Lexi Mott makes All-Tournament Team
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The Chester High School Lady Jacket Basketball Team finished 2nd in the 2023 Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament hosted by Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, Illinois.
The 8-team tournament came down to a Championship Day battle between Chester and Columbia. It was a replay of the circumstances that unfolded last year in the 2022 Classic when Chester and Columbia faced-off for the title.
Chester High School sophomore Jesse Stumpe (2) brings the ball across half-court Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the 2023 Gibault Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament. The Jackets battled the Columbia Lady Eagles for the title, but fell, 62-37, having to settle for the second year in-a-row for runner-up in the 8-team event. In the game, Stumpe led the Lady Jackets in scoring with 11 points, She also grabbed 5 rebounds and recorded 3 steals.
Unfortunately, the end results turned out the same way this year as the Lady Eagles from Columbia defeated the Lady Jackets from Chester 62-37 to win the 2023 championship. Last Year the Lady Eagles beat the Lady Jackets 62-33 in the title game.
Championship Day featured four games to determine 7th Place, Consolation 5th Place, 3rd Place and the 1st Place tournament champion.
The Chester High School Lady Jackets are the 2023 Gibault Candy Cane Classic runners-up. The young Lady Jackets battled the Columbia Lady Eagles for the title for the second year-in-a row, but fell to the veteran Eagles in the Championship game. Pictured here with their 2nd Place trophy are the Lady Jackets with their coaches Jeff Mott and Jenny Coleman. Front row, knelling (left to right) are Jessica Stumpe (2), Riley Lochhead (11), Aubrey Coleman (31), Lillian Diskey (21), Bailey Hartman (10), and Natalie Guetersloh (22). Back row standing (left to right) Jenny Coleman, Assistant Coach, Camryn Luthy (13), Rylie Conley (4), Aubrey Colvis (14), Emma Diskey (35), Lexi Mott (33), Jazzi Merideth (12), Rylee Shemonic (00), and Jeff Mott, Head Coach. Jim Beers Photo
New Athens beat Metro-East Lutheran, 35-30, to win 7th Place. Valmeyer defeated Waterloo JV, 55-19, to take the Consolation Championship with 5th Place. Red Bud won the 3rd Place game vs Gibault, 36-32. Finally, Columbia was victorious over Chester, 62-37 to win back-to-back Candy Cane Classic Championships.
The 2023 All-Tournament Team consisted of five players and an All-Tournament Team Most Valuable Player. Team members included Brook Miller of Valmeyer, Bri Baldridge of Gibault, Lyla Hess of Red Bud, Lexi Mott of Chester, and Sam Schuke of Columbia. The 2023 Most Valuable Player was Jordan Holten of Columbia.
The 2023 All-Tournament Team of the Gibault Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament include (left to right): Jordan Holten, Columbia, MVP; Sam Schmuke, Columbia; Bri Baldridge, Gibault; Lyla Hess, Red Bud; and Lexi Mott, Chester. Not present: Brook Miller, Valmeyer. Jim Beers Photo The 2023 All-Tournament Team of the Gibault Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament include (left to right): Jordan Holten, Columbia, MVP; Sam Schmuke, Columbia; Bri Baldridge, Gibault; Lyla Hess, Red Bud; and Lexi Mott, Chester. Not present: Brook Miller, Valmeyer. Jim Beers Photo
To get to the championship game, the Lady Jackets beat the Waterloo JV, 47-23 in Round 1 and defeated Gibault, 32-31 in Round 2.
Chester Lady Jackets, 32-Gibault Catholic Lady Hawks, 31
The Round 1 game vs Waterloo JV was covered in the Suntimes News Thursday December 14. Round 2 was played Thursday December 14 at 7:30 p.m.
The first half was close, competitive, hard-fought, and aggressive at times. The Lady Jackets had a two-point, 5-3, lead after one quarter of play and Gibault had a slim one-point, 13-12, lead at halftime.
The third quarter was a tie with both teams scoring eight points, giving Gibault a 21-20 lead after three quarters of play. Down the stretch, Chester edged the Lady Hawks by two points, 12-10, to surpass Gibault, 32-31, for the win.
Chester’s Emma Diskey (35) and Aubrey Colvis (14) get ready to box out and rebound as Columbia shoots a free throw in the first half of the Championship game of the 2023 Gibault Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament Saturday December 16. In the game, Diskey scored 4 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists. Colvis scored 3 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 1 assist, and recorded 1 steal. Jim Beers Photo
The Jackets were led in scoring by Lexi Mott who accumulated 19 points. Next up was Lillian Diskey who added nine points. Rylie Conley and Emma Diskey each contributed two points apiece.
Lexi Mott also led the Jackets in rebounding with seven boards. Lillian Diskey led the team in assists with four and steals with four. Jesse Stump and Lillian Diskey each recorded blocks and Aubrey Colvis and Jesse Stumpe each grabbed three rebounds.
Chester’s Lexi Mott (33) a sophomore Lady Jacket Basketball player, earned a spot on the 2023 Gibault Candy Cane Classic Basketball Tournament “All-Tournament Team” . The event took place December 11-16 at Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, Illinois. The Lady YellowJackets had a tournament record of 2 wins and 1 loss putting them in the 2023 Championship game for the second year in-a-row battling the same Columbia Lady Eagle squad. In the three-game event, Mott helped her team make it to the finals and led the Lady Jackets in scoring with 45 points. She also grabbed 24 rebounds, dished out 1 assist and recorded 4 steals. For her efforts, she made the All-Tournament Team. This was her second All-Tournament Team selection this season having made the Sparta Invitational Tournament squad the first week of the season. Jim Beers Photo
The Lady Hawks were paced by one player who scored in double figures. Bri Baldridge scored 14 points, followed by Alma Sanchez (6), Karmon Grohmann (4), Libby Mesch (4), Myah Ticer (2), and Kamille Grohmann (1).
