CHS falls at Okawville, 61-27 and to Wesclin, 53-43
BY JIM BEERS
Contributing Writer
The Chester High School Lady Jackets Basketball Team faced Red Bud four times during the 2022-2023 season, coming out with two wins and two losses against the Lady Musketeers, to split the 4-games of competition.
Two of the games were in the Cahokia Conference Illinois Division regular schedule with the two teams splitting those games with one win apiece, while the other two meetings were in tournament play with CHS and Red Bud splitting those contests with one win apiece.
In Week 1 of the season in Game 4 of the annual Sparta Tournament, Chester fell to Red Bud, 55-42, in a game that the Musketeers led throughout the game, 13-7 after the first quarter. CHS outscored Red Bud, 18-15, in the second quarter to trail by just 3-points at halftime, 28-25.
At the end of the third quarter, the Musketeers led by 5-points, 35-30, and a huge 20-12 fourth quarter gave Red Bud a final score of 55-42 to give the Musketeers a 13-point win over their Randolph County rivals.
Six games later at the Gibault Catholic Candy Cane Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament, Chester tromped Red Bud, 52-32, in a 20-point win to even to record between the two teams at 1-1.
It was Monday December 12 in Week 4 of the season. It was Chester’s 10th game. The Jackets came into the contest with records of 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the Cahokia Conference Illinois Division race.
The Lady Jackets dominated this game, 11-10 after one quarter of play, 26-14 at halftime, 38-24 after the third quarter and 52-32 at the final buzzer to improve to 1-0 in the Candy Cane Classic, 4-6 overall, and 1-3 in the conference.
Chester won their own Lady Jackets Mid-Winter Classic Basketball Tournament, during the week of January 2-7. It was Week 6 of the season and games 17, 18, and 19 for CHS. In that event, Chester beat New Athens, 52-28, Dupo, 54-27, and Marissa, 32-27, to sweep the competition and win the 16th Annual LJMWC. Chester improved to a record of 10-9 with those wins.
The Cahokia Conference Illinois Division meetings between CHS and Red Bud began immediately after the LJMWC in Week 7. It was Game 20 for Chester and the Lady Jackets traveled to Red Bud for the conference match-up.
The game was a back-and-forth affair with Red Bud outscoring Chester, 20-11 in the opening quarter for a 9-point lead. The second quarter was a reversal with Chester outscoring Red Bud, 17-9, to trail by just one point, 29-28, at the half.
The see-saw game changed again in the third quarter with the Lady Musketeers outscoring the Lady Jackets, 20-10, to take an 11-point, 49-38 lead into the final period. In the 4th quarter, Red Bud managed to stay ahead of the Jackets with a 16-11 performance, to win the game, 65-49. The win gave Red Bud a 2-1 advantage in the season’s 4-game series. The loss also dropped CHS to an overall record of 10-10, and 1-4 in the Cahokia Conference.
The final game of the 4-game series with Red Bud took place in Week 10. It was Chester’s 27th game of the season and the Jackets came into the game with an overall record of 12-14 and a Cahokia Conference record of 1-6.
This time Red Bud came to CHS Colbert Gymnasium on Rocky Bridges’ Court Thursday February 2. The entire game was close, competitive, sportsmanlike and exciting.
The first quarter was a 9-9 tie. The Lady Musketeers roared out to an 8-0 run provided by Addi Dilley (6) and Lyla Hess (2) before Chester’s lone senior, Camrynn Howie took charge and scored five unanswered points to bring the Jackets within three points, 8-5 at the 2:30 mark.
Red Bud’s Jeda Friess knocked down a free throw to give the Musketeers their final point of the first quarter for a 9-5 lead. In the final 1:49 of the first period, Chester went on a 4-0 run to tie the game at 9-9 with baskets from Jazzi Merideth and Lexi Mott. During the opening quarter, Merideth’s speed, quick reactions and tough defense helped to hold Red Bud to just nine points.
In the second quarter, the Musketeers outscored the Lady Jackets, 12-7, to lead by five points at the half, 21-16.
Red Bud opened the period with a 5-0 run, led by Jeda Friess who knocked down three free throws and Lyla Hess who connected for a bucket. Red Bud led, 14-9 at the 6:25 mark.
Chester freshman, Lexi Mott, single-handedly answered Red Bud’s run with a 5-0 run of her own to tie the game, 14-14, with 4:31 to play in the half.
During the 5-0-run by Mott, she made a hard move to the bucket for a hard-fought short jumper. After a Chester time out, Mott drove to the hoop and knocked down a highly-challenged layup. She was fouled and completed the 3-point play with a layup to tie the game, 14-14, with 4:31 remaining in the first half.
The Lady Musketeers followed with another hurtful, 7-0 run, to extend their lead to 21-14 with just 23-seconds left in the half. Jeda Fries started the run with a basket at the 3:06 mark. At 2:23, Addi Dilley was fouled and made both free throws. With 48-seconds to play, Jeda Friess hit another short jumper and with 23-seconds remaining, Lyla Hess sank a free throw.
Chester got the ball with only 23-seconds to play in the first half. At the buzzer, freshman Aubrey Coleman connected for two-points, to bring Chester within five points, 21-16, to end the half.
After the halftime break the Lady Jackets came alive and went on a 12-6 run to take a one point lead, 28-27 after three quarters of play.
In the opening two minutes of the period, Chester made a definite statement with a 6-0 run led by Lexi Mott who made back-to-back baskets and Camrynn Howie who added a bucket at the 6:00 mark.
