Women’s Basketball holds off Lake Land in regular season finale
East Peoria, IL – All that remained for the #14 ICC Women’s Basketball team (23-7) was one regular season game, then it would be on to the Region 24 Tournament. What stood in their way was the Lakers of Lake Land (19-10). The Cougars were looking to win their fourth straight game, while the Lakers were looking to start a winning streak of their own.
To start, things were about as even as they could get. Lake Land would have their best scoring quarter of the game. Avery Jackson would drop eight of her team-high 21 points in the first ten minutes. The Cougars would have some balanced scoring, with Abby Coates leading the way in the first, scoring six of her 15, while Bailey Larsen, Jasmine Levy, Kennedy Banks, and Krystal Walker all hit the scoring column as well. This one would be tied, 19-19, after ten minutes of play.
Both teams saw the offense slow down somewhat in the second quarter, but the pace of play was still even both ways. Even scoring was the story for the visiting Lakers in the second, as a five-point quarter from Jackson and Jaycie Roy as well as a four-point quarter from Aislinn Parrish kept them in the game against the #14 Cougars. ICC was able to get five girls to score in the quarter, paced by four-point quarters from both Levy and Madison Faulkner. All that being said, for one of the only times at home this season, the Cougars would go into the halftime locker room with a tied game, 33-33.
At the half, both teams were shooting 12-31 from the field, the only difference being two more threes for Lake Land and two more free throws from the Cougars. The only scorer in double figures was Lake Land’s Avery Jackson, who had 13 points in about 19 minutes played.
What happened in the second half was exactly what the Cougars needed, and worst case scenario for the Lakers. The third quarter was all Jasmine Levy. The sophomore from Proviso East HS had the only double figures quarter for either team, scoring half of her career-high 24 points in the quarter. It should be mentioned that three other Cougars found the basket in the third. The momentum had already swung the Cougars’ way, but they weren’t done yet. With just 0.8 seconds to go in the third, ICC would have a chance at one more shot to increase their lead to multiple possessions. The ball would eventually wind up in the hands of Abby Coates, and the freshman from Metamora HS hit the buzzer-beater, giving ICC a 53-48 lead with just one quarter to play.
The Cougars would find a way to finish this one off. An 11-4 run to start the fourth quarter would force a Lake Land timeout with 4:56 to go. A technical foul on Lake Land Head Coach David Johnson resulted in two free throws for the Cougars’ Bailey Larsen, which occurred right in between two Coates free throws. The game would find its way to the point where Lake Land would need to start fouling the Cougars in hopes of missed free throws. The only problem? ICC missed all but six of 21 fourth quarter free throws, and rode the momentum they got in the third quarter all the way to a 80-65 win over the Lake Land Lakers.
Cougars Scoring:
- Jasmine Levy (24 points)
- Abby Coates (15 points)
- Bailey Larsen (14 points)
- Madison Faulkner (10 points)
- Kathy Pinnock-Branford (5 points)
- Krystal Walker (4 points)
- Sia Williams (4 points)
- Aubrey Magro (2 points)
- Kennedy Banks (2 points)
Cougars Statistical Leaders:
- Field Goals | Jasmine Levy (9-15 / 60%)
- 3’s | Bailey Larsen (1-2 / 50%)
- Free Throws | Bailey Larsen (7-8 / 87.5%)
- Rebounds | Jasmine Levy (13)
- Assists | Bailey Larsen (7)
- Blocks | Jasmine Levy (3)
- Steals | Abby Coates (3)
Cougars Team Stats:
- Field Goals | 26 for 56 (46.4%)
- 3’s | 1 for 4 (25%)
- Free Throws | 27 for 35 (77.1%)
- Rebounds | 44
- Fouls | 19
- Assists | 20
- Turnovers | 17
- Blocks | 7
- Steals | 8
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