By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
The next two weeks look rugged for the Brimfield girls basketball team. In a five-game stretch starting tonight vs. Lewistown, Brimfield will also face sixth-ranked Havana (Jan. 23), West Central (Jan. 26) and Elmwood (Jan. 30).
If any team is ready for such a stretch, it’s the Lady Indians (16-6), who are fresh off a 2-1 showing at Kewanee’s MLK Tournament that included Monday’s 46-38 loss to Geneseo, the ninth-ranked team in Class 3A.
Despite playing most of that game without two of its top seven players and with senior Elly Doe at 50 percent due to a sore knee, Brimfield led Geneseo by two at halftime and was close throughout until Ava Heinz fouled out with five minutes left.
“They played fearless and gave it everything they had,” Brimfield Coach Josh McKown said. “I’m incredibly proud of the effort we gave shorthanded.”
Heinz led with 16 points, Doe added 9 and Ava Simpson scored 7 and had key blocked shots and rebounds that prompted McKown to say “She was phenomenal.”
“They’ve played hard all year, but things are hopefully clicking at the right time and they’re buying in defensively,” said McKown, whose team also played at the State Farm Classic and has played Dunlap, Sherrard and Rock Falls. “We’re really getting after it on D.”
That was particularly true in a 46-31 win over Mundelein (enrollment 2,300) on Saturday, which McKown called his team’s best defensive showing this year. Heinz scored 16 points, Doe added 11 and Olivia Kappes tallied 7.
Heinz was even more dominant in a 47-41 win over Kewanee on Saturday, scoring 21 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to help make up for Doe missing the first half with her sore knee. Heinz, Doe and guard CJ Troxell made the Kewanee all-tourney team.
Now McKown hopes for improved health for Kappes, who had her shoulder in a sling Monday, and Doe.
Princeville
The wins keep coming for the Lady Princes (15-8), who have won eight straight and 10 of their last 11 after Saturday’s 49-43 win over Wethersfield at the Lincoln Trail Conference tournament at United.
The latest victory started poorly, though, as Princeville was down 13-2 after one quarter.
“We couldn’t hit a basket. We’re just not a very good shooting team,” Princeville Coach John Gross said. “But we put a press on in the third quarter and that helped quite a bit.”
Princeville got some fast-break baskets off the press and leading scorer Destinee Harwood (18.5 points per game) heated up with 12 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter. Kinley McGinn added 10 points.
Princeville won on Jan. 11 vs. Stark County, 38-24, as Harwood scored 20 and Brianna Brodie tallied 7.
The Lady Princes were in action Wednesday against Knoxville and with a win would likely face top-seed Annawan in the LTC title game Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3:30 p.m.
Elmwood
The Elmwood girls (18-4) limited Illini Bluffs to just 18 points in a 31-18 win on Jan. 11. Yeah, 18 points and two in each of the first two quarters.
Only problem for Elmwood was the team shot 27 percent and had just three assists. Melody Glenn led with 11 points and Liv Meyers scored 7 and had 10 rebounds.
“We did not have a good offensive game, but our defense helped us get a very important win in the ICAC Conference,” Coach Gregg Meyers said.
Elmwood was at Chillicothe IVC on Wednesday and faces North Fulton Thursday at 6 p.m.
Moving forward, Elmwood has several foes with a low number of players, so game times have been adjusted. Jan. 23 vs. West Prairie will be Elmwood’s Senior Night at home. Varsity will play at 6 p.m. and seniors will be introduced before the game at 5:50. A JV game will follow with two 10-minute periods.
The Jan. 26 varsity game at South Fulton is at 6 p.m. followed by the JV with two 10-minute periods.
ROWVA-Williamsfield
No. 8 seed R-W (10-10) is 1-2 so far in LTC tourney play, falling Monday to Abingdon-Avon, 55-29.
Carolyn German had 12 points to lead the Lady Cougars, who were down 24-9 at halftime and could not get closer.
R-W also lost to top-seed Annawan last Saturday, 62-30, despite German’s eight points and six apiece from Ava Landon and Emma Seiboldt.
The Lady Cougars had fared better against Ridgewood on Jan. 12, winning 48-45 as Avery Rigg had 5 of her team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. Seiboldt added 13 and German tallied 11 in the win.
R-W plays Saturday at 11 a.m. vs. Wethersfield at United.
Farmington
The Lady Farmers (4-16) topped Bushnell-Prairie City on Jan. 12, 59-38, as point guard Kyleigh Miller poured in 20 points, Mariah Hayden tallied 13 and Anna Webel scored 10.
“Probably the most impressive thing about Miller is she had 20 points and 11 rebounds,” Coach Brad Whitcomb said. “Between her and Anna and Emily (Vallianatos), on any given night it seems like one of them has 10 rebounds.”
Whitcomb said that Hayden scoring was also a big plus for Farmington, as she had been shooting much since the Christmas break.
“She came out and was looking for her shot and we need that,” he said.
Farmington was at West Prairie on Wednesday and is home against Macomb on Jan. 23.
