Mater Dei vs Carlinville: 5 Key Takeaways
In the 2A Greenville sectional Breese Mater Dei faced off with Carlinville. The Lady Knights jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. They built the lead to 28-9 at half and cruised to…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIn the 2A Greenville sectional Breese Mater Dei faced off with Carlinville. The Lady Knights jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. They built the lead to 28-9 at half and cruised to a 57-38 win.
- Schedule matters and records can be deceiving. Mater Dei entered the game 20-8 and Carlinville was 28-3. However, Mater Dei had only lost one game to a 2A school, number #1 Paris. The rest of the losses were to 3A and 4A schools. Carlinville had only played one school above 2A and that was an early season victory over 13-17 Triad. This info isn’t meant to disparage Carlinville’s schedule, they play in a very tough conference. But, it is meant to value what Mater Dei does in playing a tough schedule to prepare themselves for tournament play. Mater Dei is independent which certainly allows for more flexibility in scheduling. Polls don’t mean much, but it would be nice if those that vote each week really knew the quality of each team.
- Senior leadership matters. Mater Dei is led by seniors Shannon Lampe, Claire Toennies, Madi Strieker, Meredith Innes and Lainey Kramer. These 5 starters are the glue that holds the team together. Lampe, Toennies and Strieker are the consistent scoring options. In this game Toennies and Strieker had double digit games and led the way. Innes is a tough rebounder that can score in the lane when the options present themselves. Kramer is the point guard and an excellent perimeter defender. Everyone plays together and fills their role. Everyone contributes when the team needs them.
- Carlinville really came together throughout the season. The team I saw at Hillsboro on December 5th did not look like they had any chance of getting to 28-4. They were 6-2, lost their second game in a row and gave up 60 points. From that point until the last two games they never gave up 40 again. Jill Stayton, Corrine Stewart, Gracie Reels and Sarah DeNeve are the veterans that led this charge. Reels has always been a great defender but during this run she really increased her scoring when the team needed it. The ability to get into the lane and create scoring opportunities has really become a big part of their success. Stayton seems much more confident with the ball in her hands than she did early in the year. This 5’8 2022 guard has some quickness and hops to her that plays well on the floor.
- It is really hard to stop Mater Dei. You end up having to pick your poison. Lampe is likely the most gifted and talented one of the bunch, but the others keep proving their ability. Toennies and Strieker were hot early and ended up scoring 16 and 13 points. They got the shots and made them. In the Region Championship game it was Innes and Sally Albers that led the team in scoring. The players all play to win and are not selfish about who scores the points. Coach Dave Kohnen puts the players in the right spots and they take the shots as they come.
- Defense wins championships. Both teams did an excellent job of making it hard for the other team to get the ball up the floor and get into their offense. The ball pressure and players in the passing lanes caused difficulty fir both teams. This type of game will translate from game to game and is a big reason why these two teams made it to the Sectionals. As previously stated, Carlinville turned their season into the gem it was by holding their opponents below 40 points for 22 games in a row. Their guard heavy line up makes it tough on teams. DeNeve was the last line of defense many times as their “post” player and did a great job under the basket.
Mater Dei will face Pleasant Plains on Thursday in the Sectional finals in what should be an excellent match up.