Royals denied third straight state trip

Updated: March 23, 2011 2:28PM

Unfortunately for Hinckley-Big Rock its run as the Cinderella of IHSA

Class 1A Girls Basketball came to end Monday night as River Ridge-Scales Mound

posted a 43-28 victory to deny the Royals' hopes of a third consecutive trip to

the state finals.

For RR-SM's Lady Wildcats, they can add a first-ever appearance for their school

in state basketball finals to their initial regional, sectional, and

supersectional success stories. While among others receiving votes in the polls,

RR-SM is better known for many of the same young girls following up a magical

season that got them to the 1A volleyball finals. The initial success included

defeating two-time defending champion Eastland-Lanark and now the Lady Cats

knocked off the two-time defending hoops champs in H-BR.

Hinckley-Big Rock had an early 6-2 lead only to have the opening quarter end in

a 10-all deadlock. In the second quarter, the Royals (28-4) began having

turnover troubles and RR-SM managed to gain a narrow 20-19 halftime lead.

Lady Cat standout Whitney Kieffer had 12 points at intermission and scored all

four of RR-SM buckets in the third frame while Hinckley-Big Rock got just one of

two free throws from Kaitlin Phillips to fall behind 28-20.

"We came out the third quarter and allowed them three fastbreak buckets and we

couldn't score, that was the ballgame," H-BR coach Greg Burkes admitted. "We

didn't shoot particularly well but that was due to their pressure. If they play

defense like they did against us down there, they can win it all and I hope they

do."

River Ridge-Scales Mound got an old-fashioned three-point play from Kieffer with

3:00 left in the fourth to establish a double-figure lead that held up as the

Lady Cats hit 11-of-19 at the free throw line.

"I was shooting with a lot of confidence and we just didn't want our season to

end," Kieffer insisted.

"We worked a lot on our 1-3-1 defense and just tried to keep the pressure on

(Tess) Godhardt and Phillips," Courtney Busch explained.

RR-SM coach Brian Wurster echoed those sentiments: "Our girls did a great job of

executing our gameplan. We wanted to limit their shots and put particular

pressure on Godhardt and Phillips."

Godhardt finished with 10 points as did teammate Alyssa Baunach while Phillips

finished with six.

Kieffer's game-best 26 was followed by seven from Kaitlyn Pleau and six from

Jessie Albrecht.

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