On Friday, Feb. 26, Cambridge and Woodhull were pretty much like ghost towns, as everyone was at the Redbird Arena, Illinois State University, Normal, watching the Ridgewood Lady Spartans take on the Hinckley-Big Rock Lady Royals in a game which has been referred to as the championship game of Class 1A.
“You just saw the state championship game, in my opinion,” stated Ridgewood Coach Bryan Brooks.
“That felt like a state championship game,” stated Hinckley-Big Rock coach Greg Burks. “Those were two state championship-caliber teams on the floor.”
But in all reality, it was a Class 1A state tournament semi-final and the third-ranked Spartans (31-2) fell to the first-ranked Royals (31-2) in overtime, 49-46.
The Ridgewood girls basketball team wanted to beat the best and they nearly did. Starting for the Spartans were Michelle Williams, Stephanie Williams, Amanda Kruger, Jena Peterson and Ella Teel.
Tess Godhardt of the Lady Royals scored six points in the overtime session to help the Royals advance to the state championship game against the Jacksonville Routt on Saturday, Feb. 27, which they won. Jes Meyer also hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Stephanie Williams, one of the five starters, was the only Spartans] to score during the four-minute overtime. She had two jumpers for four points.
No one scored for the first minute and a half of the game, when Godhardt made the open field goal for two. Nineteen seconds later, Teel scored Ridgewood’s first points of the game after stealing the ball.
Thirty-nine seconds later, Teel made her second shot of the game on an easy layup.
A foul by Kaitlin Phillips of the Royals sent Amanda Kruger to the line where she hit 1-of-2.
Hinckley-Big Rock went on a scoring attack and scored eight points in approximately one minute, before Kruger hit a field goal with 4:10 left in the quarter.
The Royals managed to sink three more field goals before time out in the opener, but Ridgewood senior Peterson nailed a three-point with 12 seconds left, leaving the score 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Peterson opened the second quarter, like she ended the first, one from beyond the arc, narrowing Hinckley-Big Rock’s lead to three.
After another field goal by the Lady Royals, English of Ridgewood had her first good jumper of the afternoon, scoring two.
Later Godhardt scored again for the Royals and then fouled Teel who went to the line and was 2-of-2.
After another good layup by Godhardt, Teel nailed a three-pointer with 4:35 left in the half, narrowing Hinckley-Big Rock’s lead to one, 21-20.
With 3:52 left, Kruger scored her first field goal of the night after an assist from Stephanie Williams to put Ridgewood out in front for the first time, 22-21.
Later the Royals scored and 12 seconds later Michelle Williams had a jumper for two.
A foul by Royals Jes Meyer sent Stephanie Williams to the line who went 2-of-2, giving Ridgewood a three point lead.
Williams had another good jumper with 2:04 left before halftime and the Spartans led 28-23.
Hinckley-Big Rock scored two more to end the first half and Teel earned a foul and went to the line where she went 2-of-2.
At halftime, Ridgewood led 30-27.
Both teams defense went into high gear during the second half of the game.
Hinckley-Big Rock outscored Ridgewood 9-6. Four of Ridgewood’s points came from Danyelle English on jumpers. They were both assisted by Stephanie Williams. Teel sank another jumper at the buzzer to tie the game, 36-36.
Hinckley-Big Rock scored the next three shots of the game, but Ridgewood never gave up with Kruger scoring the Spartans first points of the quarter on a layup with 5:10 left in the game.
English had her first layup of the quarter with 3:58 left on the clock and Stephanie Williams sank the last Spartan points of the quarter with 37 seconds left, leaving it a tied ball game.
“We were pretty scared and nervous before the game,” stated Teel, a junior guard. “But when we got out there, we didn’t play scared. We played like we wanted it. We wanted it just as bad as they did.”
Teel led the Spartans with 13 points. She also had one assist and a steal.
Stephanie Williams and English, who also wasn’t feeling the best, had eight points each. Williams also had five rebounds, four assists and one steal. English had one rebound, one block and a steal.
Kruger, who wasn’t feeling well, contributed seven points, had six rebounds, one block and a steal. Peterson had six points for the afternoon.
Michelle Williams nailed four points for the Spartans. She also had two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
“We had opportunities to win at the end, but we didn’t take care of the ball like we should have,” said Brooks. “But all credit to my girls, they battled and proved that they’re deserving of their ranking. I’m glad the rest of the state was able to watch us. We were able to run with the defending state champs.”
Ridgewood was perfect from the free throw line going 7-7. They shot 18-of-48 inside for 37.5 percent and was 3-of-17 from beyond the arc for 17.6 percent.
Hinckley-Big Rock was 6-17 from the free throw line for 35.3 percent. They shot 21-of-53 inside for 39.6 percent and was 1-2 from beyond the arc for 50 percent.
During the game the score tied five times and changed lead six times. Hinckley-Big Rock’s biggest lead was by nine and Ridgewood’s was five.
Editor’s Note: On Saturday, Feb. 27, Hinckley-Big Rock sat right behind the media table and it was good to hear the Hinckley-Big Rock fans cheering on Ridgewood during the third place game. That is what you call good sportsmanship and they did themselves proud!
