STAUNTON - Ele Feldmann had a big game for Staunton, scoring 31 points, as the Bulldogs defeated Roxana 62-39 in the final of the IHSA Class 2A girls basketball regional at Staunton's gym on Thursday night.
The win propels Staunton to the Beardstown Sectional, where the Bulldogs will play in the second semifinal on Tuesday, with the chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the final next Thursday night.
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Staunton head coach Corrie Allan said: "Last year losing in the regional championship was bittersweet, but this year being on our home court and getting a win was great."
"We have a great group of girls and the girls did well. I was glad we didn't play Carlinville, for some reason, the girls get in their heads about Carlinville and Gillespie."
Roxana head coach Addaya Moore said Staunton is an extremely fast and physical team and of course, it is never easy beating a team like that on their home court.
"I am super grateful to have a historic season," she said."Our girls fought hard against Staunton and never gave up."
The Bulldogs led all the way through, having leads of 19-12, 33-18, and 49-28 after the first three quarters, outscoring the Shells in the fourth quarter 13-11 to take the win and move on to the sectional.
To go along with Feldmann's 31 points, Lilly Bandy scored eight points for Staunton, while Samantha Anderson and Grace Bekeske both hit for six points each, Jenna Staggs scored five points, Ryenne Dugger had two points, and Kinslee Maedge scored a single point.
The Shells were led by Kinsley Mouser's 13 points, while Kylee Slayden added seven points, both Abby and Laynie Gehrs, along with Daisy Daugherty, had five points apiece, and Tatum Shaw scored three points.
Roxana ends its season at 18-15, while the Bulldogs are now 27-5 and will play Camp Point Central, who won their own regional over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Catholic 44-41, in the second semifinal Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
The winner will play the winner of the first semifinal, the winner of the Virden North Mac regional, either Gillespie or Hillsboro, or Pleasant Plains, who won the Riverton regional over Petersburg PORTA 36-34, in the Sweet Sixteen final Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
The Beardstown sectional winner moves on to the Elite Eight super-sectional game on Feb. 26 at Vandalia against the winner of the Nashville sectional for the right to go on to the state finals, Feb. 29-March 2 at CEFCU Arena at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal.
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