Emily Maple came off the bench to score 11 points, including seven in a decisive fourth quarter that helped Mattoon recover for a 45-30 victory over Mahomet in girls Apollo Conference basketball action Tuesday night.
Mattoon, ranked No. 3 in class 3A by MaxPreps and No. 10 by the Associated Press, remains unbeaten in seven Apollo Conference games and improves to 18-1 overall. Mahomet has lost to only one other opponent in dropping to 13-4 overall, 3-3 in the conference.
It might have been the team’s third victory over Mahomet, but this one was far different in two ways. First, Mahomet took a six-point opening-quarter lead. And unlike the first two games, this one was not decided in the final minutes.
Green Wave coach Amanda Aydt made adjustments after the Bulldogs raced out to a 12-6 first-quarter lead, switching her team’s defensive approach and implementing some new offensive plays. By halftime, MHS closed to 18-17.
“We had to make adjustments throughout the game and our players executed,” Aydt said. “I am so proud of them. Our players are very coachable and we are able to switch things up on the fly.”
Ahead by four, Mattoon outscored Mahomet by 15-4 in the final quarter. Maple, a 5-foot-5 junior guard, nailed her second 3-pointer among her seven points down the stretch.
“Emily had an outstanding game,” Aydt said. “She made some huge shots for us.”
Mallory Ramage added four free throws in the fourth quarter as part of her team-high 12 points. The senior guard also grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists. Paige Farmer added another 10 points while Chloe Pruitt had four steals, blocked two shots, snared three rebounds and scored six points.
Cayla Koerner led Mahomet with a game-high 15 points.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Mattoon | 6 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 45 |
| Mahomet | 12 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 30 |
MATTOON: Maple 3 3-4 11, Pruitt 1 4-4 6, Jurka 2 0-0 4, Farmer 5 0-0 10, Niebrugge 1 0-1 2, Ramage 4 4-4 12 Ghere 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 11-13 45. 3-pointers – Maple 2. Assists – Ramage 6, Niebrugge 3, Maples 3. Rebounds – Ramage 8, Niebrugge 3, Pruitt 3, Maple 3. Steals – Pruitt 4. Blocks – Pruitt 2.
Coles County Sports 