10 takeaways from the Class 3A Chillicothe Sectional: Morton beats Richwoods 46-39

Two of the top teams in Class 3A met in a championship-level game yet again. Morton and Richwoods have combined to win the last four Class 3A state championships and Morton will look to continued that streak. The Potters (30-3) pulled out a 46-39 win over archrival Richwoods (30-3). It was the rubber match with both teams splitting a game at the Morton Thanksgiving Tournament (Richwoods won) and the State Farm Holiday Classic Third-Place game (Morton won). Without further ado, let's get to the takeaways. <h2><strong>Game Thread</strong></h2> https://x.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1098745674294849536 <h2><strong>1. Morton freshman Katie Krupa is a star</strong></h2> <strong>Katie Krupa (2022)</strong> had the hype before she stepped foot in Morton High School but now she has arrived as a star. She went toe-to-toe with Marquette recruit <strong>Camryn Taylor (2019)</strong> while giving her two inches. Krupa scored 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting with five rebounds, two steals and one block. [caption id="attachment_29205" align="alignright" width="300"] Morton 2022 Katie Krupa[/caption] The freshman was fearless inside, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2019/02/prep-hoops-10-best-canton-vs-morton/">backing up what she said</a> following Tuesday's win over Canton. When Taylor blocked her shot, Krupa would go up strong on a second chance opportunity. She was active on the offensive end moving without the ball to get herself open looks. Defensively, she got deflections and had a blocked shot, but her biggest win was being physical against Taylor and, in large part, denying entry passes without fouling. Extend back to Tuesday night, Krupa scored a career high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting. If there was an MVP award at the sectional level, it would be hers. <h2><strong>2. 'Dot' defense key in Morton's win</strong></h2> The dot defense is essentially this - sagging off of a perimeter player to double and deny the entry pass into the post. Morton executed it perfectly. The Potters sagged off of <strong>Natalie Des Jardins (2019)</strong> as her defender fronted Taylor to deny the post pass with Krupa playing behind. Des Jardins was left wide open and hesitant to shoot at first. The same could be said for <strong>Paris Wilson (2022)</strong>. <strong>Lauryn Evans (2020)</strong> wasn't afraid to shoot and neither was <strong>Kileli Markovich (2019)</strong>. The quartet went 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the first half before Des Jardins hit a 3-pointer to open the second half. But the group finished 1-for-9. <h2><strong>3. One key Richwoods adjustment got its offense flowing</strong></h2> Richwoods was 2-for-14 in the first quarter with Taylor only getting two shots up on offense. Truth be told, the Knights were lucky to only be down 9-4 after the first eight minutes. Todd Hursey made a key adjustment shifting Taylor to the opposite block so that the 'dot defender' couldn't front. That allowed Taylor to get going and the Knights climb back into the game, cutting it to 20-17 before a Krupa putback at the halftime buzzer. <h2><strong>4. Doubled, fronted, didn't matter - Camryn Taylor was excellent</strong></h2> Camryn Taylor made the most of her final 32 minutes in a Richwoods Knights uniform. She drew double-team after double-team but when she got the ball, she was going to score. She was 8-for-12 for 17 points, shooting over the double team or finding a crevice to slip through and get a clean look. Defensively, Taylor set the tone early with three of her four blocks in the first quarter. She also got two steals, several deflections and grabbed seven rebounds. <h2><strong>5. Lindsey Dullard awakens from slow shooting night</strong></h2> Alabama-Birmingham recruit <strong>Lindsey Dullard (2020)</strong> was 1-for-6 before hitting a buzzer beater to end the third quarter, cutting Richwoods lead to 34-29. https://x.com/hoijim/status/1098795974733021186 Including the three-pointer, Dullard finished the game with 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting with three assists, one block and two key offensive rebounds that iced the game. Her game totals were 12 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. She assisted <strong>Tenley Dowell's (2019)</strong> triple that cut the lead to 36-32 before Dowell returned the favor and Dullard cut it to 36-35 with 5:57 left. After Taylor split a pair of free