Countdown to tipoff: Central-Southeastern’s goal is quite simple — finish season at Redbird Arena

Central-Southeastern senior Lauren Miller, who will play any spot on the floor, is hoping to lead the Panthers to the Class 2A state tournament and the opportunity to play in Redbird Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

Coverage of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is brought to you by: CAMP POINT, Ill. — Amidst the individual accolades and recognition, Lauren Miller has not fulfilled her ultimate quest. That goal seems well within reach for Miller and the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. In 2023-24, Miller averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals and…

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Muddy River Showcase profile: CSE’s Lantz looks to give back to community in healthcare field

Central-Southeastern guard Brilyn Lantz will play for the Illinois all-stars in the Muddy River Showcase, which takes place at 2 p.m. June 15 at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

AUGUSTA, Ill. — An anatomy and physiology class helped give Brilyn Lantz direction. Thoroughly invested in her science classes at Southeastern High School and wanting a profession that enabled her to give back to the community, Lantz discovered a career in radiology would achieve that. “I love science,” Lantz said. “It was a big motivator…

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Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Instincts, intangibles set Central-Southeastern’s Miller apart more than numbers, accolades

Central-Southeastern junior forward Lauren Miller, who led the Panthers to a 29-3 record, has been named the Muddy River Sports 2023-34 Girls Basketball Player of the Year. | Matt Schuckman photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — As good as Lauren Miller’s statistical resume is, the numbers alone don’t set her apart. Nor do the postseason accolades, which proved be across-the-board impressive when you realize the Central-Southeastern junior forward was considered one of the 10 best Class 2A girls basketball players in the state by two different organizations.…

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2023-24 Girls basketball all-area team: Freshmen emerge, juniors rise to occasion, seniors shine

QUINCY — From freshmen making an immediate impact to seniors leaving a lasting legacy, the area girls basketball scene featured remarkable individual performances that led to widespread team success. Eleven players earned all-state honors while six teams won at least 20 games with two regional titles, one district championship and two sectional crowns. It made…

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CSE’s Miller leads brigade of area girls players receiving all-state honors from IBCA

Central-Southeastern junior forward Lauren Miller received Class 2A first-team all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. | Addi Zanger photo

QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her Central-Southeastern girls basketball teammates elevated her game to that of a first-team all-stater. The 5-foot-10 junior forward was named to the Class 2A all-state first team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, one of three CSE players to be honored by the…

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CSE’s Miller receives second-team all-state honors, three others earn honorable mention

Central-Southeastern junior forward Lauren Miller, who was named a Class 2A second-team all-stater by the Illinois Media, led the Panthers to a 29-3 record and a super-sectional berth. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s game is drawing interest from NCAA Division I and II women’s basketball coaches throughout the Midwest. For good reason. The Central-Southeastern junior forward was named a Class 2A second-team all-stater this week by the Illinois Media. She is the only area girls player to be named all-state in any of the…

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Nashville Blues: Hornettes’ defensive length overwhelms Central-Southeastern in super-sectional

Nashville's Emma Behrmann consoles Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller during the final seconds of Monday's Class 2A girls basketball super-sectional at Vandalia High School. Holding the ball is Nashville's Summer Brinkmann. In the background is Central-Southeastern's Brilyn Lantz. | David Adam photo

VANDALIA, Ill. — The southern half of the state already has learned. The rest of the state will find out this weekend. The Nashville girls basketball team is exceptionally good and a state championship threat — now and for the next three years. The Hornettes, ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A state poll, field…

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Photo Gallery: Panthers get within four points but fail to score from field in fourth quarter

Central-Southeastern's Carly Peters tries to shoot an underhanded layup despite the presence of Nashville's Avery Reeder during Monday night's Class 2A girls basketball super-sectional at Vandalia High School. | David Adam photo

VANDALIA, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team trailed for all but the opening minutes in Monday night’s 41-32 loss to Nashville in the Class 2A super-sectional at Vandalia High School. CSE got within 36-32 with 3:51 to play but didn’t score again, making just three free throws in the final eight minutes. Lauren Miller…

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Trusting process carries Central-Southeastern past Pleasant Plains and to sectional title

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players celebrate winning the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional championship following Thursday night's 43-37 victory over Pleasant Plains at Beardstown High School. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — There were quite a few blue T-shirts with white lettering scattered across the Central-Southeastern stands Thursday night. The message the shirts carried was a simple one: “Trust the Process.” CSE girls basketball coach Matt Long’s explanation of that phrase was not particularly complicated, but still rather poignant — even more so following…

