Editor's note: due to the massive size of this page, it is not functioning very well anymore and I have added a satellite page - hover over the girls basketball link above to reach "2012-13 Girls basketball post season"
Unity 68, Griggsville-Perry 28, Unity Lady Mustangs now 23-4!
JV vs. Pittsfield
Unity Lady Mustangs receive 7 votes in the Class 1a polls:
Senior night January 21, 2013
Regional schedules
Mendon (Unity) Regional (map)
Manager: Bill Dorethy
Phone: 217-936-2116 x141, Fax: 217-936-2117
E-mail: [email protected]
Mon., Feb. 4 Game 1 at 7:30 pm: (4) Concord (Triopia) [Coop] vs. (5) Mason City (Illini Central)
Wed., Feb. 6 Game 2 at 6:00 pm: (1) Mendon (Unity) vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 at 8:00 pm: (2) Astoria [Coop] vs. (3) Mt. Sterling (Brown County)
Thu., Feb. 7 Game 4 at 7:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Manager: Bill Dorethy
Phone: 217-936-2116 x141, Fax: 217-936-2117
E-mail: [email protected]
Mon., Feb. 4 Game 1 at 7:30 pm: (4) Concord (Triopia) [Coop] vs. (5) Mason City (Illini Central)
Wed., Feb. 6 Game 2 at 6:00 pm: (1) Mendon (Unity) vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 at 8:00 pm: (2) Astoria [Coop] vs. (3) Mt. Sterling (Brown County)
Thu., Feb. 7 Game 4 at 7:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Lady Mustangs seeded 1st in Regional
Mendon (Unity) Regional (5T) (map)
Manager: Bill Dorethy
Phone: 217-936-2116 x141, Fax: 217-936-2117
E-mail: [email protected]
1. Mendon (Unity)
2. Astoria [Coop]
3. Mt. Sterling (Brown County)
4. Concord (Triopia) [Coop]
5. Mason City (Illini Central)
Manager: Bill Dorethy
Phone: 217-936-2116 x141, Fax: 217-936-2117
E-mail: [email protected]
1. Mendon (Unity)
2. Astoria [Coop]
3. Mt. Sterling (Brown County)
4. Concord (Triopia) [Coop]
5. Mason City (Illini Central)
Brooklyn Moore receives 1,000th point honor
8th grade final record: 25-3!
State pep assembly
Then broke their own record by winning the Sectional Championship!
Lady Colts make school history by being the first girls basketball team to win regional title!
7th grade season - finished 20-2!
6th grade flashback!
Breanne and Jill played summer basketball with Beth Barnes State Farm All-Stars in 2006.
January 5, 2013 Unity 49, Brown County 28
January 5, 2013 Unity 39, Lewistown 27
Breanne's game-winning buzzer beater!
JV vs. West Central - January 2, 2013
5th grade flashback!!
Breanne Begeman receives 1000th point honor
31st Annual Lady Tiger Classic to run December 26th–29th
Written by Don Chipman
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 9:44 PM
By Don Chipman
Sports Editor
When the horn sounds ending the 29th game, the 31st annual Lady Tiger Classic will have ended. The tournament started
back in 1988 with six teams and the 2-12 version of the LTC had a field of 24 teams.
My how girls’ basketball has expanded since 1988, and how the LTC has grown with it. The LTC was just a dream of Coach Jim Crum and Terry Kennedy.
Little did they know that from the infant start to now, the most prestigious of all girls’ holiday tournaments in the state of Illinois is played in the Tiger
Den here at Beardstown.
Josh Sorrells, BHS Athletic Director, begins his second year as the tournament manager. Sorrells and his volunteer staff do a
splendid job of running this marvelous tournament, and a “Tip of the Hat” goes to former Beardstown High AD Robin Lewis who watched the tourney grow and
prosper under his vigilance. The Lady Tiger Classic with its expanded 24-team field will no doubt have several upsets springing up among the many
games to be played. With very solid Top 10 seeds, this year’s tournament should be well worth the watching, and will be very competitive.
No. 1 Seed
This year, Illini Bluffs enters the tournament as the team to beat. Last year at the LTC they lost in the finals to Havana (Coach Jerry Wilson, a two-time winner of
the LTC), but Robertson regrouped his squad who went on to the Class 1A state finals and played in the third place game at Bloomington.
Coach Jim Robertson has his team at 13-0 and returns with the 2011 LTC Terry Kennedy Award winner Taylor McClintock, who has scored her 2,500th varsity career point in the Abing-don/Knoxville Tournament, and has a full ride to a Division I school. The do-everything McClintock is averaging over 25 points per game coming into the
tournament and will be one of the favorites to challenge for the 2012 Terry Kennedy Award again this year.
The Lady Tigers turn to defensive stopper Ari “The Sheriff” to set the defensive tone, and she also helps set up the
offense. Jaycee Johnson and Nicole Russell have stepped up their play in their senior year to help give Illini Bluffs a balanced scoring attack.