throws, Dullard found Krupa for a wide-open backdoor layup to tie the game at 37. On the next possession, Dullard blocked <strong>Jaida McCloud's (2020)</strong> shot before hitting the game-deciding 3-pointer at the other to go up 40-37 with 3:51 left. <h2><strong>6. Quietly, Tianna Johnson was solid</strong></h2> <strong>Tianna Johnson (2019)</strong> is one of the best players still available in the state. She had a <a href="https://www.pjstar.com/sports/20180301/richwoods-warrior-tianna-johnson-playing-for-her-brother">breakout season as a 'glue girl'</a> last year and she's only gotten better. The best measure of her development on Thursday was the passes she didn't make and shots she didn't take. Johnson was an efficient 4-for-9 from the floor and split the pair of 3-pointers she attempted. She scored nine points and dished out three assists. Sure, she's had bigger games statistically but her efficiency was incredible and her team needed it in a game of that magnitude. <h2><strong>7. With no stats to show, Addi Cox made a big difference</strong></h2> Morton's <strong>Addi Cox (2019)</strong> didn't take a shot, grab a rebound, block a shot or get a steal. But when she was in the game, the 5-foot-10 center held her own defensively against Taylor, which allowed Krupa to get a quick breather while battling minor foul trouble in the fourth quarter, and it didn't go unnoticed. <h2><strong>8. How Maddy Becker's injury impacts Morton's path</strong></h2> <strong>Maddy Becker (2020)</strong> hit the ground on a non-contact play 30 seconds in to Tuesday's sectional semifinal against Canton. She was having a strong year and was Morton's best spot-up shooter but is out with a knee injury for the rest of the season. Illinois State soccer recruit <strong>Peyton Dearing (2020)</strong> got the start in her place. <strong>Raquel Frakes (2021)</strong> was called on to play more minutes. Both are very solid on the defensive end but will need to be aggressive offensively when open shots or driving lanes present them opportunities. <h2><strong>9. Richwoods has talent to work with in 2019-20</strong></h2> One would be foolish to think that Richwoods run of success is over all of a sudden. Taylor and Johnson will be a load to replace but McCloud and <strong>Nia Williams (2020)</strong> give the Knights one more class to build on moving forward. McCloud struggled offensively, going 1-for-7, but controlled the boards with 10 rebounds, dished three assists and got three steals. Her length and ability to play inside-or-out makes her a top player returning in central Illinois next year. Williams scored eight points on 3-for-7 shooting with three steals, two assists and two rebounds. She blossomed over last offseason and it showed this year as she hits 3-point shots comfortably and is capable attacking off the bounce. Richwoods also returns <strong>Paris Wilson (2022)</strong>, who earned reserve minutes this season, <strong>Mariah Hopson (2020)</strong>, who saw more time as a sophomore but can play inside or out, <strong>Lauryn Evans (2020)</strong>, another guard earning reserve minutes this season, and <strong>Uniquek Johnson (2020)</strong> who played more last year. <h2><strong>10. Girls basketball saw growth on Thursday</strong></h2> Coaches and girls basketball fans from around the state were in Chillicothe on Thursday. There were a lot of familiar faces that came to watch two state powers. It's a testament to all the work the girls have put in during their careers, which started before high school. It speaks to where the talent of girls basketball is at in Illinois, which created a sold-out atmosphere for a second straight year and an unmatched environment. <h2><strong>Lines of the night</strong></h2> <em>Morton</em> <strong>Katie Krupa (2022, F, 6-0)</strong> - 21 points (7-13/0-0/7-8); 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block <strong>Lindsey Dullard (2020, G, 6-1)</strong> - 12 points (4-12/3-8/1-2); 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks <strong>Tenley Dowell (2019, G,</strong> <strong>6-1)</strong> - 9 points (3-14/3-6/0-1); 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals <em>Richwoods</em> <strong>Camryn Taylor (2019, F, 6-2)</strong> - 17 points (8-12/0-0/1-3); 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals <strong>Tianna Johnson (2019, G, 5-9)</strong> - 9 points (4-9/1-2/0-0); 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 block <strong>Nia Williams (2020, G, 5-7)</strong> - 8 points (3-7/0-2/2-2); 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 rebounds