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Photo gallery: Central-Southeastern shows resiliency in winning sectional championship

Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long gives the Panthers instructions during a timeout in the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional championship game against Pleasant Plains on Thursday night in Beardstown, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players never lost faith in each other or the belief the sectional championship would be theirs, fending off Pleasant Plains 43-37 to win the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional on Thursday night. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery of the Panthers’ victory:

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Peters’ free throws help CSE hold off Staunton’s fourth-quarter surge and reach sectional title game

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players react to a Lauren Miller basket during Tuesday night's Class 2A sectional semifinal against Staunton in Beardstown, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

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…

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Photo gallery: CSE advances to sectional championship game by beating Staunton

Central-Southeastern's Claire Huston pressures Staunton's Ele Feldmann during Tuesday night's Class 2A Beardstown Sectional semifinal in Beardstown, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The fourth quarter may have gotten a little too close for comfort, but the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team withstood Staunton’s late surge to secure a 56-50 victory in the semifinals of the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional on Tuesday night. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from the game:

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Lantz’s free throws enable Central-Southeastern to fend off SHG for Class 2A regional title

The Central-Southeastern players and bench react to beating Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 44-41 for the Class 2A regional championship Thursday night in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Karly Peters’ response was both euphoric and prophetic. “This feeling is amazing, and we’re not done yet,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior forward for Central-Southeastern’s No. 6-ranked Class 2A girls basketball team. Peters was one of several Panthers who figured prominently in the CSE’s 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin during…

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Photo gallery: Central-Southeastern wins regional championship clash with SHG

Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long talks to his team during a timeout during Thursday night's Class 2A regional championship game against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team took advantage of the friendly confines of its home gym Thursday night, earning a 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 2A regional championship in front of a standing room-only crowd. The Panthers went 14-0 at home this season while advancing to the Beardstown…

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Panthers see room for improvement before Thursday’s regional championship game

Central-Southeastern guard Brilyn Lantz applies pressure to Pittsfield guard Lila Simon during Monday's Class 2A regional semifinal in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — From Matt Long’s perspective, Monday night was a borderline disappointment — except for the final score. From the way Lauren Miller saw things, there’s room for improvement but a win’s still a win. The bottom line? The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 18th straight victory was a little rough around the edges,…

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Photo gallery: CSE, SHG pick up Class 2A regional semifinal victories

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players await the playing of the national anthem prior to Monday's Class 2A regional semifinal against Pittsfield in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The top-seeded Central-Southeastern girls basketball team and fourth-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin remained on a collision course as both won Class 2A regional semifinals Monday night at Central High School. The Panthers beat Pittsfield 51-28 and the Cyclones upended West Hancock 42-32. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from semifinal…

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In their own words: Players sum up CSE coach Matt Long’s impact after he reaches 600-victory plateau during regular season

Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long became the 16th coach in Illinois High School Association history to record 600 career victories. | Matt Schuckman photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — During the 25-2 regular-season record the state-ranked Central-Southeastern girls basketball team compiled, a milestone moment occurred that allowed current and former Panthers to celebrate the impact of their coach. Matt Long, who has been at the helm since the 1993-94 season, won the 600th game of his career, becoming just the…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND, Central-Southeastern hold steady

The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team will take a No. 3 ranking in Class 3A into the postseason. | Matt Schuckman photo

CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (7) 31-0 79 1 2. Alton 27-2 65 2 3. Bolingbrook (1) 23-3 63 3 4. Maine South 27-1 48 5 (tie) Nazareth 24-3 48 4…

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C-SE girls race to 17-point halftime lead, force 26 Palmyra turnovers to win 15th consecutive game

Central-Southeastern's Agnes Genenbacher tries to shoot a reverse layup while Palmyra's Candra King tries to block the shot during Saturday afternoon's girls basketball game in the KHQA Superfan Shootout at the Pit. | Photo courtesy of Mike Pritchard

QUINCY – About 20 hours after rallying late to beat South Shelby in a Clarence Cannon Conference game at home, the Palmyra girls basketball team discovered Central-Southeastern doesn’t give up leads so easily. Lauren Miller scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter and C-SE grabbed a 17-point halftime lead Saturday afternoon…

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QHS girls climb one spot in Associated Press Class 4A poll; C-SE rises one spot in 2A, QND drops one spot in 3A

Quincy Notre Dame's Lauren Wiewel tries to block a shot by Quincy High School's Leah Chevalier during Tuesday night's girls basketball game at the Pit. | David Adam

