Balanced scoring leads to 7-2 conference record for Spartans

By Fred Kroner

Bloomington Central Catholic sank 11 of 12 fourth-quarter free throws on Thursday (March 11) and decisioned St. Joseph-Ogden, 51-39, in a season-ending Illini Prairie Conference game in Bloomington.

The free throws accounted for all of the Saints’ final-quarter points.

Ashlynn Lannert led SJ-O with 10 points. Ella Armstrong contributed six points in the finale.

For the season, six different squad members led, or shared, the team-lead in scoring.

Armstrong set the pace in eight games. Taylor Wells led in four games. Peyton Jones led twice. Leading the way in one  game each were Lannert, Abby Behrens and Payton Vallee.

Armstrong ended the season with a streak of 31 consecutive free throws made. For the season, she had a team-best accuracy rate of 92.1 percent from the charity stripe. Behrens made 88.9 percent of her attempts. Wells was next at 60.6 percent.

Armstrong and Jones shared the team-lead in three-pointers with 16 apiece. Lannert made 10 treys.

SJ-O ended with an 8-6 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference counters.