia Shaffer, left, drives on Brown County's Ashlee Markert during the championship game of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic on Thursday night in Beardstown, Ill. | David Adam photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Unity’s Kyra Carothers would have rather been anywhere else this week than the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic. “If I’m really honest with you, I dread this tournament,” she said. “It’s right after Christmas, and I just I want my break and blah, blah, blah.” Carothers also knows how much Unity coach Brad…

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Photo gallery: Championship game of 40th annual Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic

Unity's Kyra Carothers dribbles the ball while guarded by Brown County's Klare Flynn during Thursday night's championship game of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown High School. | David Adam photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Muddy River News Editor David Adam provides a look at the title game of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, which Unity won 55-46 over Brown County, through his camera lens:

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Call it payback: Unity buries Illini West in fourth quarter, will play for tourney title at Beardstown

Unity senior guard Kylee Barry scored 15 points Wednesday night to guide the Mustangs to a 15-point victory over Illini West in the semifinals of the Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown, Ill. | Matt Schuckman file photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — This time, the roles were reversed. When the Unity girls basketball team defeated Illini West 50-35 in Wednesday night’s semifinals of the 40th Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown High School, the victory helped exorcise at least some of the memories from a year ago. “(Illini West) beat us three times last season,…

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Holiday Tournament Roundup: Chargers run gauntlet to Beardstown title, Hornets finish third

The third-seeded Illini West girls basketball team beat the No. 1 and 2 seeds to win the Lady Tiger Classic championship. Photo courtesy Grant Surprenant

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — It didn’t take long for Grant Surprenant to realize Caydee Kirkham had a different demeanor Thursday night. “She had that look that she was in attack mode,” the Illini West girls basketball coach said of his senior point guard. Nothing Unity tried altered that. Kirkham delivered an MVP performance in the championship…

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Holiday tournament roundup: Top four seeds roll on at Lady Tiger Classic

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The top-seeded Unity girls basketball team and fourth-seeded Brown County remained on a collision course for a semifinal matchup in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic following easy victories in Monday’s opening round. The Mustangs dispatched Winchester West Central 63-17 as Sophia Shaffer finished with 15 points. The Hornets had no trouble with…

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