Mahomet-Seymour appears keep moving up the Apollo conference standings as well in the IHSA polls. According to the last IHSA Class 3A voting, the Bulldogs received six votes, good enough to put the team No. 12 overall in the rankings. Charleston girls basketball, meanwhile, is searching for its first win of the season. 

Here is the preview of tonight’s game. 

Team Records: Charleston (0-5, 0-2) @ Mahomet-Seymour (7-0, 1-0)

Where: Mahomet-Seymour High School

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at Mahomet-Seymour High School

School Size: Charleston (796), Mahomet-Seymour (944)

JV Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m.

Varsity Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m.

Opponent’s History: Garrett Risley enter his second full season as the coach of the girls program. Before Risley, Nathan Seal coached the Bulldogs for 20 years and accumulated a 296-266 overall record with one Regional Championship. Risley is a 2012 graduate of Mahomet-Seymour where his father, Jim, directed the girls’ track team to a Class 1A state championship in 1997. Risley is a former assistant football coach, pole vaulters coach, and a four-year assistant on the boys basketball team. As a freshman boys coach, he compiled a 22-20 record. 

Mahomet-Seymour’s Past Results:  The Bulldogs began the year as the Prairie Central Tanksgiving Tournament champions. In the tournament, the team defeated Illinois Valley Central, Pontiac, and Eureka. The team also owns non-conference wins over Bloomington Centrla Catholic and St. Joseph Ogdon. In Apollo play, Mahomet-Seymour defeated Mt. Zion, 78-19. 

“The girls have done a nice job of rooting for each other’s successes and playing team basketball up to this point in the year,” said Risley. “They’re a mature group that doesn’t get too up or down in any situation which helps when you’re seeing a lot of different offenses/defenses during tourney play and early season games.”

Mahomet-Seymour’s Top Players: The top player on the team appears to be 5-foot-5 senior guard Cayla Koerner. At the Thanksgiving Tournament, she was named the Most Valueable Player, where she amassed 68 points, 29 steals, and six rebonds over three games. She leads the team with 11 three-pointers and 12.4 points per game. Among other key players include Nichola Thomas, Ivie Juarez (leading rebounder), and Durbin Thomas.

“At this point, they’ve traded off most games for statistical leaders,” said Risley. “The girls have done a nice job of fulfilling their role within the team and buying into no singular player being more important than the eleven other girls on the team.”

Mahomet-Seymour’s Team Stats:  As a team, Mahomet-Seymour is averaging 60.7 points per game and allowing 34.4 points per game. 

Charleston’s Past Results: Charleston only has three games reported online. That includes a 73-9 loss to Paris, 56-17 loss to Monticello, and 44-33 loss to Mt. Zion. 

Charleston’s Team Stats: Stats are unavailable. 

What Mahomet-Seymour Said: “Charleston is a school/town with a lot of pride that always plays Mahomet-Seymour very competitively,” said Risley. “We know when the two teams play one another to throw away records because it’ll be a good game regardless of what either team has done to that point.”

What Charleston Said: “The girls work hard at practice and get better every day,” said head coach Jeremy Hudson. “We have had a few games that we let slip through our fingers. We are young and inexperienced, but the girls play with a lot of energy. Mahomet really gets after it defensively. We need to be able to handle their press and take care of the ball in the half-court. Limiting turnovers is going to be key. We also need to rebound the basketball. They have some physical girls that hit the offensive glass hard. We have to limit them to one shot.”