Here are the Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (4) 29-0 66 1 2. Alton (3) 25-1 64 2 3. Bolingbrook 21-2 55 3 4. Nazareth 21-3 38 5 5. Maine South 25-1 37 4 6.…

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QHS girls stay at No. 8 in Class 4A poll, while QND girls move up one spot to No. 3 in Class 3A

Quincy Notre Dame's Eric Orne talks to his team during a timeout in a game at John Wood Community College in December. | Muddy River News file photo by Addi Sanger

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (7) 27-0 106 1 2. Alton (3) 24-1 92 T2 3. Bolingbrook (1) 20-2 88 T2 4. Maine South 22-1 75 4 5. Nazareth 18-3 61 5 6. Normal…

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Panthers pluck Ducks with overwhelming first quarter to win ninth straight game

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller scored 26 points in guiding the Panthers to a 59-40 victory over Havana on Thursday night in Camp Point, Ill. | Muddy River Sports file photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Havana girls basketball coach Michelle Brady cut right to the chase. “We got our teeth kicked in,” Brady said without one bit of hesitation at the onset of her postgame assessment. Brady’s remark came moments following state-ranked Central-Southeastern’s 59-40 victory on a Thursday night when the outcome was all but decided…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QHS up two spots in Class 4A, QND and Central-Southeastern remain in poll

The Quincy High School girls basketball team moved up to No. 8 in this week's Associated Press Class 4A state poll. | Matt Schuckman photo

CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (5) 22-0 75 1 2. Alton (2) 21-1 67 3 (tie) Bolingbrook (1) 18-2 67 5 4. Maine South 20-1 42 2 5. Nazareth 15-3 38 6 6.…

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Lantz, Panthers take control early in dispatching Chargers to finish CSE Classic pool play undefeated

Central-Southeastern senior guard Brilyn Lantz scored 19 points in Thursday's victory over Illini West in the CSE Classic in Camp Point, Ill. | Muddy River Sports file photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Brilyn Lantz preferred to look at the big picture following the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 48-38 victory over Illini West. Sure, she posted team highs of 19 points and five rebounds Thursday night during the final game of pool play in the 31st CSE Classic, but she was most concerned with…

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Illinois girls state basketball rankings: QND slides up to No. 3, QHS and CSE remain in top 10s

The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team moved up to No. 3 in the Class 3A state poll this week. | Addi Zanger photo

CHICAGO — Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (2) 18-0 45 1 2. Maine South 20-0 44 3 3. Alton (3) 15-0 40 2 4. Normal Community 18-2 23 4 5. Bolingbrook 14-2 22 5 6.…

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Illinois girls state basketball rankings: QHS, QND, Central-Southeastern all in respective top 10s

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is one of three area teams to be ranked in the Associated Press state polls. | David Adam photo

CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous rank. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (3) 18-0 62 2 2. Alton (3) 15-0 58 3 3. Maine South (1) 18-0 52 7 4. Normal Community 17-1 42 8 5. Bolingbrook…

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‘I knew we weren’t going to give up’: Central-Southeastern overcomes 16-point deficit to repeat as State Farm Holiday Classic champs

Members of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team celebrate after receiving the gold ball trophy for winning the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic in the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is becoming pretty good at playing from behind. Eleven days ago, the Panthers trailed Quincy Notre Dame 27-2 but had two chances to win the game in a 35-31 loss. Twenty-four hours before playing in the small school girls bracket championship at the State Farm Holiday Classic,…

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C-SE girls burn most of final five minutes off clock, move into title game at State Farm Holiday Classic

Central-Southeastern's Karly Peters drives to the basket while being guarded by Angel Dickerson from Kankakee Bishop McNamara during Friday's semifinal game in the small school girls bracket in the State Farm Holiday Classic at the Shirk Center in Bloomington. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — High school basketball fans clamoring for a shot clock would not have enjoyed the final five minutes of Central-Southeastern’s 39-25 victory over Kankakee Bishop McNamara in the semifinals of the small school girls bracket in the State Farm Holiday Classic on Friday night at the Shirk Center. Once the Panthers built their…

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Photo Gallery: Central-Southeastern earns chance to defend championship with victory over Bishop McNamara

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller dribbles to the basket while being guarded by Bishop McNamara's Angel Dickerson during Saturday's semifinal of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at the Shirk Center in Bloomington. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team only led 18-17 at halftime but pulled away in the second half to defeat Kankakee Bishop McNamara 39-25 in the semifinals of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at the Shirk Center on Friday. CSE will play Galena for the title at 3:30…

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‘We wanted to be ticks on their belly buttons’: CSE dominant defensively in second half of quarterfinal victory

