OKAWVILLE – Lauren Flowers, the all-time leading scorer in Carrollton girls' basketball history, scored 35 points, most coming in the second half, leading three players in double figures as the Hawks advanced to the IHSA Class 1A state finals for the first time since 2014 with a 62-44 win over Albion Edwards County in the super-sectional game – the state quarterfinals – Monday evening, March 3, 2025, at the Okawville High gym.
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The Hawks led the Lions at halftime 23-19, but gradually pulled away in the second half, as Flowers and Harper Darr, the two key seniors on the club, led the charge as Carrollton led at the end of the third quarter 44-33, and kept adding on until reaching a 22 point advantage late in the game.
“I’m super pumped up to be making this trip up to Bloomington-Normal this week,” said Carrollton head coach Brian Madson, “super-happy for our team right now.”
It’ll be the first time the Hawks have advanced to state in 11 years, and Madson remembered the last time Carrollton went to state.
“Actually, the last time was my first stint at Carrollton,” Madson said, “back in the 13-14 year, And so, coming back last season, I knew the girls we had coming in, so I knew this is definitely a reachable goal for us.”
It was Abby Flowers who got the Hawks started off the right foot, with a basket and a three to give Carrollton an early 5-0 lead, which became 8-2 on a three by Chloe McAdams. Lauren Flowers hit her first basket of the game on a short jumper to make it 10-2, but the Lions came back to cut the lead to 10-7 on a free throw by Kyleigh Sanford, and baskets by Grace Bishop and Sanford. Darr hit her first basket late in the quarter to give the Hawks a 12-7 lead after the first quarter.
Bishop and Grace McCarthy scored early in the second quarter to trim the Carrollton lead to 12-11, with Lola Nussmeyer tying the game at 13-13 later on The Hawks responded with a three-point play by Lauren Flowers to make it 16-13 with 2:50 left in the first half, and then, with the score 17-16, Carrolton went on a 6-2 run to end the half, with both Lauren and Abby Flowers leading the charge. Three free throws by the Lions cut the Hawks’ halftime lead to 23-19.
At the start of the second half, an early exchange of baskets made the score 25-21, with another basket by Lauren Flowers making it 27-22 after an Edwards County free throw. Flowers then began to take over, hitting a three and another basket to up the lead to 32-22, and with the score 32-25 after a Lions three from Allison Groff, Darr and the Flowers sisters made it 39-29, with the Hawks going ahead after three quarters 44-33.
The fourth quarter saw Lauren Flowers score twice, and Blake Driskill hit a basket to extend the lead to 50-35, and from there, the Hawks slowly but surely pulled away from the Lions, with Flowers scoring practically at will before fouling out with 1:01 left I the game. Carrollton went on to their 62-44 win to advance to state, setting off a big celebration from the Hawks supporters in the stands.
Lauren Flowers led Carrollton with her 35 points, while Darr added 11 points, Abby Flowers scored 10 points, Hayden McMurtrie had four points, and Driskill scored two points. The Lions were led by Nussmeyer’s 14 points, while Bishop scored 13 points, both Holly Hensley and Kyndal Richards had four points each, both Groff and McCarthy for three points each, and Alice Robb scored a single point.
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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