Coach Jim Robertson is smiling when he looks at Sydney McClintock, Taylor’s young freshman sister, who will have three more years to play for Illini Bluffs after this
season, and stands in at 5-11 giving the Lady Tigers post presence, and is scoring in double digits. This year with the loss of the Wall sisters, Coach
Robertson has gone to a “guard” orientated offense, which features Taylor McClintock’s explo- sive offense wares. With a 13-0 record one can readily see
why the Lady Tigers earned the No. 1 seed.
No. 2 Seed
Canton returns to the tournament with the No. 2 seed, and a record of 9-1. with a record of 6-0 against teams in the LTC. They hold wins over S. Fulton,
Lewistown, Macomb, N. Fulton, and Farmington twice. They have six seniors including two who are three year starters in Michaela Kumer and Natalie
Martindale Kumer. Canton was a “tough” out last year and will be again this tourney. Look for a deep run from the Lady Little Giants.
Their first game in the tournament is a 7:30 p.m. matchup against the winner of the Rushville-Industry (#18) and Triopia (#16) contest.
No. 3 Seed
The No. three seed in the tournament belongs to Mendon Unity (9-1). The Lady Mustangs return a solid core group of players from last season’s team which
posted a sparkling 25-6 record (best record in school history). Coach Brad Begeman turns to three seniors, Jill Donley, Brooklyn Moore, and Breanne Begeman
to give the Lady Mustangs the needed leadership. Begeman was named to the Quincy Herald Whig first team all-area, and Moore was selected to the second team.
The Lady Mustangs like to play controlled basketball, but will look for the fast break and push the ball when the opportunity arises. Jill Donley and Maggie
Bowles are responsible for most of the ball handling by Mendon Unity, with Begeman and Moore patrolling the post area.
Begeman also turns to several other junior players that play a major part in the Lady Mustangs success this
season including Ali Koehler, Whitney Murphy, Libby Beers, and Lexi Bohan. As the No. 3 seed, Mendon Unity has to be considered as one of the tourney’s
favorites.
No. 4 Seed
Routt is the No. 4 seed, and brings a solid squad that has rung up a 9-2 record this year. Routt is very senior orientated with nine seniors and eight of those are returning lettermen.
Alyssa Garde is top scorer with a 16 point ppg. average, to go with three steals per contest. Katie Tonry is at 10 points and Natalie Halpin is averaging 12
points ppg.
Routt lost leading scorer and rebounder Joanna Gross who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
Eilering’s team likes to press with man to man pressure and get up and down the floor. “I really like this group. They play very hard and give you all they got every
game.
No. 5 Seed
The No. 5 seed in the 2012 LTC goes to reining LTC Champions, the Havana Lady Ducks. Although Coach Jerry Wilson’s (two-time LTC
champs) team is definitely in a re-building mode, you can see from their lofty seeding that they are still a team to be dealt with in the LTC. They come into
the tournament with a record of 8-4 and hold a win over No. 6 six seed West Central.
Gone are four seniors who were instrumental in the Havana’s successful last four years. The lone returning starter is Kelsey Snowden, who is
recovering from an off-season knee surgery and has not yet been released to play.
This year’s team is made up of four seniors and one junior. Senior Hannah Huber is the team’s top gun with a 10-point per game average. Senior
Destiny Jones, Junior Katie Boyce, and freshman Jordan Hughes are all averaging eight points apiece for coach Wilson. Boyce and Huber do the lion’s share of
rebounding.
The Lady Ducks rely on defense (as always), depth and offensive balance. They are in the process of developing their depth from the younger
members of the squad. Please, no tears for Jerry.
No. 6 Seed
The No. six seed belongs to West Central, no stranger in being among the top teams in the tournament. They bring a 7-2 record, having lost to No. four seed Routt by
three, and by one to Havana, so expect as always a Lady Cougar team that will be a “hard out.”
Veteran Coach Brian Bettis (who has a state championship trophy in his pocket), will bring a team that depends on its defense to set up the
offense. They will be fast coming out of the gate, and will “get in your face” from the very get-go. When you play a Bettis team you had better tie your
shoelaces tight.“We can shoot the ball,” said Bettis. “We shoot a lot of threes and we kinda spread it around the perimeter, and everybody gets their
shot.”
The No. seven seed is Farmington, coached by veteran head coach Jodi Rathbun.
Liberty comes into the tourney holding down the No. 8 seed, and come into the LTC with a 9-2 mark and has a good mixture of
experience, youth and talent. The Lady Eagles are coached by Brad Bergman, who takes over the reins from Brad Neisen.
