Lady Foxes Striving
For Second Regional Crown
by Don Hill
(Reprinted McLeansboro Times-Leader February 5, 1987)
After winning its first ever regional championship in 1985-1986, the McLeansboro Lady Foxes basketball team moved into this season with hopes of climbing even higher up the basketball ladder and from all early indications, that hope may become a fact very soon.
The Lady Foxes have been steamrolling the competition over the past month-and-one-half and currently are striving for their second tournament championship of the season at the Woodlawn Invitational. All season long, the Lady Foxes have used size and depth to put the stranglehold on the opposition.
It all began late in November when the Pinckneyville Lady Panthers came to town and were declawed by a balanced scoring attack and great man-to-man defense, which has been a mainstay to the Lady Foxes hopes all season.
Lady Foxes 65 - Panthers 28
The Lady Foxes got one of the best offensive performances of the year by Senior center Kerri Grubb, as the daughter of head coach Willie Grubb dominated the glass in a 22-point effort. Senior shooting guard Lori Kirsch added 14 and Sharon Bowman, back from a year’s layoff, added 10.
The Lady Foxes had one under their belts and were on their way to what may be the best in the history of the program as they sent out vibrations heard throughout the Southern Illinois basketball world.
Lady Foxes 65 - Flora 49
The Lady Foxes could not have their schedule faulted for being an easy one as they faced another tough foe early in the season with a visit from the Flora Lady Wolves. The road team proved to be tough for awhile, but was not up to the test for four quarters as the Lady Foxes rolled late.
Tina Thomas had a solid effort as she tallied 21 points as it became apparent that there were at least three or four players on this squad that could carry the load if it became necessary. Kirsch and Grubb each added 14. The Lady Foxes broke it open in the second period as they jumped on the Wolves 20-6.
Massac 62 - Lady Foxes 49
The best Class A team in the south played the best Class AA team and the sparks flew for three quarters before Massac broke the game open in the fourth quarter on free throws. Grubb felt his team did too much gambling on defense in this one as the ploy failed to pay dividends by letting the Lady Patriots have some easy ones. Four Lady Foxes scored in double figures as Kirsch led with 17 and was followed by Thomas, 12; and Grubb and Bowman 10 each. The loss was the first for the Lady Foxes and left them at 2-1 early in the season.
Lady Foxes 86 - Carmi 26
The next effort was no contest as the Lady Foxes used the entire bench in a laugher against Carmi. Kirsch and Grubb led the way with 16 each, but everyone got into the act including members of coach Lewis Winemiller’s once beaten junior varsity squad. Denise Bowers and Holly Sloan saw action in all of the games to this point as the two have been the point guard combination for the Lady Foxes all season with Bowers starting and Sloan spelling her off the bench.
Harrisburg 49 - Lady Foxes 47
The Lady Foxes were the recipients of a major upset in the fifth game of the season as they fell to another tough AA club in the form of the Harrisburg Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Foxes led for much of the contest, hut could not put away the stubborn visitors as the lead dwindled through much of the game. Harrisburg finally overtook the Lady Foxes and held off a late charge for the upset. The loss was the only one to date for the Lady Foxes on the floor of MHS gym and would prove to be the last as a long line of impressive wins were to come. Kirsch proved her ability to take control as she scored 23 points in the game, but it was not enough.
Lady Foxes 52 - Benton 30
The Lady Foxes got things back on the right track as they hosted the Rangerettes of Benton, a Class AA team, and waxed them in an easy effort.
The Lady Foxes jumped out to a 12-2 lead and never looked back. The game put the Lady Foxes two games over .500 at 4-2 and prepared them for their first meeting of the year with the Lady Eagles of Eldorado.
Lady Foxes 76 - Eldorado 55
The Lady Foxes answered the first challenge of the year by archrival Eldorado as the Lady Foxes broke a close game open in the fourth period to romp past the Lady Eagles.
The visitors jumped into an early lead, but the Lady Foxes continued to peck away at the lead until they finally overtook the Lady Fagles for good during the second period. The game proved to be a scoring duel between two of the top players in the area as Lori Kirsch and Stephanie Dial each had 28 in the contest. The difference in the game was the supporting cast put forth by the Lady Foxes as the one-person-show for the visitors could not over come the five-man attack layed out by the Lady Foxes. The win improved the girls to 5-2 with only Carrier Mills standing between them and a shot at the Eldorado Invitational Tournament.
Lady Foxes 58 - Carrier Mills 34
The Lady Foxes answered the bell at Carrier Mills by knocking the Lady Wildcats out in the first round for an easy one. The win proved to be a primer for the Lady Foxes as they prepared for a shot at their first Eldorado Invitational title.
Lady Foxes 66 - Cairo 34
The Lady Foxes opened their quest for their first Eldorado championship as they easily handled Cairo 66-34 in first-round acticn. Thomas scored 18 points while Kirsch added 14 as the Lady Foxes prepared for another meeting with the Lady Eagles.
Lady Foxes 60 - Eldorado 40
The Lady Foxes again answered the challenge of the Eldorado Lady Eagles as they broke open a one point game after three quarters by scorching the nets from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter to build to a 20-point win.
It marked the second time this season that the Lady Foxes had manhandled their stiffest Class A competition and solidified their hold at the top of the heap. The win also put the Lady Foxes into the championship game of the tournament for the first time.
