Havana speeds up Unity girls to pull off upset in Class 1A regional championship game

By BEN MARTH | February 17, 2023
Kyra Carothers scored 16 points for Unity in Thursday night's Class 1A regional championship game at Havana. | File photo by David Adam

HAVANA, Ill. — The style the Unity girls basketball team prefers to play was a mirror image of how they were defended on Thursday. “We speed people up a lot, and tonight, we got sped up,” Mustangs coach Brad Begeman said. Havana, ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press Class 1A poll, forced 15…

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Illinois Girls Regional Roundup: Unity, Brown County cruise, but CSE needs free throw with 0:00 on clock to survive

By Muddy River Sports | February 14, 2023
Abbey McMillen is mobbed by her Central-Southeastern teammates after making a free throw with no time on the clock to win Monday's semifinal game in the Class 2A girls basketball regional at Petersburg PORTA High School. | Photo courtesy of Mike Pritchard

Abbey McMillen’s free throw with no time left on the clock gave the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team a 36-35 victory over Pleasant Plains on Monday night in the Class 2A regional semifinal at Petersburg PORTA High School. Pleasant Plains tied the score at 35 when freshman Anna Weber scored from inside the lane with 27.9…

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

By David Adam, MRN Editor | December 30, 2022
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

By Muddy River Sports | December 30, 2022
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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Spotting top-ranked Brimfield 14-point lead on its home court too much for Unity girls to overcome

By David Adam, MRN Editor | February 25, 2022
Unity's Kyra Carothers goes between Brimfield's Ellie Doe, left, and Sophie Bedell during Thursday night's Class 1A girls basketball sectional championship game at Brimfield High School. Carothers finished with 15 points in the game. | David Adam

BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman knew his team needed to play well early to prove it belonged on the same court as No. 1-ranked Brimfield and take the home crowd out of the game. The first eight minutes, however, couldn’t have gone any worse. Brimfield forced No. 7 Unity into nine…

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Unity girls pick, roll into sectional championship where No. 1 Brimfield awaits

By David Adam, MRN Editor | February 23, 2022
Unity's Kylee Barry goes up for a shot during Tuesday night's Class 1A sectional semifinal game at Brimfield. Defending the play for Elmwood are Ainsley Faulkner, left, and Liv Meyers. | David Adam

BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity’s masterful execution of one of basketball’s simplest plays proved to be too much for Elmwood in the Class 1A girls sectional at Brimfield High School. The Mustangs used the pick-and-roll to perfection in a 49-29 victory on Tuesday night and advanced to the sectional championship game on Thursday against the host…

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