The Lady Eagles are learning a new system under Coach Bergman, but will push the ball in an up-tempo style, and
will run a set offense while running the controlled fast paced attack, and play solid defense on the other end of the floor. Liberty is young in some areas but
they do have some players. Senior Miranda Neisen is coming off a thumb injury, and is rounding back into shape with a near double figure scoring
average. Madelyn Hyer is a forward/center and is leading the team in both rebounds and scoring. She is active and has a high energy level. Lanessa Graham
is the point guard for the Lady Eagles, and she is a good shooter and takes care of the ball. Liberty’s style of ball is to play solid defense, and push the ball
on offense.
Coach Bergman feels that this will be a very competitive tournament and several teams, including his have a shot at the title. “I am
excited to see our girls play teams they don’t normally see and the experience for my younger girls will help them understand how to compete a higher
level.”
The No. nine seed belongs to South Fulton.
Macomb is the last of the top ten, but don’t sell Zack Keene’s Lady Bombers short. Keene holds
two LTC championships from his days at Illini West, before moving on to coach at Macomb this year, and had the Illini West Lady Chargers in four of the last six
title games at the LTC. The new look Lady Bombers will bring Coach Keene’s “32 minutes of hell” philosophy forcing teams to play a more up-tempo style of
play and creating more turnovers with their defense. At present Macomb is creating 33 turnovers a game and are hopeful to improve on this statistic during
the LTC tourney. The full court “Havoc” will play a big role later in the season for Coach Keene as his team learns the basic fundamentals of his swarming
defense. With just three seniors on the floor the Lady Bombers look to create “HAVOC” with the younger players in the rotation. They may look “wild and wooly”
but make no mistake, do not take Macomb lightly. That’s a look at the Top Ten; look for some upsets along the way, come out to the BHS Tiger Den and see
girls’ basketball played at its very best. See you folks at the LTC.
December 19, 2012 Lady Mustangs 12-1!
Gus Macker May 2005 - Sportsmanship award
Unity Hoopsfest 2005 - 1st place!
December 15, 2012, Unity 58, Macomb 48 - Lady Mustangs improve to 11-1!!
Unity 58, Macomb 48
The Bombers fell on Saturday afternoon to Mendon, 58-48. Macomb led at halftime, but Unity
was able to stay in the game and retake the lead in the second half at the free-throw line.
For the game, Unity shot 44 free-throw's to Macomb's 13.
Unity hit 21, while the Bombers made six. "That's the difference in
the game," Zach Keene said Saturday. "We make bad fouls out of frustration or
over aggression and we give up easy points. "We can't do that." Macomb
also struggled in the post, a place where the Bombers had a distinct height
advantage. "We're not getting much point production from our post, which is
where the majority of our experienced players are," Keene said. "We have to be
able to get those close, easy look and we're not getting them, it's hard to win if you rely on jump shots."
Sophomore center Kayla Vestal led Macomb with 12 points, but her effort inside was not enough.
"We turned the over way too much trying to get it to her, or when we got the ball inside, we turned it over
too much," Keene said. "We can't have those possessions where we don't get shots, then give teams points by fouling."
The Bombers fell on Saturday afternoon to Mendon, 58-48. Macomb led at halftime, but Unity
was able to stay in the game and retake the lead in the second half at the free-throw line.
For the game, Unity shot 44 free-throw's to Macomb's 13.
Unity hit 21, while the Bombers made six. "That's the difference in
the game," Zach Keene said Saturday. "We make bad fouls out of frustration or
over aggression and we give up easy points. "We can't do that." Macomb
also struggled in the post, a place where the Bombers had a distinct height
advantage. "We're not getting much point production from our post, which is
where the majority of our experienced players are," Keene said. "We have to be
able to get those close, easy look and we're not getting them, it's hard to win if you rely on jump shots."
Sophomore center Kayla Vestal led Macomb with 12 points, but her effort inside was not enough.
"We turned the over way too much trying to get it to her, or when we got the ball inside, we turned it over
too much," Keene said. "We can't have those possessions where we don't get shots, then give teams points by fouling."
See stats corrections below:Last second shot dooms PalmyraBy JASON FARMER [email protected] Dec. 15, 2012 12:33 a.m. For 31 minutes the Palmyra girls’ basketball team led the game. But all that matters is what the final score says after 32 minutes of play and when the buzzer went off Friday night, Mendon Unity had sent the Lady Panthers to their third straight loss with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Palmyra came out of the opening tip scoring quickly while holding Mendon Unity to few shots. When the first quarter closed, the Lady Panthers were up 12-4. While Palmyra never lost the lead in the second quarter, Mendon Unity climbed back into the game. The Lady Mustangs outscored Palmyra 18-11, but it wasn’t enough to to wrestle the lead away. As the two teams went into the break, Palmyra held a slim 23-22 lead. Both teams battled back and forth in the third quarter, but Palmyra stayed on top. The Lady Panthers outscored the Lady Mustangs 15-12 to increase their lead. Heading into the final eight minutes of play, Palmyra led 38-34. Trailing by four points, the Lady Mustangs hit four of their five three-pointers in the fourth quarter, including the game winner with no time left that gave Mendon Unity its only lead of the game. Megan Hooper led the Lady Panthers with 13 points. Alexis Losson chipped in 11 points while Katee Hinkle contribued eight for Palmyra. With the loss, Palmyra falls to 3-4 on the season. |
Unity’s 3-pointer at buzzer bests Lady Panthers
by Mark Cheffey
Published: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 10:14 AM CST
PHS varsity girls coach Chris Parsons wasn’t very happy with his team before Evie Miles stole the ball, was fouled and sank a free
throw to give her team a seemingly secure 48-46 lead against Unity with eight seconds left.