Season Winding Down For Lady Foxes
Lady Foxes 45 - Marion 40
The second-seeded Lady Foxes were up for this one as they faced one of the best Class AA teams around and came away with the championship of the tournament.
The see-saw affair went down to the wire as the Lady Foxes built a nine point lead and then hung on for the win. The Lady Foxes rode a balanced attack behind 13 from Grubb; 12 from Bowman and 11 by Kirsch to help build the lead late in the contest. The win raised the Lady Foxes season mark to 9-2 on the year as Grubb, Kirsch and Thomas all were named to the all-tournament team.
Lady Foxes 58 - Edwards County 24
The Lady Foxes began January with one long road trip as they went to Edwards County and romped over the Lady Lions. Klrsch and Grubb each had 14 points in the contest as the Lady Foxes built a 20-8 lead in the first quarter and stayed ahead throughout on the way to their 10th win of the season.
Lady Foxes 53 - Eldorado 48
The Lady Foxes travelled to Eldorado for the final meeting of the season between these two rivals and the Lady Foxes made it more of the same. Eldorado made a challenge of the contest, but the Lady Foxes were up for all the Lady Eagles could dish out as they posted the 10-point win on enemy turf. Thomas regained her shooting eye as she led the way with 15 points on some good offensive board work.
Kirsch added 14; Grubb, 11; and Bowman, 10; as Bowers followed with six. The team effort once again nullified a great individual performance by Dial who had 26. The meeting made the Lady Foxes 3-0 against Eldorado as the two will not face off again until a probable meeting in the McLeansboro Regional Tournament.
Lady Foxes 37 - Herrin 18
The Lady Foxes came out flat in this one as they trailed after one period, 4-3, but got things geared up later and pulled away with the help of 14-6 and 14-2 spurts in the second and third periods.
No one had the hot hand as Kirsch and Grubb led the attack with 10 points each. The win improved the Lady Foxes to 12-2 on the year as they faced yet another South Seven Conference foe.
Season Into Full Swing For Lady Foxes
Lady Foxes 66 - Cairo 40
The Lady Foxes continued the gruelling road trip.
The Lady Foxes were definitely up for this one as they rushed to a 40-14 lead at halftime as the decision was registered early. The run was keyed by a 26-8 second period.
Lady Foxes 51 - Woodlawn 30
The Lady Foxes got a preview of one of the top clubs in the Woodlawn Invitational Tournament as they travelled to the host school and made short work of the Lady Cardinals 51-30.
The Lady Cardinals were able to stay with the Foxes in the first period, but a 16-point scoring spree by the Lady Foxes blew the hopes of the home team out of the water. The game left only Sesser between the Lady Foxes and a 15-2 mark going into the Woodlawn Invitational.
Lady Foxes 62 - Sesser 37
The Lady Foxes rode some excellent field goal shooting by senior forward Sharon Bowman in their final warmup for the Woodlawn tournament as the Lady Foxes romped past host Sesser-Valier 62-37.
Bowman was hot from her familiar baseline spot as she canned eight of 11 attempts from the field to lead the way with 16 points. The win put the Lady Foxes at 15-2 as they prepared for the opener of the tournament.
Lady Foxes 67 - Waltonville 19
The Lady Foxes had no trouble at all with their first-round opponent in the Woodlawn Invitational Tournament as the girls from Hamilton County worked toward their second title in the event. The Lady Foxes captured the title five years ago and appeared to be on their way to the second one this time around.
Waltonville proved to be little competition in this one as the Lady Foxes forced 40 turnovers against the Lady Spartans and held them to 19-percent shooting from the field. The Lady Foxes led 30-5 at the half and never looked back. It was the 16th win of the year for the girls with five games remaining on the schedule.
Lady Foxes 70 - Wayne City 21
The Lady Foxes rammed their way into the championship at Woodlawn with a 70-21 crushing of the Wayne City Lady Indians. Kerri Grubb had one of her top offensive games of the season as she dominated the glass for 21 points. Tina Thomas added 11 points as Kirsch and Bowman each tallied 10.
It was the defense that broke the game open in the second quarter as the Lady Foxes led by only seven at the end of the first quarter. A 23-5 spurt in the second period spelled the downfall for the Lady Indians, but the end came quickly in the second half as the defense held Wayne City to only seven points in the final two quarters.
The win put the Lady Foxes into the championship game at Woodlawn and had them primed for another 20-win season. The Lady Foxes now get ready to defend their title In the McLeansboro Regional Tournament which begins Monday.
The Lady Foxes are the No. 1 seed and a win here would have them primed to take a giant leap toward a state trip. While the Lady Foxes’ prime contender is Eldorado, the Lady Foxes already have topped the Lady Eagles three times this season.
Nevertheless, it is still the Lady Eagles who pose the biggest threat to the Lady Foxes. A win in the regional would send the girls on to the sectional at Anna-Jonesboro and a win in the first round there would be the high-water mark for the Lady Foxes program.
The girls from Hamilton County have trekked into the sectional once before, in 1986, and were felled by mighty Massac County in the first round.
But from all indications, coach Willie Grubb has his team primed and ready to make a run at Champaign. The Lady Foxes were riding a 16-game winning streak going into the championship at Woodlawn and are striving to keep that momentum going heading for the regional.
Reprinted by permission from McLeansboro Times-Leader - June 17, 1999 by Ryan Nelson
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