Neither team scored during the next three minutes. Red Bud broke the silence with three minutes left on the clock with a basket by Jeda Reiss. Just 18-seconds later Chester’s Jazzi Merideth answered with a bucket, followed 37-seconds later (2:23) by a Camrynn Howie 2-pointer. Howie’s basket completed a 10-2 Chester run to help the Lady Jackets’ lead, 26-23.
In the next 34-seconds the Lady Musketeers scored three points as Emma Carter hit a basket, was fouled, and made her free throw, to tie the game, 26-26, with 1:49 to play in the third quarter. Carter then broke the tie 35-seconds later by making her second free throw of the period. Red Bud led, 27-26 at the 1:14 mark.
Chester had the ball with 1:14 left to play and Camrynn Howie was fouled in the act of driving to the hoop with 18.6-seconds to play. Howie calmly drained both free throws to give Chester the lead, 28-27 to end the 3rd quarter.
The final quarter was a knock-down-drag-out with Red Bud knocking on the door repeatedly, but was never able to take over the lead. At the 1:21 mark, the Musketeers did tie the game, 37-37, but in the final minute, Chester was able to play good defense and managed a 7-5 run to win the game, 44-42.
With 2:33 left to play in the game, the Jackets had completed a 9-5 run to lead, 37-32. During that run, Chester’s Howie (2), Coleman (2), Riley (3), and Mott (2), chipped in to protect the Lady Jacket lead. Red Bud’s Lyla Hess (3) and Addi Dilley (2), kept the Lady Musketeers in the hunt.
Hess and Dilley pulled-off a 5-0 run for Red Bud to tie the game, 37-37, with just 1:21 to play in the game. The score was locked for 30-seconds. Down the final 51-seconds, CHS outscored Red Bud, 7-5, to secure the win.
Camrynn Howie drained a pair of free throws to start the run. CHS led, 39-37. Following a Red Bud time out, Lexi Mott was fouled and made a pair of free throws to extend Chester’s lead to, 41-37 with 39-seconds left to go.
With 29-seconds to play, Red Bud’s Hess made a bucket to bring the Musketeers within two points, 41-39.
Camrynn Howie gave Chester a four point lead with 28-seconds to play, 43-39. At the 18-seconsd mark, Red Bud’s Madison Falkenhain made things really interesting after she popped a huge 3-pointer to bring Red Bud back within two points, 43-42. With only 2-seconds to play, Chester made one free throw to end the game, winning thegame, 44-42.
In the win, Chester was led by Camrynn Howie who recorded 19 points, followed by Lexi Mott (15), Riley Conley (4), Aubrey Coleman (4), and Jazzi Merideth (2). The Jackets made (14) 2-pointers, (1) 3-pointer, and shot 13-of-17 from the free throw line (76.5%).
Red Bud was led by three girls in double figures including Addi Dilley (13), Lyla Hess (12), and Jeda Friess (10). Other contributors included Emma Carter (4), and Madison Falkenhain (3). The Musketeers made (9) 2-pointers, (4) 3-pointers, and 12-of-21 at the free throw line (57%).
With the win, the Lady Jackets improved to 13-14 overall and 2-6 in the Cahokia Conference Illinois Division. The win also evened the score at 2-2 with Red Bud for the season.
In other games the Lady Jackets lost, 61-27, on the road at Okawville Thursday January 26, and lost Saturday February 4 at Colbert Gymnasium to Wesclin, 53-43. Coming into Week 11, the final week of the regular season, Chester stands at 13-15 overall and 2-7 in the Cahokia Conference.
Chester will close out the regular season with a home game Wednesday February 8 and a road game Thursday February 9 at Sparta.
The Lady Jackets host a non-conference home game vs Lebanon Wednesday. That will also be Senior Night 2023 when CHS says goodbye to Camrynn Howie who will play her final game at CHS, in Colbert Gymnasium, on Rocky Bridges Court.
Thursday February 9 the Jackets will travel to Sparta to take on the Lady Bulldogs in the final Cahokia Conference Illinois Division contest of the 2022-2023 season.
Chester will play Saturday February 11 at Nashville against the Lady Panthers in Round 1 of the 2023 IHSA Regional Basketball Tournament. Tip-off will be 1:00 p.m.
In the photos:
Chester’s Camrynn Howie (3) makes a hard-fought layup Thursday February 2 in the 44-42 win over Red Bud. In the win, Howie led the Jackets with 19 points. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Jazzi Meridth (12) jumps the opening top-off Thursday February 4 i the game against Red Bud. In the game Chester won, 440-42. Merideth scored 2 points, played excellent defense, and chased down numerous loose balls and rebounds to help Chester win the game. Jim Beers Photo
Chester Head Lady Jacket Basketball Coach Clint Cowan motivates his players during a CHS time out with 43-seconds left to play in the game against Red Bud Thursday February 4 at Colbert Gymnasium. The motivation and game-plan apparently worked as the Lady Jackets scored five more points to secure a 44-42 win over the Lady Musketeers. Jim Beers Photo
Lady Jacket Riley Conley (4) guards Red Bud’s Ava Wagner in the Cahokia Conference Illinois Division match-up Thursday February 4 . The game was hosted at Chester’s Colbert Gym and the Jackets held on to win, 44-42, to improve to 13-14 overall and 2-6 in the Cahokia Conference. In the win, Conley made numerous key defensive plays, scored key baskets at pivotal times and grabbed several timely rebounds to help the Lady Jackets win.
Jim Beers photo