And, that was before Unity’s Jill Donley was left wide open for the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
That’s because Parsons already disappointed with his team’s performance from the get go.
“Our team’s effort out there was non-existent,” said Parsons, visibly unhappy, after
the game.
“We were like a bunch of whipped puppies at halftime,” he said, and that was when the Lady Panthers had a one-point
lead.
Parsons was also not pleased with his team’s ball protection, missed lay-ups and rebounding in the game, that at one time, looked like the
Lady Panthers just about had the game in the bag.
Palmyra has a three-game losing streak thanks also to a 74-35 home loss to Quincy Notre Dame
last Tuesday.
The Lady Panthers were 12 points back at the half, but were out scored 32-16 the rest of the way.
See more in this week's Palmyra Spectator.
Unity 56, Clark County 42: Lady Mustangs improve to 9-1
Lady Mustangs 8-1!
JV wins over Western in double overtime
Unity Hoopsfest 2004
Unity Hoopsfest 2003:
Girls basketball roundup: C-SE, Unity open Unity Tournament with winsIn the other pool, Unity opened with a 60-35 win over Western behind 20 points and 11 rebounds from Breanne Begeman. Unity (4-1) outscored Western 27-11 in the
second half. Maggie Bowles chipped in 12 points and five steals for Unity, and Rachel Motley led Western (2-4) with 14 points. |
JV vs. Illini West November 27, 2012
November 21, 2012 - Lady Mustangs 3-0, 2-0!
Unity 52, Central-Southeastern 34:
The
Lady Mustangs jumped out
to an early lead and never
looked back as they picked
up the West Central Conference
South Division win at
home.
Brooklyn Moore scored a game-high 18 points, while Maggie Bowles turned in 11 for Unity (3-0, 2-0).
Torie Conover led Central- Southeastern with 17 points, and Madison Steinkamp had 11.
Unity 52, Central-Southeastern 34 CENTRAL-SE (1-1) Twaddell 0 0-0 0, Limkemann 0 1-4 1, Berry 0 0-0 0, Conover 8 1-2 17, Weaver 0 0-0 0,
Flesner 2 0-0 4, Steinkamp 5 2-2 12. Totals 15 4-8 34.
UNITY (3-0) Bowles 5 1-1 11, Donley 2 2-3 8, Koehler 0 0-0 0, Moore 9 0-0 18, Begeman 3 1-2 8, Murphy 3 1-2 7, Beers 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-8 52.
C-SE 8 6 12 8—34
Unity 19 8 9 16—52
3-point field goals—Unity 3 (Donley 2, Begeman). Fouls—C-SE 12, Unity 12. Fouled out— Steinkamp.
Brooklyn Moore scored a game-high 18 points, while Maggie Bowles turned in 11 for Unity (3-0, 2-0).
Torie Conover led Central- Southeastern with 17 points, and Madison Steinkamp had 11.
Unity 52, Central-Southeastern 34 CENTRAL-SE (1-1) Twaddell 0 0-0 0, Limkemann 0 1-4 1, Berry 0 0-0 0, Conover 8 1-2 17, Weaver 0 0-0 0,
Flesner 2 0-0 4, Steinkamp 5 2-2 12. Totals 15 4-8 34.
UNITY (3-0) Bowles 5 1-1 11, Donley 2 2-3 8, Koehler 0 0-0 0, Moore 9 0-0 18, Begeman 3 1-2 8, Murphy 3 1-2 7, Beers 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-8 52.
C-SE 8 6 12 8—34
Unity 19 8 9 16—52
3-point field goals—Unity 3 (Donley 2, Begeman). Fouls—C-SE 12, Unity 12. Fouled out— Steinkamp.
Unity 52, BPCA 25:
The Lady Mustangs (2-0) held BCPA to five points in the second half to earn a win. Unity was led by Brooklyn
Moore, who had 15 points and five rebounds, and Breanne Begeman, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
BPCA: Ray 0 0-0 0, Hoyle 1 0-0 2, Turner 0 0-0 0, Hensley 2 0-0 6,
Bartlett 0 0-0
0, Frankhauser 1 1-2 3, Foster 0 0-0 0, Redington 1 0-0 2,
Cameron 0 0-0 0, Kipling 0 0-0 0,
C. Norris 0 0-0 0, K. Norris 5 2-4 12,
Benson 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 3-6 25.
