Muddy River Showcase: Illinois girls build double-digit lead and maintain it in victory over Missouri

QUINCY — The Missouri girls provided the stiffest test to the Illinois side in terms of final score since the first Muddy River Showcase in 2022, but the Illinois girls prevailed 88-65 on Saturday at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center in the fourth iteration of the game.

Here are some takeaways from the game:

Reed, Williams take home MVP honors

Illini West’s Reagan Reed became the second Chargers player to earn the game’s most valuable player. A Quincy Univiersity commit, Reed matched Central-Southeastern graduate and SIU-Edwardsville commit Lauren Miller with 21 points, reeled in nine rebounds and swiped five steals while making half of her 14 shots from the field.

Reed joined 2022 Illini West graduate Caydee Kirkham on the list of the Chargers’ MVP honorees.

“I feel like I did really well running the floor, playing really good defense and looking up for fastbreaks or something like that to help the team,” Reed said.

Palmyra’s Clare Williams took home the MVP hardware on for Missouri. The Palmyra graduate, who will continue her college basketball career at Ottawa University, recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and also had three steals.

“It felt like another game,” Williams said of the intensity on the floor during the showcase. “The crowd was awesome. I knew it was going to be a competitive game no matter if it was an all-star game or not.”

Compton’s heart-warming moment results in happy tears

Knee surgery was supposed to prevent Palmyra’s Sydney Compton from competing in the Muddy River Showcase.

Karly Peters had an idea, though.

Peters, a Camp Point Central High School graduate and Compton’s future teammate at Quincy University, wanted to give Compton the chance to score in her final game before the two join forces at QU.

“I just wanted to let her know I’m her teammate always,” Peters said.

Compton checked into the game at the beginning of the third quarter and was told to stand under the basket without anyone around her. In an act that resulted in the best turnover of Peters’ life, she inbounded the ball to Compton, who layed the ball up and in.

Compton had no idea what was coming until she went into the game.

“It was a complete surprise,” Compton said. “At first, I was like, ‘No, please. I’m going to miss my layup. Don’t do it,’ but I was glad I was at least able to go out there and put some points up on the board. It meant a lot.”

Compton was immediately subbed out and embraced Kelsey Stuart, her coach for this game and at Palmyra for the last two seasons.

“I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry, then I looked at her, and I lost it,” Compton said.

Compton will undergo another procedure to replace the cartilage in the same knee she had surgery on. That surgery will keep her out for her freshman season, but she is determined to come back stronger than ever after redshirting.

“It puts me a year back, but I’m ready to really grind during the recovery process,” Compton said. “I’m antsy. I’m ready to come back.”

Long, Orne share sideline for first time in Long’s final game

The numbers surrounding Matt Long and Eric Orne’s coaching careers are staggering in the best way possible.

Long, who retired from his position as the Central-Southeastern head coach following the 2024-25 season, compiled 641 wins in his 32 years in Camp Point. In 23 seasons at Quincy Notre Dame, Orne has won 581 games. That adds up to 1,222 wins in 55 combined seasons on their respective sidelines.

The two basketball masterminds joined forces for the first time on Saturday. Long was selected as the head coach for the Illinois girls, and Long selected Orne as one of his assistants.

For Long, that selection was a no-brainer.

“The main reason I asked Eric is we have a lot of respect for each other and the programs,” Long said. “We’re a lot alike. I think he’s one of the best in the business. He’s just a great all-around person. It was fun, it really was.”

This game marked Orne’s first as an assistant coach.

“It wasn’t weird really at all,” Orne said. “Matt and I just shared the opportunity to be here tonight.”

Orne was pleased to be able to share in Long’s swan song.

“He still has that passion for it, and I believe in his passion,” Orne said. “He’s going to be a guy I can reach out to and call when I need an idea or something to work on.”

Long has been in and out of gyms around the state this summer helping out multiple teams.

“I get just enough to wet my appetite, but it’s nothing like the grind of June like it has been for the past 35 years,” Long said.

Who knows if Long will ever hang up his coach’s hat for good, but it is only fitting he went out — at least in this chapter — a winner.