HS girls’ basketball: Staunton seven for seven, Gillespie takes down Auburn
Isabella Tiburzi, pictured surveying the floor during a road contest at Athens Nov. 18, scored 17 points for the Carlinville High School girls’ basketball team in its conference opener at Vandalia Dec. 1. Photo contributed by Julie Gibson.
By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer Democrat Reporter
In high school girls’ basketball action, Staunton is strengthening its reputation as the team to beat in the South Central Conference and Macoupin County itself, and Gillespie continues to show a great deal of improvement despite missing one of its most valuable players due to injury.
Staunton seven for seven
In addition to being 7-0, Staunton has yet to be competitively matched by any opponent it has gone up against thus far.
After a four-day break following a hot November, the Bulldogs picked right back up where they left off as the calendar page flipped.
Staunton pounded Litchfield in ‘The Jungle,’ 57-32, to open the conference season Dec. 1, then dealt a winless Bunker Hill squad its fifth consecutive loss, 53-21, at home the following evening. The Bulldogs kept surging Dec. 5 and clamped Roxana, 48-31, in the shadow of the refinery.
Heading into a pair of crucial conference battles against Pana and Vandalia, Staunton currently possesses a 399-183 edge in the season’s first three weeks.
The Bulldogs take on the Panthers in Pana Thurs., Dec. 8 and host the Vandals Mon., Dec. 12.
Gillespie takes down Auburn
Mia Brawner scored 17 points and Emily Schoen backed her talented sophomore teammate with 15 tallies en route to a 55-51 Gillespie victory over Auburn in ‘The Pit’ Dec. 5.
Lauren Bertagnolli and Delaney Taylor additionally contibuted double figures. Bertagnolli ripped off 11 points and Taylor added 10.
The Miners shook the rust of a 61-36 conference loss against Greenville they had suffered four days prior, and improved to 4-5 overall.
Gillespie travels to Piasa Thurs., Dec. 8 and will face Lincolnwood at the Terry Todt Shootout in Hillsboro Sat., Dec. 10. On Mon., Dec. 12, the
Miners play host to Route 4 rival Carlinville in a postseason rematch. The Cavaliers eliminated Gillespie in a tight regional quarterfinal, 42-40, last February.
Carlinville drops conference opener at Vandalia
Carlinville was unable to overcome a slow start in its conference opener at Vandalia Dec. 1, and took a 48-39 loss despite winning the second half.
The Cavaliers stumbled from the opening tip and found themselves in a 13-4 hole after the first quarter. The gap widened to 24-12 heading into the locker room.
Isabella Tiburzi scored 17 points and Braley Wiser added 11 tallies for CHS, which fell to 1-5 in defeat.
Carlinville hosts Hillsboro in a highly-anticipated regional championship rematch Thurs., Dec. 8 at the Big House. The Cavaliers lost to the Hiltoppers at home during the last regular season, but took them down on enemy ground in a playoff classic that was decided in overtime.
Carlinville plays Nokomis at the Terry Todt Shootout Sat., Dec. 10. The game, which will be hosted by Hillsboro High School, tips at 2 p.m.
Braley Wiser, pictured in-bounding for the Carlinville High School girls’ basketball team at Athens Nov. 18, put up 11 points in the Cavaliers’ conference opener at Vandalia Dec. 1. Photo contributed by Julie Gibson.
Mt. Olive hit with back-to-back conference defeats
Mt. Olive fell to 1-5 on the year with a pair of conference losses against Springfield Lutheran Nov. 29 (39-36) and Lincolnwood (44-38).
The Wildcats hosted 1-5 Southwestern Dec. 7. Both teams came in looking to snap a losing streak, which was at three for Mt. Olive and four for Piasa. Results will be published in next week’s issue.
Mt. Olive hosts another home game Thurs., Dec. 8 against South Fork and will travel to Carlinville Tues., Dec. 13.