UNITY (2-0): Bowles 1 0-0 2, Donley 2 2-4 8, Hull 0 0-1 0, Duesterhaus 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 1-2 1, Koehler
0 0-0 0, Barnett 0 0-0 0, Moore 7 1-2 15, Bohan 0 0-0 0, Begeman 5 3-5 15, Beers 2 0-0 5, Williams 1 0-0 2, Murphy 1 2-6 4. Totals
19 9-21
52.
BPCA 10 10 0 5—25
Unity 20 16 13 3—52
3-point field goals—BPCA 2 (Hensley 2), Unity 5 (Donley 2, Begeman 2, Beers). Fouls-- BPCA 20, Unity 14. Fouled out—None.
Moore, who had 15 points and five rebounds, and Breanne Begeman, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
BPCA: Ray 0 0-0 0, Hoyle 1 0-0 2, Turner 0 0-0 0, Hensley 2 0-0 6,
Bartlett 0 0-0
0, Frankhauser 1 1-2 3, Foster 0 0-0 0, Redington 1 0-0 2,
Cameron 0 0-0 0, Kipling 0 0-0 0,
C. Norris 0 0-0 0, K. Norris 5 2-4 12,
Benson 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 3-6 25.
UNITY (2-0): Bowles 1 0-0 2, Donley 2 2-4 8, Hull 0 0-1 0, Duesterhaus 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 1-2 1, Koehler
0 0-0 0, Barnett 0 0-0 0, Moore 7 1-2 15, Bohan 0 0-0 0, Begeman 5 3-5 15, Beers 2 0-0 5, Williams 1 0-0 2, Murphy 1 2-6 4. Totals
19 9-21
52.
BPCA 10 10 0 5—25
Unity 20 16 13 3—52
3-point field goals—BPCA 2 (Hensley 2), Unity 5 (Donley 2, Begeman 2, Beers). Fouls-- BPCA 20, Unity 14. Fouled out—None.
Unity defeats Titans in key early division game
Posted: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 12:00 pm
Updated: 1:55 pm, Wed Nov 14, 2012.
By Brad Cameron, Sports Editor, Keokuk Daily Gate
WARSAW, Ill. — The Unity Lady Mustangs gained the upper hand in the West Central Conference South Division standings with a key win in the season opener
Tuesday.
Unity had four players score in double figures, and the Lady Mustangs held off West Hancock in the second half for a 64-56 win in the girls basketball game
played at Warsaw High School.
“Give Unity credit. Every time we made a run, they made a big shot, and got the lead back up to where they wanted it,” said West Hancock Head Coach Adam
Brumbaugh. “They made the play. They showed a lot of poise out there, and they stepped up when they needed to.”
Unity won the division title last season, handing West Hancock its only division loss in the season opener last year in Mendon.
“The atmosphere in the locker room seemed positive,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re disappointed because it was a big conference game. That doesn’t mean the rest of
the season is a wash. If something happens to Unity, we have a shot if we win the next five games in our conference.”
The Titans spent much of the game playing from behind. Carly Runge, who had West Hancock’s first seven points, scored on a drive to the basket to give the
Titans the lead. Keaghan Shacklett added a basket off an assist from Haleigh Hammel to put West Hancock ahead 9-8 with 3:30 left in the first quarter.
It was the last time the Titans would lead in the game.
Jill Donley hit three-pointers to start and end a 12-4 run the remainder of the quarter to give Unity a 20-13 lead. The Lady Mustangs extended the margin to
24-15 when Brooklyn Moore scored off an offensive rebound.
West Hancock battled back. Unity missed seven free throw attempts, and Shelby Koehler and Runge combined to score 10 of the Titans’ 12 second quarter points.
Koehler hit a three-pointer, and Runge followed with a basket to cut the deficit to 27-25 late in the first half.
West Hancock tied the game at 29-29 on a basket by Hammel in the first minute of the third quarter, but the Titans could not take the lead away from Unity.
Moore made the Lady Mustangs’ first free throw, and Maggie Bowles turned a steal into a basket to push the margin to three. West Hancock trimmed the deficit to
one point on three separate occasions, but Unity scored six straight points to push the advantage to seven points late in the third quarter.
“We certainly had our chances,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re kicking ourselves quite a bit. The girls were disappointed we didn’t take advantage more of our
opportunities. Things that we work on in practice, we weren’t necessarily applying as often as we would have liked tonight.”
Unity stretched its lead to 47-39 early in the final quarter, but a basket by Koehler and a three-pointer by Runge closed the gap to 47-44. Unfortunately, a
three-point play by Bowles nine seconds after Runge’s three-pointer stretched the lead to six with 6:38 remaining. A free throw by Donley and a basket by
Moore stretched the lead to 53-44.
Koehler kept West Hancock from turning the ball over with a diving save along the sideline. It led to a three-pointer by Runge. Breanne Begeman made 1 of 2
free throws for Unity, but Runge drove to basket, used a spin move to get around a defender, scored a layup and was fouled. She hit the free throw to complete
the three-point play to pull the Titans to within 54-50.
