Pittsfield girls one victory away from first regional championship since 2009

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — A last-second game-tying shot rolled off the rim, allowing the Pittsfield girls basketball team to survive a comeback by North Mac and win 48-46 in the semifinals of the Class 2A regional tournament on Tuesday night at Voshall Gym.

The third-seeded Saukees (18-13) advanced to Friday night’s championship game against second-seeded Hillsboro, which defeated Waverly 58-45 in the other semifinal at Pittsfield. Pittsfield is aiming to win its first regional title since 2009.

A Pittsfield turnover led to a layup by North Mac’s Taylor Keirs with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, cutting the Saukees’ lead to 46-44. Ellie Ten Eyck was fouled with 35.5 seconds remaining, and she made two free throws to put Pittsfield back on top by four points.

A basket by Abby Hendricks with 14.4 seconds remaining got North Mac within 48-46, and Ten Eyck was fouled with 12.8 seconds to go. She missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Hendricks grabbed the rebound and brought the ball down the left sideline. She passed the ball but got it right back, then drove to the basket to take a left-handed floater from outside the lane that missed.

The ball went out of bounds and time expired, but the game officials put two-tenths of a seconds back on the clock. North Mac’s inbounds pass, however, was tipped by Lainie Marable to end the game.

“We’ve talked this about since June,” Pittsfield coach Matt Henry said. “In my mind, I thought for Pittsfield and where we are at, getting to a regional championship needs to become a standard. The girls kind of looked at me cross-eyed and when I said that. They said, ‘Why is not winning (a regional) the option?’ We’ll get a chance to win that game if you can get there first.

“Tonight was a big step forward for us.”

Pittsfield led 30-20 at halftime and took its biggest lead with less than four minutes to play in the third quarter when sophomore Madison Frieden made a layup to make the score 34-22.

North Mac closed to within 34-31, but Pittsfield scored the last five points of the third quarter. Frieden converted an offensive rebound putback and was fouled on the play to start the fourth quarter. Her ensuing free throw put the Saukees ahead 42-31.

Pittsfield led 46-37 after a basket in the lane by Ten Eyck with 3:49 remaining before North Mac rallied.

Frieden led Pittsfield with 17 points, and sophomore Emma Henry added nine.