THE ROAD TO NORMAL
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ All-State forward Lauren Mitchell pumped in 35 points-22 in the first half alone-as Zeigler-Royalton/Christopher ended Du Quoin High School's Girls Basketball season Monday night in the West Frankfort Class 2A Regional Tournament.
The final score was 61-29. Du Quoin finishes its year with a 1-22 record and will begin next season with a 22-game loss skid. The Lady Indians defeated Chester to start 2008-2009 in the first game of the Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic in mid-November, but then lost its next 22 contests.
Z-R-C, 15-12, moves on to play top-seeded West Frankfort at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Johnston City-winning 49-20 over Benton in Monday's second game-advances to face #2 Pinckneyville (19-7) Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 8 o'clock.
Against Z-R-C, Du Quoin trailed just 5-4 midway through the first period before Mitchell ripped off 14 straight points to end the quarter. The Lady Tornadoes also had a hoop from Alyssa Hall in the 16-0 spurt, making the score 21-4 as the quarter ended.
The run reached 22 straight points-and a 27-4 Z-R-C edge-before Du Quoin broke through with 5:43 before halftime. Michaela Brown's no-look pass to cutting teammate Jessica Hirsch resulted in an easy Lady Tribe basket. The margin was 35-12 by halftime and 48-19 to start the last period,
Mitchell had nine more points in the third quarter and went to the bench early in the fourth after adding four more points.
Hall had nine points for Z-R-C with Allie Mayer adding seven.
For Du Quoin, Hirsch tossed in 13 points. Shaylyn Little had five with Stefanie Gates contributing four. Brown-one of four freshman to see extensive playing time for Du Quoin-added three points and five rebounds. Hirsch recorded four assists with Brown handing out four assists.
Micah Ward and Danielle Woll each netted two points.
Seniors Ward, Cashmeire Bledsoe and Cadey Hess took the court a final time for the Lady Indians.
THREE-POINT SHOWDOWN
Advancing to shoot prior to Tuesday's semifinal games in the Country Insurance Three-Point Showdown were Little and Hirsch from Du Quoin.
Mitchell and Sam Thomas will represent Z-R-C.
CLASS 1A REGIONAL
Host Sesser-Valier/Waltonville girls basketball team had little trouble getting past Elverado in the opening round of the IHSA Class A regional after a 60-22 win to advance to tonight's semifinals.
In the opening quarter, S-V/W led just 8-6 after two shots by Elverado's Chelsea Cochran. Flowers buried a long three on the next Lady Red Devils possession and the margin reach 20-8 by the five minute mark of the second quarter.
Now SVW will take on Webber Township at 8 p.m.
Elverado, led by Mallory Winthrop's 10 points, finished its season with a 3-22 record.
Winthrop, the lone Elverado senior, blocked eight shots.
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