Harmon’s steal and basket trimmed the margin to 55-52 with 4:20 left, but it was as close as the Titans would get the rest of the game. Begeman and Bowles
combined for eight points to give the Lady Mustangs their biggest lead of the game at 63-52 with 2:52 remaining.
“I was hoping one last run would push us over the edge,” Brumbaugh said. “Our motto is to never let up. We kept playing and kept pressing, and I felt the
girls were staying positive and trying to do our game plan. We were working together. Somebody kept stepping up, but somebody kept stepping up for them
also.”
Runge scored 13 fourth quarter points and finished with a game-high 28 points to lead West Hancock. Koehler added 10 points. Alexis Dooley had six points
despite missing much of the second half with foul troubles. Hammel and Allison Dewald each scored four points, and Harmon and Shacklett each scored two
points.
“We’re a very balanced team. Last year we had seven of these girls on the current roster lead us in scoring at different times and in different games,”
Brumbaugh said. “We’re going to really move the ball, find the open person and hopefully, hit that hot hand. Other players had opportunities tonight.
Throughout the season, you’re going to find a half-a-dozen girls, easily, step up and score double digits and help us out. The next game, I don’t know who it
is going to be, but Runge did a great job scoring for us tonight.”
Moore had 18 points and 19 rebounds for Unity. Bowles also scored 18 points. Begeman added 13 points, and Donley finished with 11 points.
West Hancock hosts Quincy Notre Dame Monday at Hamilton High School.
Updated: 1:55 pm, Wed Nov 14, 2012.
By Brad Cameron, Sports Editor, Keokuk Daily Gate
WARSAW, Ill. — The Unity Lady Mustangs gained the upper hand in the West Central Conference South Division standings with a key win in the season opener
Tuesday.
Unity had four players score in double figures, and the Lady Mustangs held off West Hancock in the second half for a 64-56 win in the girls basketball game
played at Warsaw High School.
“Give Unity credit. Every time we made a run, they made a big shot, and got the lead back up to where they wanted it,” said West Hancock Head Coach Adam
Brumbaugh. “They made the play. They showed a lot of poise out there, and they stepped up when they needed to.”
Unity won the division title last season, handing West Hancock its only division loss in the season opener last year in Mendon.
“The atmosphere in the locker room seemed positive,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re disappointed because it was a big conference game. That doesn’t mean the rest of
the season is a wash. If something happens to Unity, we have a shot if we win the next five games in our conference.”
The Titans spent much of the game playing from behind. Carly Runge, who had West Hancock’s first seven points, scored on a drive to the basket to give the
Titans the lead. Keaghan Shacklett added a basket off an assist from Haleigh Hammel to put West Hancock ahead 9-8 with 3:30 left in the first quarter.
It was the last time the Titans would lead in the game.
Jill Donley hit three-pointers to start and end a 12-4 run the remainder of the quarter to give Unity a 20-13 lead. The Lady Mustangs extended the margin to
24-15 when Brooklyn Moore scored off an offensive rebound.
West Hancock battled back. Unity missed seven free throw attempts, and Shelby Koehler and Runge combined to score 10 of the Titans’ 12 second quarter points.
Koehler hit a three-pointer, and Runge followed with a basket to cut the deficit to 27-25 late in the first half.
West Hancock tied the game at 29-29 on a basket by Hammel in the first minute of the third quarter, but the Titans could not take the lead away from Unity.
Moore made the Lady Mustangs’ first free throw, and Maggie Bowles turned a steal into a basket to push the margin to three. West Hancock trimmed the deficit to
one point on three separate occasions, but Unity scored six straight points to push the advantage to seven points late in the third quarter.
“We certainly had our chances,” Brumbaugh said. “We’re kicking ourselves quite a bit. The girls were disappointed we didn’t take advantage more of our
opportunities. Things that we work on in practice, we weren’t necessarily applying as often as we would have liked tonight.”
Unity stretched its lead to 47-39 early in the final quarter, but a basket by Koehler and a three-pointer by Runge closed the gap to 47-44. Unfortunately, a
three-point play by Bowles nine seconds after Runge’s three-pointer stretched the lead to six with 6:38 remaining. A free throw by Donley and a basket by
Moore stretched the lead to 53-44.
Koehler kept West Hancock from turning the ball over with a diving save along the sideline. It led to a three-pointer by Runge. Breanne Begeman made 1 of 2
free throws for Unity, but Runge drove to basket, used a spin move to get around a defender, scored a layup and was fouled. She hit the free throw to complete
the three-point play to pull the Titans to within 54-50.
Harmon’s steal and basket trimmed the margin to 55-52 with 4:20 left, but it was as close as the Titans would get the rest of the game. Begeman and Bowles
combined for eight points to give the Lady Mustangs their biggest lead of the game at 63-52 with 2:52 remaining.