With the win, the Lady Jackets advanced to the Championship game Saturday December 16 to take on the Columbia Lady Eagles in a re-match of last year’s Championship game in which to Eagles defeated the Jackets, 62-33. The Chester win also improved the Lady Jacket’s overall record to 6-5 for the season.
Lady Jackets fall to Columbia, 62-37 to take 2nd Place
The Lady Jackets faced off with the Columbia Lady Eagles Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. to determine the champion of the 2023 Candy Cane Classic. The game started out with Columbia’s Kinley Jany hitting a 2-pointer to take a 2-0 early lead.
Chester’s first score was at the 6:08 mark when Emma Diskey popped a bucket. The game was tied, 4-4 at the 5:23 mark when Jessica Stumpe scored. The Eagles then went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-4 lead with 3:55 to play in the first quarter.
Chester’s Emma Diskey then sank a free throw to get CHS within three points, 8-5, at the 3:49 mark. Sophomore Aubrey Coleman followed with a huge 3-pointer at 2:41 to tie the game again, 8-8.
Just when things were looking good for the Jackets, Columbia finished the quarter with a 6-1 run to lead by 5 points, 14-9, after one quarter of play.
Jesse Stumpe opened the second quarter for Chester with a steal and a basket to get Chester within three points, 14-11, just 30-seconds into the second period. Lexi Mott followed with another bucket for CHS to bring the Lady Jackets within 1 point, 14-13, at 6:55. The game was on!
Columbia then exploded with a massive 13-0 run to take the game over with a 27-13 lead with 4:06 remaining in the first half. Chester assisted with the Lady Eagle’s 13-0 run by turning the ball over back-to-back-to-back.
The rest of the quarter Columbia’s defense was brutal creating two more CHS turnovers, and the Eagle offense had another 4-0 run to lead, 31-14, at the 2:08 Mark.
Emma Diskey added one free throw and Lexi Mott scored on a layup with 1:10 to play and Chester trailed, 31-16 with 59-seconds to play in the first half. The Eagles weren’t finished, however, as the Eagle’s Sam Schmuke drained a huge 3-pointer before the final buzzed to end a 17-7 second quarter run to lead, 34-16, at halftime.
Down by 18 points at the half, the Lady Jackets were suffering from the results of facing a much bigger, physical team with primarily a junior and senior starting lineup. The very young Chester starting lineup featured one senior and four sophomores.
Jessica Stumpe began the second half for Chester firing a 3-pointer. Chester trailed, 34-19 at the 7:18 mark.
Columbia continued on their scoring rampage to kick-off their third quarter offense as Jordan Holten and Ava Langhans drained back-to-back 3-pointers and Holten knocked down another 2-point basket to end an 8-0 run and take a 42-19 lead at 5:26.
Following a 30-second Eagles time out, Chester had a brief 4-0 run as Lexi Mott sank two free throws and a 2-point shot to get the Lady Jackets within 19 points, 42-23, at 3:39.
To close out the third quarter, Columbia’s Ava Langhans and Kinley Jany combined for six points and Chester’s Riley Lochhead and Lexi Mott combined for three points as Columbia led, 49-26 after three quarters of play. In the 3rd quarter the Eagles outscored the Lady Jackets, 15-10.
The final quarter began with Columbia’s starters continuing to score as Jordan Holten (2), Sam Schmuke (3), Kinley Jany (2) and Jay Brister (1) combined for 8 points. During that time span Chester’s Jessica Stumpe knocked down a bucket. Columbia led, 57-28 with 4:35 left in the game.
At that point, ahead by 29 points, 57-28, Columbia Head Coach, Scott Germain called a 30-second time out and made substitutions from his bench.
In the final 3:35 the Lady Jackets outscored the Lady Eagles, 7-5. To close out the game. Chester’s Jessica Stumpe knocked down another bucket, Rylie Conley made two free throws, Aubrey Colvis made a basket and with .4 seconds left to play, and freshman Bailey Hartman drained a 3-pointer.
Columbia won the contest, 62-37, to claim back-to-back Candy Cane Classic titles. In the loss, Chester was paced offensively by Jessica Stumpe who scored 11 points. Stumpe also 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Lexi Mott followed with 10 points, and 7 rebounds.
Other Lady Jacket contributors included Rylie Conley with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals; Emma Diskey with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists; Aubrey Colvis with 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal; Bailey Hartman who had 3 points; and Riley Lochhead who added 1 point, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Columbia was led by four players who scored in double figures including sophomore Kinley Jany (17), junior Ava Langhans (13), junior Jordan Holten (13), and junior Sam Schmuke (10). Other contributors were senior Jay Brister (4), sophomore Hope Schwartz (2), junior Paige Froess (2), and sophomore Sydnie Fitch (1).
With the loss, Chester earned the runner-up, 2nd Place trophy and ended the tournament with a 2-1 record. The Jacket’s season record evened out at 6-6.
The Jackets have a week off December 18-24 and come back after Christmas with their third tournament of the season. Chester will compete in the Christ Our Rock Lutheran Christmas Tournament December 26, 27, and 28 at Centralia.