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller, right, dribbles past Stanford Olympia's Grace Carter during Thursday afternoon's girls basketball game in the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Bloomington High School. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long knew some people might think he was trying to be funny, but when it comes to girls basketball, he’s usually quite serious. “We told (the Panthers) we wanted to be ticks on their belly buttons,” Long said after his team’s 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals…

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Photo gallery: Panthers allow just eight points in second half in rout of Stanford Olympia

Central-Southeastern's Carly Peters, right, is guarded by Stanford Olympia's Raquel Birky during Thursday afternoon's game in the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Bloomington High School. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team forced 18 second-half turnovers and didn’t allow a field goal for nearly a quarter and a half in a 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals of the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic on Thursday afternoon at Bloomington High School. MRN…

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Central-Southeastern clamps down on Normal U-High in opening-round victory

Junior guard Lauren Miller led the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team with 22 points in the opening-round victory over Normal U-High at the State Farm Holiday Classic. | Muddy River Sports file photo

NORMAL, Ill. — The No. 1 seed played like the No. 1 seed. The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s defensive intensity frustrated and stymied Normal U-High from start to finish in Wednesday night’s 67-19 victory in the opening round of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Normal Community High School. It…

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Big first quarter carries West Hancock, while Central-Southeastern relies on suffocating defense

Central-Southeastern's Claire Huston battles for a loose ball during Thursday night's game against Fort Madison (Iowa) in the 16th Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — A pair of girls basketball teams hoping to build momentum before tackling the challenging task of being the No. 1 seed in a holiday tournament gained a much-needed boost Thursday night. It just happened to come in vastly different ways. West Hancock, the No. 1 seed in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, used…

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Photo gallery: West Hancock, Central-Southeastern cap Rumble on the River with victories

West Hancock's Lillie Woodworth fakes an inbounds pass during Thursday's game against Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton in the Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The West Hancock and Central-Southeastern girls basketball teams put a cap on the 16th Rumble on the River Holiday Shootout with victories Thursday night. The Titans beat Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton 58-49 and the Panthers dispatched Fort Madison (Iowa) 49-16. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at John Wood Community…

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Tale of two halves: QND outlasts Central-Southeastern despite Panthers’ epic rally

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller, right, pressures Quincy Notre Dame's Sage Stratton during Monday night's game at The Pit. | Addi Zanger photo

QUINCY — Eric Orne’s post-game expressions captured his thoughts perfectly. There was the occasional wince, coupled with the rubbing of the top of his head with the palm of his hand. Even an occasional sigh. “Today is my birthday … and I feel like I aged 10 years tonight,” said Orne, the veteran Quincy Notre…

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Three area girls basketball teams crack top 10 in first Illinois state rankings

Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long's team is ranked No. 8 in Class 2A in the initial Associated Press state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CHICAGO — Here is a look at the Illinois Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School                       W-L   Pts  1. Bolingbrook (4)           9-0   71   2. Loyola (2) …

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Central-Southeastern ratchets up defensive effort in second half to run away from Illini West

Central-Southeastern guard Karly Peters helped spark a 46-22 victory over Illini West on Monday night in Carthage, Ill. | Muddy River Sports file photo

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters did not offer any excuses. Nor did she try to sugarcoat the first-half performance turned in by the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. “We weren’t working hard enough on defense in the first half, but we kind of locked it down in the second half,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior. That…

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Freshmen don’t wither in spotlight, help QND girls capture sectional title over Central-Southeastern

Quincy Notre Dame's Jenna Durst, right, drives past Central-Southeastern's Amanda Stephens during the second half of Thursday night's Class 2A girls basketball sectional championship game at Pleasant Plains High School. | David Adam photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long was asked any advice he has for the seven teams left in the Class 2A state tournament for how to beat Quincy Notre Dame. “It’s only happened once,” he said succinctly. “Good luck.” The No. 1-ranked Raiders took early command of Thursday night’s sectional championship…

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Photo gallery: Winning streak for QND girls hits 26 straight after sectional title

Abbey Schreacke, center, turns to her teammates after she was handed the Class 2A sectional trophy after Thursday night's Class 2A girls basketball sectional championship game at Pleasant Plains High School. | David Adam photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, the defending Class 2A state champion, won its 26th consecutive game on Thursday night with a 44-29 decision over Central-Southeastern in the sectional championship at Pleasant Plains High School. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.