“I was hoping one last run would push us over the edge,” Brumbaugh said. “Our motto is to never let up. We kept playing and kept pressing, and I felt the
girls were staying positive and trying to do our game plan. We were working together. Somebody kept stepping up, but somebody kept stepping up for them
also.”
Runge scored 13 fourth quarter points and finished with a game-high 28 points to lead West Hancock. Koehler added 10 points. Alexis Dooley had six points
despite missing much of the second half with foul troubles. Hammel and Allison Dewald each scored four points, and Harmon and Shacklett each scored two
points.
“We’re a very balanced team. Last year we had seven of these girls on the current roster lead us in scoring at different times and in different games,”
Brumbaugh said. “We’re going to really move the ball, find the open person and hopefully, hit that hot hand. Other players had opportunities tonight.
Throughout the season, you’re going to find a half-a-dozen girls, easily, step up and score double digits and help us out. The next game, I don’t know who it
is going to be, but Runge did a great job scoring for us tonight.”
Moore had 18 points and 19 rebounds for Unity. Bowles also scored 18 points. Begeman added 13 points, and Donley finished with 11 points.
West Hancock hosts Quincy Notre Dame Monday at Hamilton High School.
KHQA news link: 11-14-2012
2012-13 Prep Basketball Preview: Illinois girls capsules
Unity
Coach: Brad Begeman (41-15 at Unity, third season).
2011-12 record: 25-6 (6-0, first place in the West Central Conference).
Returning starters: G-F Breanne Begeman, 5-9, Sr.; F Brooklyn Moore, 5-10, Sr.; G Jill Donley, 5-4, Sr.; G Maggie Bowles, 5-7, Jr.
Other returning letterwinners: F Whitney Murphy, 5-9, Jr.; F Libby Beers, 5-9, Jr.; G Ali Koehler, 5-4, Jr.; F Lexi Bohan, 5-7, Jr.
New faces: None listed.
Key losses: C Rachel Rush, F Kylee Churchill, G Bekah Tallcott.
Outlook: Last season ended with a loss to South Fulton in the Class 1A regional championship game. The Lady Mustangs have their sights
set higher this time around.
Unity returns one of the area's best 1-2 punches in Begeman and Moore. Begeman averaged 14.5 points and 9 rebounds per game, while
Moore checked in at 13 points and eight rebounds. Donley is back at point guard, while Bowles was the team's first player off the bench last season.
The Lady Mustangs didn't go very deep last season so there will be some inexperience.
"This group of girls have a great work ethic and play tremendous team ball," Brad Begeman said. "We have many offensive weapons and I
expect to see some huge breakout games from several players this season."
Coach: Brad Begeman (41-15 at Unity, third season).
2011-12 record: 25-6 (6-0, first place in the West Central Conference).
Returning starters: G-F Breanne Begeman, 5-9, Sr.; F Brooklyn Moore, 5-10, Sr.; G Jill Donley, 5-4, Sr.; G Maggie Bowles, 5-7, Jr.
Other returning letterwinners: F Whitney Murphy, 5-9, Jr.; F Libby Beers, 5-9, Jr.; G Ali Koehler, 5-4, Jr.; F Lexi Bohan, 5-7, Jr.
New faces: None listed.
Key losses: C Rachel Rush, F Kylee Churchill, G Bekah Tallcott.
Outlook: Last season ended with a loss to South Fulton in the Class 1A regional championship game. The Lady Mustangs have their sights
set higher this time around.
Unity returns one of the area's best 1-2 punches in Begeman and Moore. Begeman averaged 14.5 points and 9 rebounds per game, while
Moore checked in at 13 points and eight rebounds. Donley is back at point guard, while Bowles was the team's first player off the bench last season.
The Lady Mustangs didn't go very deep last season so there will be some inexperience.
"This group of girls have a great work ethic and play tremendous team ball," Brad Begeman said. "We have many offensive weapons and I
expect to see some huge breakout games from several players this season."
2012-13 Prep Basketball Preview: Begemans find success together
Breanne Begeman, left, admits her all-around game has developed nicely thanks to the influence of her father, Brad, right, who is in his third season as the Unity girls basketball coach. Last year, Breanne led the Lady Mustangs in scoring and rebounding w
By JOSH RIZZO
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
MENDON, Ill. -- It took Breanne Begeman time to learn how to filter her father's instructions.
Now in his third season as the Unity girls basketball coach, Brad Begeman doesn't hesitate to offer constructive criticism to any of
his players, including his daughter.
That hasn't always been easy to handle.
"(It was) probably just my dad telling me stuff and what to do. I'll take that negatively, and that makes me play worse," said
Breanne, a 5-foot-9 senior forward. "I'll have that in my head that's he picking on me, but he's not."
It's created a few silent car rides home.
"When she's disappointed in the way she or the way the team plays, so am I," Brad said. "Me harping about it or anything else doesn't
help. I know she takes it to heart. So we just try to go on."