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On Friday, Feb. 26, Cambridge and Woodhull were pretty much like ghost towns, as everyone was at the Redbird Arena, Illinois State University, Normal, watching the Ridgewood Lady Spartans take on the Hinckley-Big Rock Lady Royals in a game which has been referred to as the championship game of Class 1A.
“You just saw the state championship game, in my opinion,” stated Ridgewood Coach Bryan Brooks.
“That felt like a state championship game,” stated Hinckley-Big Rock coach Greg Burks. “Those were two state championship-caliber teams on the floor.”
But in all reality, it was a Class 1A state tournament semi-final and the third-ranked Spartans (31-2) fell to the first-ranked Royals (31-2) in overtime, 49-46.
The Ridgewood girls basketball team wanted to beat the best and they nearly did. Starting for the Spartans were Michelle Williams, Stephanie Williams, Amanda Kruger, Jena Peterson and Ella Teel.
Tess Godhardt of the Lady Royals scored six points in the overtime session to help the Royals advance to the state championship game against the Jacksonville Routt on Saturday, Feb. 27, which they won. Jes Meyer also hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Stephanie Williams, one of the five starters, was the only Spartans] to score during the four-minute overtime. She had two jumpers for four points.
No one scored for the first minute and a half of the game, when Godhardt made the open field goal for two. Nineteen seconds later, Teel scored Ridgewood’s first points of the game after stealing the ball.
Thirty-nine seconds later, Teel made her second shot of the game on an easy layup.
A foul by Kaitlin Phillips of the Royals sent Amanda Kruger to the line where she hit 1-of-2.
Hinckley-Big Rock went on a scoring attack and scored eight points in approximately one minute, before Kruger hit a field goal with 4:10 left in the quarter.
The Royals managed to sink three more field goals before time out in the opener, but Ridgewood senior Peterson nailed a three-point with 12 seconds left, leaving the score 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Peterson opened the second quarter, like she ended the first, one from beyond the arc, narrowing Hinckley-Big Rock’s lead to three.
After another field goal by the Lady Royals, English of Ridgewood had her first good jumper of the afternoon, scoring two.
Later Godhardt scored again for the Royals and then fouled Teel who went to the line and was 2-of-2.
After another good layup by Godhardt, Teel nailed a three-pointer with 4:35 left in the half, narrowing Hinckley-Big Rock’s lead to one, 21-20.
With 3:52 left, Kruger scored her first field goal of the night after an assist from Stephanie Williams to put Ridgewood out in front for the first time, 22-21.
Later the Royals scored and 12 seconds later Michelle Williams had a jumper for two.
A foul by Royals Jes Meyer sent Stephanie Williams to the line who went 2-of-2, giving Ridgewood a three point lead.
Williams had another good jumper with 2:04 left before halftime and the Spartans led 28-23.
Hinckley-Big Rock scored two more to end the first half and Teel earned a foul and went to the line where she went 2-of-2.
At halftime, Ridgewood led 30-27.
Both teams defense went into high gear during the second half of the game.
Hinckley-Big Rock outscored Ridgewood 9-6. Four of Ridgewood’s points came from Danyelle English on jumpers. They were both assisted by Stephanie Williams. Teel sank another jumper at the buzzer to tie the game, 36-36.
Hinckley-Big Rock scored the next three shots of the game, but Ridgewood never gave up with Kruger scoring the Spartans first points of the quarter on a layup with 5:10 left in the game.
English had her first layup of the quarter with 3:58 left on the clock and Stephanie Williams sank the last Spartan points of the quarter with 37 seconds left, leaving it a tied ball game.
“We were pretty scared and nervous before the game,” stated Teel, a junior guard. “But when we got out there, we didn’t play scared. We played like we wanted it. We wanted it just as bad as they did.”
Teel led the Spartans with 13 points. She also had one assist and a steal.
Stephanie Williams and English, who also wasn’t feeling the best, had eight points each. Williams also had five rebounds, four assists and one steal. English had one rebound, one block and a steal.
Kruger, who wasn’t feeling well, contributed seven points, had six rebounds, one block and a steal. Peterson had six points for the afternoon.
Michelle Williams nailed four points for the Spartans. She also had two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
“We had opportunities to win at the end, but we didn’t take care of the ball like we should have,” said Brooks. “But all credit to my girls, they battled and proved that they’re deserving of their ranking. I’m glad the rest of the state was able to watch us. We were able to run with the defending state champs.”
Ridgewood was perfect from the free throw line going 7-7. They shot 18-of-48 inside for 37.5 percent and was 3-of-17 from beyond the arc for 17.6 percent.
Hinckley-Big Rock was 6-17 from the free throw line for 35.3 percent. They shot 21-of-53 inside for 39.6 percent and was 1-2 from beyond the arc for 50 percent.
During the game the score tied five times and changed lead six times. Hinckley-Big Rock’s biggest lead was by nine and Ridgewood’s was five.
Editor’s Note: On Saturday, Feb. 27, Hinckley-Big Rock sat right behind the media table and it was good to hear the Hinckley-Big Rock fans cheering on Ridgewood during the third place game. That is what you call good sportsmanship and they did themselves proud!
