By Fred Kroner
Senior Ella Armstrong became the first St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball player to eclipse the 20-point mark this season on Tuesday (Feb. 22), pouring in 24 points to spark the Spartans past Prairie Central, 58-48, in a Class 2A sectional semifinal game at Peotone High School.
Armstrong drilled 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, including hitting 6-of-6 free throws. She has 12 consecutive free throws.
Peyton Jones hit nine points while Payton Jacob, Ashlyn Lannert and Taylor Wells all contributed seven points.
Besides sinking 13-of-19 free throws (including 12-of-16 in the fourth quarter), the Spartans dropped in nine three-point shots. Armstrong netted four three-pointers and Jones drained three shots from beyond the arc.
Prairie Central finishes with a 24-9 season record.
SJ-O (24-7) puts its seven-game winning streak on the line on Thursday (Feb. 24) – weather permitting – in the sectional championship game against Minonk Fieldcrest (32-2).
The winner will move into the Elite Eight and a super-sectional game on Monday (Feb. 28) at Cicero Morton College.
The Spartans are seeing their second sectional title in the past three years that the IHSA has conducted a tournament series.
