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Lady Jackets finish record-breaking, 26-6 season as regional runners-up

Chester High School Lady Jackets' record-breaking basketball season came to a disappointing end last Thursday in a low-scoring regional championship game against Freeburg.

The #2-seeded Freeburg beat #3-seeded Chester 36-29 at the Class 2A Columbia regionals, doing just enough in the final three minutes of the game to derail Chester's fourth quarter come-from-behind effort.

In spite of holding Freeburg's top scorer, Maddy Schwemmer, scoreless in the final three quarters of the game, and making a tremendous 10-0 run in the first five minutes of the fourth period, Chester could not hit the baskets they needed down the stretch.

Freeburg now advances to the Carterville sectional.

"We fought hard and played tough defense tonight," Chester Coach Pat Knowles said. "We had our opportunities to win the game down the stretch, but we just couldn't get our shots to fall.

"The girls are pretty upset right now, but they had a great season and I don't want this loss to detract from all of their accomplishments this year. Freeburg is a good team. They have nothing to be ashamed of tonight."

<b>CHS 50; Du Quoin 38</b>

To get to the regional final game, the Lady Jackets had to first dispose of Du Quoin. The Lady Indians opened the semifinal with a 3-0 run, but a Destiny Williams 3-pointer tied it up. Du Quoin's Grace Alongi hit a bucket, but Chester answered with a 14-0 run to lead 17-5 with one minute to play. Lady Indian Abbi Mocaby hit a three-pointer at the buzzer and the Jackets took a 17-8 lead into the first quarter huddle.

in the second quarter, the Indians led the charge with 3-of-5 free throw shooting to get within six points, 17-11. But Destiny Williams popped a three ball with a minute to play as the Jackets completed a 10-0 run to end the half, and Chester led by 16 going into the locker room.

Du Quoin came out strong and outscored CHS 13-10 in the third. For the Jackets Alyssa Seymour made 1 of 2 free throws and Destiny Williams drove the hoop for two layups.

Chester led 37-24 heading into the final period. After Du Quoin's Loveleen Dunkin fouled out, Lady Jackets Alyssa Seymour and Reese Chandler hit back-to-back baskets. However, lady Indians Lauren Heape and Ayanna Dunkin hit back-to-back-to back baskets themselves.

Chester Coach Pat Knowles then called time out at the 4:45 mark, after which the Lady Jackets went into keep-away mode and tried to burn clock. In the final 3:41, Chester went to the line 10 times, making seven shots. Down the stretch, Du Quoin's Grace Alongi hit a three ball and a two-pointer and Bailey Harsy came off the bench to knock down a shot. To close the game, Chester's Trinity Brown made her second basket of the game with seconds to play and the Lady Jackets won the game, 50-38.

"We played good defense tonight which helped us to win this game," Knowles said. "I was proud of the girls for working hard all night and shooting pretty well making six three-pointers and 11 two-pointers for 17-of-39 (44%) from the field."

<b>Freeburg 38; Chester 29</b>

In the first quarter Freeburg's Maddy Schwemmer scored 16 of the Lady Midgets' 19 points hitting four three-pointers, a two-pointer and two free throws. Ellie Eichenlaub added a field goal and a free throw. The Lady Jackets had contributions from Reese Chandler (4), Trinity Brown (2), Alyssa Seymour (2), Destiny Williams (2) and Kendall Williams (3). Chandler and Kendall Williams drained 3s. Freeburg led, 19-13 after one quarter.

The second quarter was another defensive battle, which Freeburg won 8-5. Freeburg's Kylie Kisgen started with a basket, and neither team scored again until 4:29 when Freeburg's Ellie Eichenlaub hit another field goal. Kendall Williams got the Jackets back within eight with a basket, but Kylie Kisgen came back to made the Freeburg lead 10 points again. The last score of the half was Chester's Reese Chandler who hit her second three-pointer of the game at 2:47.

The third quarter was a defensive gem, with only seven points scored - six by Freeburg. Fatigue was setting in. Chester's one point was a free throw by Reese Chandler. As the quarter ended Freeburg had it's biggest lead, 33-19 lead.

During the third quarter huddle, Coach Pat Knowles challenged the Lady Jackets to leave it all on the floor in the fourth quarter.

"The seniors knew that it was their last opportunity to come from behind and win the regional and they encouraged the squad to give it their best," Knowles said.

The Jackets picked up the defense even more, diving on the floor for loose balls, battling for rebounds and playing close defense. Chester's Trinity Brown started the fourth rolling with a field goal and a foul. Destiny Williams hit a field goal two minutes later and Alyssa Seymour put up a layup, and suddenly the Jackets were within 7, 33-24. Chester was on a 6-0 run and was battling for every possession at the opposite end of the court.

Destiny Williams drove hard to the basket with a layup to get the Jackets within five. Kendall Williams finished the 10-0 Lady Jacket run making one-of-two free throws at the 2:53 mark and how Chester had cut the lead to 4.

The crowd was fired up and the Lady Jackets were rolling like a runaway train. Chester continued to defend throughout the next two minutes, keeping the Midgets from scoring. CHS also got key rebounds and made at least four trips to their end of the court, but couldn't get shots to fall to tie the game or take a lead.

The Jackets' train was derailed for good when Freeburg's Kylie Kisgen hit a field goal with just 59 seconds remaining. In the final minute the Jackets had opportunities to score but couldn't get the ball in the hoop.

With the loss Chester ended its 2019-2020 season at 26-6.

Reese Chandler moves on to the sectional 3-point shooting contest at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Carterville sectionals, after hitting 11 of 15 treys to win the Columbia regional contest. Jim Beers photo
Disappointed by the loss to Freeburg, the Lady Indians nevertheless stop to applaud their fans who loyally came to watch the Columbia regionals and who have supported the team all season. Jim Beers photo