The Ridgewood Lady Spartans, a team featuring Cambridge and AlWood girls, are headed to the Redbird Arena in Normal Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27, for the state basketball showdown.
Third-ranked Ridgewood defeated ninth-ranked Colfax Ridgeview 70-58 in the super-sectional game on Monday, Feb. 22, at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.
At 2 p.m. Friday, Ridgewood (31-2) will play Hinckley-Big Rock (30-2), a 57-31 winner over
Stockton in the Elgin super-sectional at Judson University on Monday night. Ranked second in the state, Hinckley-Big Rock is the defending state champion.
On Saturday, Feb. 27, the third-place game will be at 12:15 p.m. and the championship game at 2 p.m.
The starting line-up for the winning team consisted of Stephanie Williams, Michelle Williams, Amanda Kruger, Jena Peterson and Ella Teel.
Less than a minute into the game, Teel sank the first shot of the night for the Lady Spartans and about a minute later, the Coxfax Ridgeview Mustangs hit a field goal and the score stood at 2-2 until there was four minutes and 14 seconds remaining on the clock in the opening quarter when Michelle Williams sank a two-pointer.
When less than four minutes into the game, Peterson earned her second foul of the night and was sent to the bench temporarily while Annie Gelaude hit the floor.
After Peterson’s foul, a Mustang player made 1-of-2 from the free throw line and the score stood at 4-3.
Danyelle English came in for Amanda Kruger and with 2:16 remaining in the quarter, sank a two-point field goal from the left side. Fifteen seconds later, the Mustangs hit the basket for two and the score stood at 7-5.
The Spartans moved the ball back down the court and English once again found paydirt, this time from the right side and Ridgewood led, 9-5.
With less than a minute remaining, the Mustangs netted another field goal and at the end of the quarter, the score stood 9-7.
The second quarter started off a little slow for Ridgewood, with the Mustangs scoring three field goals and taking the lead for the first time of the night, 11-9.
With six minutes and five seconds left, Kruger bounced the ball into Stephanie Williams who went up for two, tieing up the score.
Soon Kruger earned a foul while trying to shoot and went to the line to make 2-of-2, putting Ridgewood out in front again, 13-11.
Soon Colfax Ridgeview earned their own shooting foul and made 2-of-2 to tie it up once again.
Peterson had a nothing by net two-point jumper with 4:33 left in the first half, but the Mustangs turned around and scored again right after that, leaving it a tied ball game once again, 15-15.
With 3:28 left in the first half, the Mustangs drilled their first three of the night, but seconds later Stephanie Williams sank a field goal and then Kruger hit the basket from the right side to lead, 19-18.
Kruger hit another field goal with 2:21 left on the clock and then the Mustangs sank two goals back to back, leaving the score at 21-24.
During the final minute of halftime, Stephanie Williams drew another foul, to put the Spartans only one point down, 23-24.
Ridgewood players missed eight crucial free throws in the opening half.
When the second half began, the Mustangs scored the first field goal of the half, but after that it was nothing by Spartans.
Kruger was the first to hit a three with less than a minute into the quarter. Teel followed with her own three and than immediately sank a two.
Michelle Williams netted two points for the winning Spartans after getting a pass from her sister, Stephanie Williams and then Peterson drilled her first three of the night, leaving the score 36-27.
After the Mustangs managed another field goal, Kruger once again sank one from inside and drew a foul in the process, adding another point from the charity strip.
A three-point jumper by Michelle Williams followed with 4:31 left on the clock in the third period. Ridgewood led 42-29.
During the next minute, Colfax Ridgeview scored a field goal and shot 2-of-2 from the free throw line, leaving the score at 42-33.
During the last three minutes, English scored two field goals, Gelaude one and Kruger, one. Gelaude also drew a foul and made 1-of-1. The Mustangs managed one field goal and the score stood at 51-36 at the end of the quarter.
About 20 seconds into the fourth period, Colfax Ridgeview drew a foul and went 1-of-2 from the line and then Gelaude sank a three from outside the arc, leaving the score 54-37.
Back-to-back field goals for the Mustangs narrowed the margin to 54-41, with approximately six minutes remaining in the game.
Kruger tried to net some points for the Spartans twice and eventually drew the foul and went 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Shortly after that the Mustangs fouled the Spartans again, and this time Teel stepped up to the line, sinking 1-of-2.
Eight seconds later, Kruger sank another two points, and Ridgewood led 59-41.
Back to back field goals by the Mustangs narrowed the lead 59-44.
With 4:25 left in the game, Kruger passed off the ball to Teel who nailed another three pointer and the Spartans led 62-44.
After another Mustang field goal, Teel drew a foul, the Mustangs eighth of the second half, and went to the line for a 1-on-1 shot which the Mustangs rebounded and took the ball down the court, only to have it stolen by Michelle Williams who went all the way and was fouled in the process of shooting. She made 1-of-2 with 3:28 left in the game and the Spartans were ahead 63-46.
In the last three minutes of the game, Peterson sank two field goals, Kruger, one and Gelaude went 1-of-2 from the line.
Ridgewood put up some great numbers in the second half. The Spartans shot 15 of 25 from the floor, 6 and 9 from the three-point line and outscored Ridgeview 47-34.
High scorers for the Spartans were Kruger, 20; Teel, 11; Peterson and English, nine each; Michelle Williams, 8; Gelaude, 7, and Stephanie Williams, 6.
Kruger also led the team in rebounds, with 10.
