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NORMAL - A dream postseason run ended for the Lady Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena.
The Carrollton girls basketball team lost to Pecatonica (32-6) in the IHSA Class 1A state championship by a score of 63-45.
It was the end to what had become quite an underdog season.
“I think everyone kind of wrote us off,” Carrollton head coach Brian Madson said. “Coming into the regionals a lower seed, which is fine. But, every step of the way in the postseason the girls kept fighting harder, each win was a little bit bigger. So, to be here, state runner-up, I couldn’t be prouder of these girls.”
The teams went blow for blow to open the game and a basket from Lauren Flowers gave the Hawks a 6-5 lead heading into a media timeout with 4:00 left in the first quarter.
Out of the timeout, Pecatonica’s Elaina Rager nailed a triple to take the lead back at 8-6, and the Lady Indians never gave that lead back.
Pecatonica outscored Carrollton 9-4 in the final four minutes of the first quarter to take control 14-10.
Hayden McMurtrie nailed a triple that made it a two-point game at 19-17. Shortly after that, Flowers was fouled and sent Carrollton into the shooting bonus with 5:34 left. Flowers missed both foul shots, preventing a tie.
The teams traded baskets and Pecatonica kept a two-point lead heading into another media timeout with 3:51 remaining in the half.
Out of the break, Payton Thomas connected on a three to make it 26-21. A basket from Megan Camden, one free throw from Harper Darr and two more from Flowers tied the game at 26-26.
But it was the closing sequence that gave Pecatonica the momentum headed into the locker room.
Ryleigh Alexander dropped in a basket and then Darr missed a triple on the other end. The Lady Indians got the rebound and went the other way as Rager scored the half’s final basket to make it 30-26.
“I wouldn’t say that was the turning point, but it definitely shifts the momentum a little bit,” Madson said. “We just came out in the second half kind of sluggish. Hats off to their defense. We just couldn’t really get things going.”
Flowers sank two free throws for the Hawks to open the second half and make it a two-point game again. Korah Noud and Flowers then traded threes to make it 33-30. From there, Pecatonica went on a 6-2 run to take a 39-32 heading into a media timeout with 2:54 left.
They kept comfortable control of the game the rest of the way leading 50-36 after three quarters. Trailing 14 points heading into the fourth quarter proved to be too much to overcome.
“And that’s kind of been our season,” Madson said. “We’ve always had deficits, so I wasn’t super concerned. Going into halftime I think we were down seven or so, because I knew we’d have a run, but that run never came.”
Instead Pecatonica used a nine-point run to widen the margin as the Hawks were deep in foul trouble. McMurtrie, Flowers, and Darr all had three personal fouls with 5:15 left in the game. Camden picked up her fourth with 3:37 left, sending the Lady Indians into the shooting bonus.
Lauren Flowers led the Hawks with a double-double, 18 points and 10 rebounds, while McMurtrie had 10 points.
Chloe McAdams, who took a hard knock to the head and had to leave the game midway through the fourth, finished with six points. Darr had four, Camden had three, and Abby Flowers had two.
Leading all scorers and proving to be quite the handful was Rager for Pecatonica. She scored 30 points, Payton Thomas had 13, Alexander had 11, and Noud had eight.
It was Pecatonica’s first state title in program history as it ended the season at 32-6.
The Hawks shot 36 percent from the field and only made two three-pointers on the day. They were only out-rebounded 32-31, but it felt like more than that as Pecatonica made the most of their extra possessions.
“That’s kind of been our focal point going back to a Marquette loss in our tournament, is that every possession matters, every rebound matters,” Madson said. “I think today, I wouldn’t say we took plays off, but we lost focus of that.”
Carrollton ends its year at 30-8.
It’s been an emotional couple of seasons for the Hawks, winning a regional title last year after almost not getting the program off the ground.
“At the beginning of November, Carrollton girls didn’t have a season,” Madson said. “There were only four girls on the roster, and to see where we went from last season to where we are now, I couldn’t be more proud of these girls.”
Now, the Hawks graduate four seniors - both Flowers girls, Darr, and Camden - and will be bringing back more than plenty for next season.
“I want the younger girls to look at us and be like, ‘I want that to be us,’” Abby Flowers said. “We started it so they can finish it.”
“I’m just very proud of my team,” Lauren Flowers said. “Like [Madson] said, last year we weren’t going to have a team. Coming in, winning a regional last year and then getting this far this year, I’m just very proud of my team and the work we’ve put in.”
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Darr said. “It didn’t turn out how we wanted it to but it’s been an amazing season with a bunch of amazing girls.”
“I think this was a great way to end the season,” Camden said. “Even though it didn’t come out the way we wanted it to, we still got farther than most people have. And you have to love what you have before life teaches you to love what you lost, and I think we loved everything this season.”
A special thanks to our sponsor Carrollton Bank for supporting Riverbender.com’s coverage of Alton Redbirds and Carrollton Hawks girls basketball.
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