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Photo gallery: CSE scores first 18 points, steamrolls Staunton in sectional semifinal

Central-Southeastern's Abbey McMillen looks to pass during Tuesday night's Class 2A girls basketball sectional semifinal game at Pleasant Plains High School. | David Adam

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team scored the game’s first 18 points and cruised to a 62-26 victory over Staunton in the Class 2A girls basketball sectional semifinals at Pleasant Plains High School. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: Four area teams sit in top five in final regular-season poll

Brown County coach Dave Phelps and the Hornets check in at No. 3 in the final Class 1A regular-season state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (4) 27-2 65 1 2. Bolingbrook (1) 24-3 62 2 3. Alton (1) 27-1 56 4 4. Geneva (1) 24-3 55 3 5. Kenwood 25-4 39 5 6. O’Fallon 27-4 33…

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Photo gallery: Scenes from Saturday’s Superfan Shootout at The Pit

South Shelby coach Luke O'Laughlin implores his defense to challenge Quincy Notre Dame guard Abbey Schreacke during the second half of Saturday's game in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit in Quincy. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday inside Quincy Notre Dame’s The Pit watching the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout unfold. Here are some of the images he captured throughout the day:

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Central-Southeastern showcases growth and potential in lopsided Shootout victory

Central-Southeastern's Brilyn Lantz, left, and Parker Crim, right, set up defensively during Saturday afternoon's game against Alton Marquette in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Matt Long is quick to point out his Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is still quite young with two sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup. “They haven’t been in the big wars,” he said. “Even if they were last year as freshmen, they don’t really understand what the big game is.” Still,…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND, CSE, Brown County, Unity all remain in polls

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller and the Panthers have moved to No. 6 in the Class 2A state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (3) 24-2 55 2 2. Bolingbrook (2) 22-3 51 4 3. Geneva (1) 21-3 50 3 4. Alton 25-1 48 1 5. Kenwood 23-4 33 8 6. O’Fallon…

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Illinois girls state basketball rankings: Brown County, Unity sit back-to-back at Nos. 4 and 5

Brown County coach David Phelps has guided the Hornets to the No. 4 spot in this week's Associated Press Class 1A state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Alton (7) 24-0 79 2 2. Fremd 22-2 69 3 3. Geneva (1) 19-3 59 4 4. Bolingbrook 21-3 58 1 5. Normal Community 23-2 37 6 6. Whitney Young…

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Frantic finish boosts Central-Southeastern to championship of Lady Panther Classic

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players celebrate with the championship plaque after winning the 30th Lady Panther Classic with a 36-32 victory over Brown County on Saturday night in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — It’s never over til it’s over. Somehow, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team emerged Saturday night with the championship of the 30th Lady Panther Classic. CSE’s 36-32 victory over Brown County was fueled by a frantic final 1 minute, 47 seconds that saw the Panthers score 10 of the game’s closing 13…

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Pace no issue for Central-Southeastern as Panthers charge past Illini West in semifinals

Central-Southeastern guard Karly Peters and the Panthers' defense limited Illini West to 26 points in the Panthers' semifinal victory Thursday in the CSE Lady Panther Classic in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — If given an option, Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long likes his team to get up and down the floor as quickly as possible. But that personal preference is not any sort of prerequisite for the Panthers to win. Case in point: CSE’s 37-26 victory over Illini West in Thursday night’s…

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Photo gallery: Semifinals of CSE Lady Panther Classic set up epic championship game

Central-Southeastern guard Brilyn Lantz, left, fends off Illini West's Rylee Reed during Thursday night's semifinal in the CSE Lady Panther Classic. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team handed Unity consecutive losses for the first time this season, while Central-Southeastern continued its winning ways as both teams battled their way into the championship game of the CSE Lady Panther Classic. Brown County, ranked fifth in Class 1A, knocked off second-ranked Unity 47-43 in…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND stays atop Class 2A, Unity and Brown County in top five

Senior guard Blair Eftink and the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team continue to be the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A. | Matt Schuckman photo

Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points: Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Geneva (5) 14-2 72 2 2. Fremd (2) 17-1 67 1 3. Bolingbrook (1) 14-1 62 4 4. Alton 17-0 61 6 5. Normal Community 18-0 38 5 6. Maine South…

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Central-Southeastern’s closing kick cements victory over Unity in Lady Panther Classic pool play

Central-Southeastern's Brilyn Lantz attacks the basket during the Panthers' game against Unity on Tuesday in pool play in the CSE Lady Panther Classic in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill — Lauren Miller never broke a sweat, let alone panicked. “We knew it was going to be a long game,” the Central-Southeastern sophomore said. Long and grueling. Miller and her CSE girls basketball teammates were not rattled when Unity bolted to a sizable advantage in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s showdown…

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