By Fred Kroner
For the fourth consecutive year that the IESA has conducted postseason tournaments in girls’ basketball for junior high schools, Mahomet-Seymour’s seventh-grade squad won a regional championship.
The Bulldogs continued the streak on Tuesday (Nov. 23), gaining revenge for a regular-season loss to Champaign Edison by topping the top-seeded Comets 25-19 in the M-S gymnasium.
Courtney Fonte scored a team-high 11 points and Hannah Martin added nine points for the Bulldogs, who were the No. 2 seed.
M-S’ halftime lead was a scant 13-12, but the Bulldogs expanded their margin by holding Edison scoreless in the third quarter to take a 19-12 edge into the final stanza.
When the Comets pulled within two points several times in the last quarter, the Bulldogs’ offense responded by increasing the margin once again.
M-S has a 22-3 season record with a seven-game winning streak which it will put on the line on Wednesday (Dec. 1) in Taylorville against Taylorville (22-2) in the IESA Class 4A sectional championship game.
After finishing the regular season with a win at St. Joseph, the M-S seventh-grade girls’ basketball team won twice at home to start the IESA postseason.
M-S defeated St. Joseph 22-5 behind a 10-point performance from Martin. Fonte chipped in with seven points.
The Bulldogs won twice on Saturday (Nov. 20) to reach the regional title game.
In the quarterfinals, M-S handled Champaign Franklin, 38-8. Breckyn Hess led the way with eight points. Martin and Fonte landed six points each.
The semifinal showdown with Urbana provided a thrilling conclusion.
M-S had to rally after falling behind 8-2 at halftime and 13-7 entering the final quarter.
Martin hit eight of her 11 points in the final frame, helping to spark the comeback.
Fonte drained a jump shot with 55 seconds to play, cutting the M-S deficit to 17-15. After getting a defensive stop, Martin nailed 2-of-2 free throws at the 30-second mark, creating a tie.
The Bulldogs’ full-court press forced a 10-second call on the ensuing Urbana possession with 17.9 seconds remaining.
With nine seconds to play, Fonte drained a 15-foot shot from the corner to create the final 19-17 score.
In each of its first three postseason tournament games, M-S has had a different scoring leader: Hess, Martin and Fonte.
Meanwhile, the Bulldog eighth-graders overpowered St. Joseph, 28-10. Erin Dallas hit 10 points and Ava Yeakel contributed six points.
The eighth-graders are 21-1 with an 18-game winning streak and start postseason play at home on Tuesday (Nov. 30) against Champaign Franklin. M-S is the No. 1 seed.