Women’s Basketball holds annual Jamboree
A packed house fills the bleachers at Ramsey Gym during ICC’s exhibition game against Vincennes University on Saturday. PHOTO / ALEX STAAB
East Peoria, Ill. – It was, at long last, time for some basketball at Illinois Central College. All day Saturday, Women’s Basketball hosted a 15-team exhibition jamboree as our Harbinger Student Media Game(s) of the Week. The Cougars played Moberly Area, South Suburban, Vincennes University, and Southeastern Illinois.
Game 1 – vs. Moberly Area – W, 53-48
The Cougars wasted no time in getting the preseason slate started, eclipsing 20 points in just the first 10 minutes. Seven players had already hit the scoring column, paced by five points from Abby Coates (5’11” So. F – Metamora, Illinois). Newcomer Marquitta Easley (5’5″ So. G – North Chicago, Illinois) was just behind her with four. ICC led 22-13.
The second quarter saw another newcomer break into the scoring column. This time, it was Josi Becker (5’4″ Fr. PG – Morton, Illinois). Becker scored five points in the quarter to lead the team that frame, while Coates added another two points. ICC out-scored the visiting Greyhounds 10-2 before the break, and headed into halftime up 32-15.
ICC would continue the theme of balanced scoring, with three players scoring in the third quarter, but Moberly Area’s scoring brought them back into the game. The Greyhounds came away with a 13-point quarter, the largest offensive output between either team other than the 22-point opener for the Cougars. That made it a 42-37 ICC lead with a quarter to go.
With just 10 minutes left in the jamboree opener, ICC was looking to start the day of games on a high note. Both teams wound up holding the 11-point spread, with Moberly Area scoring 12 points and ICC scoring 12 as well. Madison Faulkner (5’10” So. F – Rochester, Illinois) scored four to lead ICC in the last quarter of the game. ICC would hold on to win, 53-48.
Game 2 – vs. South Suburban – W, 33-28
After a brief break, the Cougars took the floor for their second game, this one against future regular season opponent South Suburban. Both teams got off to a bit of a slow start, with ICC leading the visitors, 9-8, after a quarter. Moriah Ward (6’1″ Fr. C – Peoria, Illinois), Coates, and Easley all had two points apiece to start.
South Suburban was able to get to the free throw line in the second, missing all but one of their opportunities. Faulkner would score four for ICC, plus a two from Raven Overman (5’9″ Fr. F – Biloxi, Mississippi). That being said, this one would be all knotted up at the half, 16-16.
Out of the half, the Bulldogs managed even more trips to the charity stripe, going 6-7 in the third. A field goal on top of that gave South Suburban their first and only double figure quarter of the game. ICC countered with 2 points each from Emma Henderson (5’9″ So. G – Tuscola, Illinois), Becker, and Easley. The big quarter from the Bulldogs was enough to put them ahead of the home team, 27-23.
Back came the even scoring for the Cougars in the fourth, as Rocky Stanley (5’10” Fr. F – East St. Louis, Illinois), Catora Brown (5’6″ Fr. G – South Elgin, Illinois), Summer Stoewer (5’7″ Fr. G – Normal, Illinois), Faulkner, and Easley all scored two points to wrap up ICC’s scoring for this one. They were able to get another five-point win, this one coming by the score of 33-28.
Game 3 – vs. Vincennes University – L, 41-46
With two close, hard-fought games under their belt, the Cougars followed that up with a well-deserved and long break. They wouldn’t play until the 3:00 pm time slot, when they would take on the Trailblazers from Vincennes University.
The two teams seemed evenly matched to start, with the game never getting truly out of hand at any given point. Ward, Coates, and Easley all had two for ICC out of the gate. Vincennes had a nearly mirrored quarter, but the Cougars maintained a 9-8 lead after one.
Faulkner made her presence felt for ICC in the second quarter, scoring four of her six points on the game. That made it three consecutive games in which a Cougars player had multiple made shots in a quarter, with Becker being the previous two in both the Moberly Area and South Suburban game. Overman added a two as well to give ICC a seven-point quarter. However, Vincennes still led after three quarters, 27-23.
In almost every situation, you want the fourth quarter to be your best quarter. That was the case for ICC. Faulkner, Stanley, Brown, Stoewer, and Easley all scored in the final period, but the Trailblazers were just far enough ahead that the Cougars would suffer their first loss of the jamboree, 46-41.
Game 4 – vs. Southeastern Illinois – L, 45-47 (OT)
The final game of the jamboree pitted the Cougars against the Lady Falcons from Southeastern Illinois. A big positive that was evident right out of the gate for the Cougars were the free throws. Jordyn Hare (5’10” Fr. F – Macomb, Illinois) and Kathy Pinnock-Branford (5’6″ So. G – San Jose, Costa Rica) made two apiece in the first, with two-pointers from Brown and Overman giving ICC a 10-point quarter overall, but losing, 13-10, at that point.
The second quarter was a different story for the Cougars, as they nearly had another 20-point quarter. Faulkner, Overman, and Pinnock-Branford all scored four, and Rocky Stanley added one from behind the arc to total up 17 points and a 21-21 tie at the break.
The third quarter was nearly as even, with Coates and Overman both making field goals. Becker added a free throw, and with just 10 minutes remaining in the jamboree, ICC held a slim 34-31 lead.
It all came down to the last couple of possessions. It was Abby Coates that came up big in the late-going. Coates made a free throw that tied it at 43-43. Then, after the Lady Falcons made a two to make it 45-43, Coates answered on the other end to tie it, 45-45. It would go to overtime. The jamboree rules are that any overtime is sudden death.
Southeastern Illinois promptly won the tip and scored on a layup off the left block to win the game, 47-45.
ICC will take a week off before playing in another Jamboree at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois on Saturday, October 13th.
ICC Scorers (All Day – Combined Total):
- Abby Coates (36 points)
- Madison Faulkner (24 points)
- Marquitta Easley (17 points)
- Summer Stoewer (13 points)
- Raven Overman (12 points)
- Kathy Pinnock-Branford (11 points)
- Emma Henderson (11 points)
- Josi Becker (8 points)
- Rocky Stanley (7 points)
- Catora Brown (7 points)
- Jordyn Hare (4 points)
- Moriah Ward (2 points)
- Team Total (152 points / 38.0 ppg)
Twitter Follows | Alex Staab – Sports Editor (@StaabAlex) | Harbinger Student Media Sports (@ICCSportsLive)