Without her dad's influence, though, Breanne doesn't think she would have improved as much as she has.
Last season, she averaged a team-high 14.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
"From my sophomore year on, I've played for my dad," Breanne said. "It's a neat experience. He's turned me into a better player I
think. He's made me more of an athlete than I would have expected to be. He's helped me improve all-around. My shooting, dribbling and ball-handling have
improved."
Developing their relationship also has been a work in progress for Brad.
His coaching career started with YMCA basketball when Breanne was in third grade. Learning the best way to handle the situation ranged
from asking others to getting first-hand experience.
"Initially, it was a challenge," he said. "I took a lot of advice from a lot other parent-coaches who talked about how you had to
separate your child from the coach aspect. The first year or two was tough, but I had an opportunity to coach at the junior high level and it was best thing I ever did.
"Her and I have talked about it, and anymore, she's just another player on the court. Until the game is done, I don't look at her
any other way."
Brad took over the Lady Mustangs program when Breanne was a sophomore and has gone 41-15 since, including Unity's first two West
Central Conference South Division titles. The Lady Mustangs finished last season 25-6 -- the most wins in program history.
Breanne's game has blossomed since her freshman season, when she served mostly as a perimeter threat.
Last year, she led Unity in scoring, rebounding, assists and 3-pointers made, while earning first-team all-area honors. Her
development has drawn notice from some small colleges, including Culver-Stockton College.
"When she became a freshman, the coach back then had her designated as a 3-point shooter, and that was her game," Brad said. "...
She's changed her game to a broad style of play. If people want to play us man or zone, she's adapted to it well. She's a good post player for her height and a
great outside shooter. As years progressed, she turned into all-around player."
There's only one thing missing from her resume -- a regional championship.
The Lady Mustangs also return 5-10 senior Brooklyn Moore, who averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game last season, and point
guard Jill Donley, while the coach expects Maggie Bowles and Whitney Murphy to step up and surprise people this season.
"Each year, our goal is to get regionals, but there's always been a bump in the road," Breanne said. "This year, were hoping to get
over that bump and get out of regionals."
-- [email protected]/221-3365
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
MENDON, Ill. -- It took Breanne Begeman time to learn how to filter her father's instructions.
Now in his third season as the Unity girls basketball coach, Brad Begeman doesn't hesitate to offer constructive criticism to any of
his players, including his daughter.
That hasn't always been easy to handle.
"(It was) probably just my dad telling me stuff and what to do. I'll take that negatively, and that makes me play worse," said
Breanne, a 5-foot-9 senior forward. "I'll have that in my head that's he picking on me, but he's not."
It's created a few silent car rides home.
"When she's disappointed in the way she or the way the team plays, so am I," Brad said. "Me harping about it or anything else doesn't
help. I know she takes it to heart. So we just try to go on."
Without her dad's influence, though, Breanne doesn't think she would have improved as much as she has.
Last season, she averaged a team-high 14.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
"From my sophomore year on, I've played for my dad," Breanne said. "It's a neat experience. He's turned me into a better player I
think. He's made me more of an athlete than I would have expected to be. He's helped me improve all-around. My shooting, dribbling and ball-handling have
improved."
Developing their relationship also has been a work in progress for Brad.
His coaching career started with YMCA basketball when Breanne was in third grade. Learning the best way to handle the situation ranged
from asking others to getting first-hand experience.
"Initially, it was a challenge," he said. "I took a lot of advice from a lot other parent-coaches who talked about how you had to
separate your child from the coach aspect. The first year or two was tough, but I had an opportunity to coach at the junior high level and it was best thing I ever did.
"Her and I have talked about it, and anymore, she's just another player on the court. Until the game is done, I don't look at her
any other way."
Brad took over the Lady Mustangs program when Breanne was a sophomore and has gone 41-15 since, including Unity's first two West
Central Conference South Division titles. The Lady Mustangs finished last season 25-6 -- the most wins in program history.
Breanne's game has blossomed since her freshman season, when she served mostly as a perimeter threat.
Last year, she led Unity in scoring, rebounding, assists and 3-pointers made, while earning first-team all-area honors. Her
development has drawn notice from some small colleges, including Culver-Stockton College.
"When she became a freshman, the coach back then had her designated as a 3-point shooter, and that was her game," Brad said. "...
She's changed her game to a broad style of play. If people want to play us man or zone, she's adapted to it well. She's a good post player for her height and a
great outside shooter. As years progressed, she turned into all-around player."
There's only one thing missing from her resume -- a regional championship.
The Lady Mustangs also return 5-10 senior Brooklyn Moore, who averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game last season, and point
guard Jill Donley, while the coach expects Maggie Bowles and Whitney Murphy to step up and surprise people this season.
"Each year, our goal is to get regionals, but there's always been a bump in the road," Breanne said. "This year, were hoping to get
over that bump and get out of regionals."
-- [email protected]/221-3365