LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
The Paris Lady Tigers’ LIC Tournament run took a detour against Newton on Tuesday, Jan. 21 when the Eagles avenged an earlier loss by surging to a 19-point victory over Paris in the semifinal round. The loss sends Paris to the third-place game, which will be played Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s game was intense, fast-paced and physical. The outcome was certainly not what Paris head coach Dave Tingley wanted, but the pressure and the atmosphere may have been what his team needed to prepare for postseason play.
In a prior interview with a Prairie Press reporter, Tingley explained that his team is maturing as the season goes on, especially in terms of physicality and patience on the offensive end. Several players have showcased their scoring ability this year—now Tingley hopes to see that same confidence in high-stakes scenarios.
“Being able to do it when the pressure is on is the next step,” Tingley said, later adding, “Looking at (the game) in smaller segments … win the quarter, win the half … win the next two minutes … by doing that, I think it takes some of that pressure off.”
Tingley also hopes his team’s depth will alleviate some of the stress of the looming postseason. Currently, none of Tingley’s players are averaging double figures, but the team is scoring 50 or more points per game. The balanced attack of the Tigers keeps opponents guessing. It’s a trait that will benefit Paris as the postseason approaches, but one that has also required patience from coaches and players alike.
“We assumed that we were going to be pretty deep this year, and that has proven true. What has not necessarily proven true is which combination of girls work best together, and it could (vary) from game to game,” he explained. “I guess that’s the luxury of having a deep team, we can go deeper to find that right combination of girls, or girls having success, one night versus another.”
Despite Tuesday’s loss, the Lady Tigers (ranked 13th in the state as of Jan. 21) still boast an impressive resume with valuable wins against Effingham, Bishop McNamara and other quality conference foes.
A showdown against third-ranked Peoria Notre Dame is scheduled for Feb. 1. Win or lose, the game poses another chance for the Tigers to hone their craft before regionals.
“That’s the whole point, bettering your team … By playing good teams you get exposed, and you can work on those things,” Tingley explained.
OLNEY—Paris narrowly won their first matchup against the Eagles 48-40 on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Paris Cooperative High School. In the opening minutes of their rematch in the LIC Tournament, the Eagles showed they were determined to prevent history from repeating itself.
Newton jumped out to a 9-0 lead to start the game, forcing a Paris timeout. The Eagles’ halfcourt zone pressure caused problems for the Tigers, who finally cracked the scoreboard with a Kilee Edwards three-pointer to make the tally 11-3 midway through the first. Both teams sensed the stakes of the game and cranked up the intensity on defense.
Turnovers affected both squads, but Newton managed to find a few breaks to extend their lead to 16-3 at the end of the quarter.
Paris showed signs of life in the second quarter. The Tigers embarked on a 7-2 run kicked off by a Pailynne Camp jumper off a Macy Bicknell drive-and-dish assist. Taylor Clark found the bottom of the net on a floater and Bicknell battled her way to the free throw line to get on the board.
Even as momentum seemed to be shifting, Newton punched back.
The Eagles rattled off 13 points straight to enter the locker room with a 31-10 lead. Despite a furious second-half effort, Paris couldn’t close the gap against Newton. The Eagles’ backcourt attacked the rim relentlessly, finding a trip to the free throw line any time they couldn’t convert.
After 32 minutes of play, Newton had punched its ticket to the conference tournament championship, 64-45.
Camp and Kailey Young finished with 10 points apiece in the loss: a team-high. Paedyn Keys (seven points), Kilee Edwards (six), Macy Bicknell (five), Alexis Landsaw (three), Taylor Clark (two) and Jacie Young (two) also made their way into the scorebook.
OLNEY—The Paris Lady Tigers opened the Little Illini Conference Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 18 against the Casey-Westfield Lady Warriors in a matchup that was supposed to take place a week earlier. Inclement weather forced the game to be postponed to later in the season.
When the Tigers and Warriors finally met over the weekend, Paris took care of business in a one-sided 59-24 victory. Paris scored 18 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 36-11 lead into the locker room.
Kilee Edwards showcased her range, knocking down four three-pointers on her way to 16 points. Pailynne Camp notched seven points while Paedyn Keys, Taylor Clark and Graci Watson each netted six. Morgan Coombes finished with five while Kailey Young and Jacie Young each got on the board with four. Macy Bicknell added three and Natiliegh Bridgewater scored two points. Kailey Young put together a well-rounded performance on both sides of the ball, racking up a team-high seven assists and three steals. The Lady Tigers made 12 three-pointers on the day.
EFFINGHAM—Fans were treated to a thrilling matchup between two teams inside the top 20 in their respective classes Wednesday, Jan. 15. The Effingham Hearts entered the game ranked 18th in Class 3A, while the Paris Lady Tigers sat in the 14th spot in Class 2A (the Lady Tigers are ranked 13th as of Jan. 21) according to MaxPreps.com. The game lived up to the billing, as the Lady Tigers triumphed over the Hearts 56-48 in overtime.
The final score is not indicative of how tight this game was, as neither team could build a double-digit lead. Effingham led at the end of the first three quarters, but never by more than two points. After forcing overtime, Paris bounced back in the extra period, outscoring the home team 12-4 for a huge non-conference win.
Kailey Young led all scorers with 15 points, including eight free throws in the clutch to seal the victory. Macy Bicknell was close behind with 14 points. Kilee Edwards and Graci Watson finished with seven points apiece, Morgan Coombes netted four, Taylor Clark and Kenzie Englum each had three and Jacie Young added two.