Sigourney shuts down Pekin girls

SIGOURNEY ? Pekin entered Tuesday?s regional quarterfinal second in all of Class 2A shooting a sky-high 51 percent from behind the three-point arc.

But Sigourney?s stingy defense held the Panthers to just 2-9 shooting from long range ? both conversions by Jessi Martin ? and from a 34-34 tie entering the fourth quarter, the Savages had just enough down the stretch to post a 47-43 victory and end Pekin?s season.

?They took away our three-point shooting and we had to change our game plan,? said Pekin head coach Davis Eidahl.

The Panthers resorted to taking the ball to the basket themselves, and subsequently getting to the free throw line much as they did in their opening round victory vs. Cardinal. Pekin hit an outstanding 19-22 from the charity stripe, but converted on just 11 field goals the entire game ? compared to 21 by Sigourney. Four of those Savage field goals came on put backs off of their own missed free throws that more than made up the difference in the final score.

?What really hurt was not executing on blocking out and giving up those baskets,? Eidahl said. ?But our girls did play hard and you have to lose some time.?

Pekin kept Sigourney scoreless for nearly six minutes in the second quarter to erase a seven point deficit and take a 23-22 lead at the half.

The twin tower duo of Stephani Atwood and Carolyn Holm did most of the damage for Sigourney as Atwood finished with 15 points and Holm scored a game-high 16. The win moves the Savages to the regional semifinal game slated for Friday vs. Mount Vernon.

The loss ends the Panthers? season with a 17-6 record as they now say good bye to their core of five seniors.

?What I hate the most is that I won?t be able to coach those seniors again ? they were a great group,? said Eidahl.

Shelby Blakely hit 9-10 from the free throw line to lead Pekin with 13 points followed by 12 from Martin and nine from Jessica Deutsch.