Oakwood’s girls’ basketball team learned a lesson that many programs, coaches and fans alike must accept this time of the year.

A season seldom ends the way those associated with a program would hope, unless it’s with a championship-game victory.

The Comets dropped a 50-47 decision to Tolono Unity on Thursday in the semifinals of the Maroa-Forsyth Class 2A Regional.

For a half, Oakwood was on fire. The Comets led 22-12 at the break and coach Stephanie Marsh said, “we played really solid, a good first half.”

With Aaliyah Denius excelling in her role as the chaser in Oakwood’s box-and-one defense – that was designed to slow down Unity’s all-time scoring leader, Elyce Knudsen – the Comets built a double-digit lead.

Knudsen was limited to one first-half field goal.

In the second half, Knudsen and Rocket teammate Maddie Reed took control. Knudsen scored all 15 of Unity’s third-quarter points, but Oakwood still carried a 39-27 lead into the last eight minutes.

“Overall, Aaliyah did a good job,” Marsh said. “They were setting more screens for her, and she is quick coming off the screens.”

Knudsen hit the final six of her game-high 27 points in the final stanza, but it took a three-point shooting spree by Reed, who drained four late three-point shots, to enable Unity to pull ahead. Reed finished with 19 points, 13 in the final frame.

Freshman Addie Wright led Oakwood with 15 points. Senior Katelyn Young added 12 points.

“I hated to see the season end,” Marsh said. “Addie was starting to figure it out.”

Young’s career-record school scoring mark concludes at 2,361 points.

“I’m excited to see her do bigger and better things next year at Murray State,” Marsh said.

The Comets (23-8) wound up winning 99 games during Young’s varsity career. Young and point guard Aubrey Wells are the lone seniors on this year’s team.

“We’ll still have a solid team next year,” Marsh said. “It’s a matter of figuring it all out.”

Denius, Wells and Karsen Rupp all scored six points against Unity (20-9), which returns to Maroa tonight to play Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (27-5) in the championship game. The winner advances to next week’s Paris Sectional.

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The Comets opened postseason play on Monday with a 53-25 victory over Westville at Maroa-Forsyth High School in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal game.

Katelyn Young scored 20 of her game-high 29 points in the first half.

Oakwood led 28-13 at intermission.

The Comets (23-7) return to action on Thursday at Maroa in a Class 2A regional semifinal game against Tolono Unity in a tournament game that was postponed from Wednesday.

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The Comets’ defense held Westville scoreless in the third quarter on Thursday and Oakwood emerged with a 60-15 Vermilion Valley Conference victory on the road.

Oakwood led 27-10 at halftime and limited the Tigers to two second-half field goals.

Katelyn Young scored eight of her game-high 29 points in the opening frame as the Comets jumped into a 14-6 advantage.

Mikayla Cox and Karsen Rupp each tallied eight points. Addie Wright chipped in with seven points.

Young’s career point total stands at 2,271. The senior is 44 points away from breaking the school’s 35-year-old career scoring mark. Stacie Calhoun tallied 2,314 points before graduating in 1985.

The Comets (21-6) return to action tonight in their Senior Night home finale against Georgetown-Ridge Farm. Oakwood is 9-2 in Vermilion Valley Conference games.

Oakwood has been assigned to a Class 2A regional at Maroa where it will open postseason play at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10  against Westville. The winner of that game will play Tolono Unity in a semifinal game on Feb. 12.

The post Oakwood picks up Vermilion Valley Conference win over Westville first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Spartans stayed unbeaten in Illini Prairie Conference play with Tuesday’s 54-46 win at Tolono Unity.

Payton Cain led SJ-O with 15 points and also grabbed six rebounds to go with four steals.

Chance Izard hit four three-pointers in a game for the sixth time as a senior and ended with 14 points. Ty Pence scored seven points and Payton Grimsley netted six points.

Conner Hodge pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Drew Coursey collected six rebounds.

The Spartans led at halftime, 26-20.

SJ-O (13-6) will seek its fourth win in a row on Friday when it plays host to Prairie Central. SJ-O is 4-0 in IPC contests.

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St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ basketball team dropped its first Illini Prairie Conference game on Thursday, losing a 42-33 decision at Stanford Olympia.

The teams were tied at halftime, 11-11. The difference was the third quarter where Olympia held a 16-7 edge, which accounted for its final victory margin.

Katie Cramer netted a team-high 10 points for SJ-O. She nailed two three-point shots, boosting her team-leading total to 20.

Ella Armstrong and Payton Jacob each contributed seven points for the Spartans.

SJ-O (15-5 overall) returns to action on Monday at Tolono Unity. SJ-O is 2-1 in Illini Prairie Conference play.

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