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Pekin sophomore Eilish Morrissey stood at the free-throw line with zeroes on the clock Tuesday night, her team down by two points, with two free throws to shoot.
She made the first but the second rimmed out and Dunlap won the Mid-Illini Conference game, 49-48.
“Ultimately, it comes down to, in the last minute and a half, we gave up some easy baskets,” said Pekin coach Becky Fulkerson. “Defensively, we have to be on target when it’s a close game like this.”
The Dragons (8-9, 4-3) battled back from a seven-point deficit with 1:32 left and they did it on the free-throw line, where they were 10-for-12 for the game.
Dunlap had the ball out of bounds with 2.5 seconds left and should have thrown the in-bounds pass deep.
But the Eagles didn’t and there was a scramble and Lexi Hobbs fouled Morrissey for the last-second drama.
Hobbs attempted just three shots from the field but made them all.
“Obviously we knew Lexi was their big player,” said Fulkerson. “Maddie Cordts is one of our best defenders and I had no problem putting her on her.”
Hobbs finished with 13 points as did Kristeen Morgan and freshman Brianna Henson.
“She had a very good game for us and it’s hard to tell she’s a freshman anymore,” said Dunlap coach Pat Garst of Henson. “She’s not playing like it.”
Katie Powell and Kelsi Rogers both scored 12 points for the Dragons, who are tied with the Eagles (8-9, 4-3) for third in the conference.
“The kids are working so hard and are starting to play better as a team,” said Garst. “It’s not all Lexi anymore. It’s everyone else stepping up. And we have some people coming off the bench playing well and our post players have improved dramatically. The last two games we’ve played have been very good.”
Pekin sophomore Eilish Morrissey stood at the free-throw line with zeroes on the clock Tuesday night, her team down by two points, with two free throws to shoot.
She made the first but the second rimmed out and Dunlap won the Mid-Illini Conference game, 49-48.
“Ultimately, it comes down to, in the last minute and a half, we gave up some easy baskets,” said Pekin coach Becky Fulkerson. “Defensively, we have to be on target when it’s a close game like this.”
The Dragons (8-9, 4-3) battled back from a seven-point deficit with 1:32 left and they did it on the free-throw line, where they were 10-for-12 for the game.
Dunlap had the ball out of bounds with 2.5 seconds left and should have thrown the in-bounds pass deep.
But the Eagles didn’t and there was a scramble and Lexi Hobbs fouled Morrissey for the last-second drama.
Hobbs attempted just three shots from the field but made them all.
“Obviously we knew Lexi was their big player,” said Fulkerson. “Maddie Cordts is one of our best defenders and I had no problem putting her on her.”
Hobbs finished with 13 points as did Kristeen Morgan and freshman Brianna Henson.
“She had a very good game for us and it’s hard to tell she’s a freshman anymore,” said Dunlap coach Pat Garst of Henson. “She’s not playing like it.”
Katie Powell and Kelsi Rogers both scored 12 points for the Dragons, who are tied with the Eagles (8-9, 4-3) for third in the conference.
“The kids are working so hard and are starting to play better as a team,” said Garst. “It’s not all Lexi anymore. It’s everyone else stepping up. And we have some people coming off the bench playing well and our post players have improved dramatically. The last two games we’ve played have been very good.”
