Looking to dish — Central senior guard Lily Butler looks to the wing for a pass in the third quarter of the Lady Cougars’ 60-34 win over Freeburg on Tuesday, Dec. 23 in Mascoutah. Butler had 10 points and three rebounds. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Central Cougars girls basketball team had a successful week of action as they claimed third place at the prestigious Mascoutah Holiday Tournament.
The Cougars took down Freeburg and Alton before falling to Nashville in the title game. Central is currently 11-2 on the season and they host Civic Memorial on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at Stan Eagleson Gymnasium.
Nashville 51, Central 40: The Hornettes never trailed in the championship game victory.
“I really can’t fault our kids’ effort, Nashville was just a little too good for us today,” Central coach Nathan Rueter said. “We have got to figure out some things and get some things cleaned up. Today just wasn’t our day.”
Nashville had a 41-28 fourth-quarter lead before a senior Lexi Morris basket and a senior Taylor Trame 3-pointer got the Cougars within eight points at 41-33. Junior Samantha Brinkmann had back-to-back baskets to give the Hornettes a 45-33 lead.
Senior Lily Butler had a basket to get Central within 45-35. Nashville went on a 4-1 run to take a 49-36 lead following a Brinkmann free throw. Butler and Trame had baskets to get Central within 49-40. Junior Summer Brinkmann made two free throws to give Nashville the 51-40 victory.
Mid-court battle — Central junior guard Ella Nettemeier works against the defense of Freeburg’s Madi Spinner in the third quarter of the Cougars’ 60-34 win on Tuesday, Dec. 23 in Mascoutah. Nettemeier had 13 points and eight rebounds in the Cougars’ win. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO Behind baskets from the Brinkmanns and junior Makayla Gajewski, Nashville jumped to a 6-0 lead. A senior Lexy Santel free throw got Central on the scoreboard. Gajewski had a basket to put Nashville up 8-1. Junior Ella Nettemeier made two free throws and Santel had a basket to get Central within 8-5 following the opening quarter.
“If you are going to sit back and just let them do their thing, they are tough to score against,” Rueter said. “Once we got the attacking mentality, things were a little bit better. Nashville is a good team, but we are disappointed. We wanted to win the game and we think we can win the game, so we have got to figure out what we can do next time to win the game.”
Summer Brinkmann made a 3-pointer to put Nashville up 11-5 to start the second quarter. Central went on a 6-4 run to get within 15-11 following a Trame basket. Summer Brinkmann and senior Belle Schmale made 3-pointers to put Nashville up 21-11. Trame responded with a 3-pointer to get Central within 21-14. Summer Brinkmann made a free throw to put Nashville up 22-14 at halftime.
Samantha Brinkmann opened the second half with a basket to give Nashville a 24-14 lead. Trame had five straight points to get Central within 24-19. Nashville went on an 11-2 run to take a 35-21 lead following a Schmale free throw.
Trame had five points during a 5-2 Central run to get the Cougars within 37-26 going into the fourth quarter.
Trame led Central with 21 points and five rebounds. Santel had six points. Summer Brinkmann had 21 points for Nashville. Samantha Brinkmann had 12 points.
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Battle for the board — The Mater Dei duo of Maybree Budde(3) and Marlee Loepker battle for a rebound with Belleville West’s ChiYira Wilson in the fourth quarter of the Lady Knights’ 30-point victory on Tuesday, Dec. 23 in Mascoutah. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Mater Dei Lady Knights girls basketball team had a strong start and in the process, earned fourth-place at the talent Mascoutah Holiday Tournament.
Mater Dei beat Belleville West and O’Fallon before falling to Nashville and Alton.
Mater Dei is now 9-5 on the season and they will play at Camp Point Central on Saturday, Jan. 3.
Alton 68, Mater Dei 48: The Knights had 29 turnovers in the loss in the third-place game.
“We struggled to handle their pressure and make good decisions,” Mater Dei coach Bridget Winter said. “They just capitalized on our errors.”
Mater Dei had a 5-4 first-quarter lead following a senior Addison Ringwald basket. Alton went on an 8-0 run to take a 12-5 lead. Mater Dei responded with a 7-1 run and got within 13-11 after the opening quarter following two senior Amelia Beer free throws.
Ringwald made one of her three 3-pointers in the game to put Mater Dei up 14-13 to open the second quarter. That would be the last lead Mater Dei would have. Alton went on a 12-4 run to take a 25-18 lead following a senior Justice Haynes 3-pointer. 
Running transition — Mater Dei senior Amelia Beer runs in transition in the Lady Knights’ running-clock victory over KeVonna Baker and Belleville West on Tuesday, Dec. 23 in Mascoutah. Beer had 12 points and four rebounds in the win. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO An Avery Patton basket stopped the Alton run. A sophomore Claire Delehanty 3-pointer and senior Kaylea Lacey basket put Alton up 30-20. Baskets from junior Mariah Benhoff and sophomore Myah Pollmann got Mater Dei within 30-24 at halftime.
Alton scored the first nine third-quarter points to take a 39-24 lead following two Lacey baskets. A senior Marlee Loepker 3-pointer and Patton basket put Mater Dei on a 5-2 run to get the Knights within 41-29. Mater Dei got no closer than 12 points in the third quarter.
Leading 52-38, Alton opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 60-38 lead following a senior Kyridas Orr basket. The Knights got no closer than 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Loepker led Mater Dei with 11 points. Pollmann had nine points and five rebounds. Ringwald was 3-for-5 from 3-point range for nine points. Beer had nine points.
Lacey led Alton with 23 points. Junior Madeleine Ducey had 13 points.
“This is a strong tournament and there is a lot of great competition,” Winter said. “This is not the finish that we wanted, but we have just got to start finishing shots and playing complete games.”
