Game 101
(2/25/10)
Moline vs. Edwardsville (Girl's Basketball)
Class 4A Normal West Sectional Championship
I hate shopping....and I'm just not very good at it. From getting groceries to shopping for clothes, I have just not conquered the art of the sport. For one thing, shopping costs money. Over the past week I have gazed through my closet a few occasions and noticed that several of the shirts are getting to the point of retirement. With spring on the way, it has become time to sprucen up the wardrobe.
With my trip to Bloomington/Normal occuring a day early, I took off from work a little bit early to make a stop in Peoria and pick up some new shirts. I also had a mall gift certificate burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas. Of course, where do I stop first? Not the mall! Why spend the free money?!?! My first stop (and had actually just planned one stop) was at T.J. Maxx. I'm a guy that doesn't want to spend $100 for a shirt or two, while also caring a little bit about the rags that cover my body.
As I walked in, the store confused me. Of course, any store selling clothes confuses me. I headed to the men's section, did a once-over, and picked up a few items, a long sleeve casual shirt, a Ralph Lauren polo (blue, since I have a fill on black and white), and a black striped dress shirt. Jumping back in the car, I plugged in Normal West HS into Garmin, and it told me my arrival time would be 5:02. I had some time to knock out a little bit of that mall gift card, since I wanted to get to the gym at 6:00.
To Northwoods Mall I went, and went into J.C. Penney. Again, a look of confusion came across my face, so I aimlessly wandered until I found the athletic apparel. The object I have been searching weeks for is a casual/workout shirt that is long sleeve. Something along the lines of Nike or Under Armour. I found, on clearance, a Nike top, but it was white and I just purchased a long sleeve white top recently. I grabbed a black Nike workout top and a black Nike polo, and called it a shopping day.
As I headed east towards Bloomington/Normal I made a pit stop in Morton for a bottle of water and gum. This time, I went north instead of south off the Interstate, avoiding the dirty gas station from the last Bloomington trip (Galesburg/Normal West I believe).
I arrived at Normal West High School shortly before 6:00, and was one of the first people in the gym, having my pick of several different media locations. Normally, the broadcasters sit at the very top (about a good 50 rows, literally), but for the Sectionals tables were set up on the floor as well. My pick was the table on the floor at half court opposite the benches and scorer's table.
I walked over to the Athletic Director's office and talked with Stan Lewis. He said I could have my pick of the tables, so I went with my first choice. The Edwardsville Tigers team had just arrived via charter bus, and the team was in the gym. The Tigers seemed very relaxed and free-spirited, spending much of the pre-pre game just having a good time and goofing off.
Unpacking, I discovered that I had left my pen (the one and only pen I pack for some reason!) on my desk at work. I also didn't pack any pens in my equipment bag. Fortunately, I had some pens in the car, so I went out to fetch them. As I walked back into the gym, the Tigers team had sprawled across the gym floor at half court and were trying to spell E-H-S using their bodies. They had some missing links because a few teammates opted out of this exercise.
Blue pens are my favorite. Maybe it's because you don't find blue pens. I scrounge through the radio station just to find blue pens, because I like using them for scorebooks better than black pens. For some reason, it was a blue Bic that I pulled out of my car.
After getting my notes ready, I headed across to the Edwardsville bench and talked with head coach Lori Blade. Edwardsville has a very young team, and played four freshman in the game, and they each saw significant time.
After talking with Coach Blade, the Moline Maroons entered the gym. Moline had a much more determined look on their faces. The Maroons were not as easy going as Edwardsville had appeared getting off the bus.
One of the big reasons I decided to do this game was the audience that I get from Moline fans. The aunt of Emily Kauzlarich had recruited several family members to tune in online, so we had her family listening from the Chicago suburbs, Tennessee, and North Carolina. I also handed out my card to a couple Edwardsville fans, and we did have some Tigers listening in from Edwardsville. Also in the chat room, we had listeners from Moline, Naperville, Galesburg, Danville, and even Las Vegas.
My next stop was to climb the bleachers behind the benches, where Moline coach Steve Ford was camped out after setting up the video camera. We talked a little about the matchup tonight, and how it compares with recent seasons. Moline's season has ended at the hands of Edwardsville in each of the last two years.
The Maroons started hot, behind a pair of three-pointers from Emily Kauzlarich, both from the top of the key giving Moline a 6-0 lead to start. The Tigers came back and answered with a Caty Ponce three, and then Miranda Geever made it 9-3 with another trifecta.
Edwardsville mounted a 6-0 run to tie the game at 9-9, and the rest of the first quarter went back and forth. The game was tied, 15-15 heading into the second quarter. The offense was paltry in the second quarter, with neither team scoring until the 3:37 mark, when Marquisha Harris hit a shot off the glass from the low block. This started a run on offense, with the Maroons outscoring the Tigers 8-7 in the second quarter. Harris was fouled running the floor going in for a layup with less than a second on the clock, and went (1-2) from the line to give Moline a one-point edge at halftime (23-22).
Moline jumped out to a five-point lead in the third quarter (32-27), with Miranda Geever scoring seven points in the quarter. The bigs for Edwardsville, Mary O'Keefe (6'0"), and Emmonie Henderson (6'2" Freshman) got into foul trouble, both picking up their fourth fouls in the second half.
The Tigers trailed by three points heading into the last quarter (35-32), but the momentum quickly swung their way. The baskets weren't going down for the Maroons, and the Tigers began to capitalize. Edwardsville also committed just three turnovers the entire second half, after committing 13 turnovers in the first two quarters.
With missed basket, after missed basket and time running down, Moline was forced to foul. Edwardsville entered the fourth quarter (2-6), from the free throw line. They would go (16-22) in the fourth quarter. Moline entered the final frame (12-14) from the line, and missed their first two free throws of the fourth quarter, both one-and-bonus shots.
Caty Ponce, who had the hot hand all night for the Tigers, went (8-8) from the line in the fourth quarter. She finished with a game-high 23 points. Also hitting double figures for the Tigers were, Cierra Gaines with 11 points, and Emmonie Henderson scored 10 points. Ponce and Gaines are both juniors, while Henderson is a freshman. There is not a single senior that saw action from Edwardsville. The Tigers pulled out the win at the free throw line, claiming a 57-43 victory.
Moline was led by Miranda Geever's 16 points, while Emily Kauzlarich and Marquisha Harris each added 9 points. Geever and Kauzlarich are both seniors. The Maroons say goodbye to a total of seven seniors, four of which start. Both teams finished with 16 turnovers. At the free throw line, Edwardsville went (18-28), while Moline was (16-20).
After the game, I found out that the hotel I selected couldn't be ANY FURTHER from Redbird Arena, the sight of the next games, without leaving McLean County. My destination is the Extended Stay Hotels, which was the cheapest room in town. I am just here to sleep a few hours and take a shower, so fancy stays for me. Unfortunately, it is a pretty far drive to the Illinois State University campus.
I checked in following the game, then ran out to grab some food, and ended up just stopping at Steak 'N Shake and getting a Wisconsin Buttery, and returned here to write this blog.
The Quest File Notes
Game 101
Date: 2/25/10
Result: Edwardsville uses 25-8 fourth quarter run to down Moline 57-43
Miles: TBA (I set the trip in my car for once!)
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