Hoops For Hope
The red and black of Nokomis High School was once again replaced by pink and white on Monday as the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, the Montgomery County Cancer Association and the Montgomery County Breast Cancer Support Group hosted Breast Cancer Awareness Night at NHS.
Prior to the tip off of the game between the Nokomis Lady Redskins and the Gillespie Lady Miners, both of whom were sporting special pink and white uniforms, Richard Small of the MCCA spoke to the crowd on the importance of cancer awareness and the organization's role in supporting those with cancer.
In addition to Small's presentation, several giveaways were also handed out during halftime of the game, including special pink sweatshirts representing Nokomis and Gillespie basketball. Both teams also tossed out pink basketballs to the crowd during the player introductions.
Prior to the introductions, two Gillespie players were singled out for their special role in the fight against cancer. Seniors Kaitlyn Fellin and Sarah Bussmann helped organize Team Tammy, Inc., a group that hosts a fun run/walk each year in Gillespie. To date, Team Tammy has raised thousands of dollars and has helped more than 40 local families in their fight against cancer.
As for the game itself, the two teams traded leads back and forth for much of the first half.
At the 5:55 mark of the second quarter, Nokomis took a 15-14 lead off a Lexy Waterman lay-up and never looked back, winning 56-45.
Waterman's basket sparked a 14-4 run by the Lady Redskins to close out the quarter as they turned a one-point deficit into a nine-point lead in less than six minutes.
The margin continued to grow in the second half as Nokomis held the Miners at bay and led 42-31 after three quarters.
Gillespie would trail by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter and never get any closer than the final 11-point margin.
Nokomis would put three players in double digits, led by Michelle Alexander's 18-point night. Alexander went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, including a stretch of six in a row in the second half to extend the Skins' lead.
Mandy Smith, who also went 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, added 14 for Nokomis while Ellie Riggs chipped in ten. Others scoring for Nokomis included Waterman with five, Laura Brady with four, Bonnie Smith with three and Maggie Allen with two.
For Gillespie, Chelsea Gill and Haylie Kirkwood led the way with ten and eight points respectively while Fellin and Bussmann chipped in a half dozen apiece.
After Monday's home game, the Lady Redskins will be back on the road this Thursday as they take on Prairie State foe Girard for the last time. Next year, Girard and Virden will consolidate to form the North Mac Panthers.
Monday's pink and white game won't be the only time breast cancer awareness takes center stage at a county girls' basketball game. On Thursday, the Hillsboro Lady Hiltoppers and the Southwestern Lady Piasa Birds will don the alternate jerseys for their SCC showdown at Hillsboro High School.
Nokomis 56, Gillespie 45
Nokomis (10-11) 12 15 15 14 56
Gillespie (2-20) 10 8 13 14 45
Nokomis (56) - Michelle Alexander 18, Mandy Smith 14, Ellie Riggs 10, Lexy Waterman 5, Laura Brady 4, Bonnie Smith 3, Maggie Allen 2. Totals: 19 18-28 56.
Gillespie (45) - Chelsea Gill 10, Haylie Kirkwood 8, Kaitlyn Fellin 6, Sarah Bussmann 6, Payton Anderson 5, Loni Nicole Manalia 4, Sam Wasylenko 4, Lorraine Noe. Totals: 18 8-12 45.
3-point field goals: Nokomis 0; Gillespie 1 (Anderson 1).
Conference Records: Nokomis 5-1; Gillespie 1-6.
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