Fieldcrest outlasts Peotone to reach Elite Eight
The Heart of Illinois and the Illini Prairie conferences are alive and well in the girls' basketball postseason after Fieldcrest, Dee-Mack and St. Thomas More each posted sectional championship victories Thursday night.
Class 2A Coal City Sectional
COAL CITY — Fieldcrest rallied in the fourth quarter and was then able to outlast Peotone in the end for a 68-64 triple-overtime victory for the championship of the Class 2A Coal City Sectional Thursday.
The win moved the sixth-ranked Knights (32-3) into the Peotone Supersectional opposite Chicago (Noble/Butler). It's the second straight sectional title for FHS.
It was a night of many heroes for Fieldcrest. Four players scored in double figures, including junior Kaitlin White reaching a milestone at the very end of the game. White scored her 1,000th career point on a free throw in waning second to help secure the win.
The Knights trailed 33-27 through three quarters. Five different players combined for 15 points as FHS outscored the Blue Devils by six to forge a 42-42 tie by the end of regulation.
Fieldcrest was forced to play on with senior star Ashlyn May riding the pines after fouling with 45 seconds to go in regulation. The Knights matched Peotone with nine points in the first overtime to send the game into a second OT.
The Blue Devils had a two-point lead with two seconds left in the second extra period. That's when freshman Macy Gochanour was fouled and sent to the line. Gochanour drained both tosses for her only points of the game to force a third overtime.
Fieldcrest was able to gain the edge in the third overtime and sealed the deal with White's tosses at the end. White finished with 14 points in becoming the second player in program history to reach 1,000 points before her senior year.
Carolyn Megow finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out in the third OT. Haley Carver added 4 points and May checked out with 13. Riley Burton had 4 points before fouling out in overtime. Gochanour had 2 points and Aliah Celis added 1 point.
Madi Schroeder led ninth-ranked Peotone (31-2) with 23 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime. Jenna Hunter added 16 points for the Prairie Central Regional champs.
ALSO IN CLASS 2A, Dee-Mack was the other HOIC team to reach the Elite Eight after disposing of league rival Eureka 37-32 to win the Rockridge Sectional title at Taylor Ridge. The Chiefs play Quincy (Notre Dame) in the Macomb Supersectional.
Class 1A Lexington Sectional
LEXINGTON — Illini Prairie Conference member St. Thomas More erupted for 29 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a five-point deficit to post a 63-48 victory over Mt. Pulaski in the title game of the Class 1A Lexington Sectional at The Fort Thursday.
Emma Devocelle carried the burden of rallying the Sabers in the last stanza by putting up 16 points as she outscored the Hilltoppers enough in the quarter by herself.
St. Thomas More got out to a 12-8 lead after one period but Mt. Pulaski was able to enter the break tied at 23-23. That momentum continued into the third period as the Hilltoppers outscored STM 16-11 to go up 39-34 heading into the homestretch.
Devocelle then got hot, draining four 3-pointers to go with making all four free throw attempts for 16 points. Maddy Swisher added 6 points and Ruari Quarnstorm made five free throws as the Sabers pulled away.
Devocelle finished with 24 points and Quarnstorm added 18. Swisher tallied 14 points.
Three players had 12 points to lead Mt. Pulaski.
St. Thomas More will face Serena Monday at the Pontiac Supersectional. The Huskers defeated Newark 36-24 to win the Serena Sectional.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Fieldcrest Knights outlast Peotone Blue Devils to reach Elite Eight
