DANVILLE — The Danville girls basketball team is getting healthier and better at the right time.
In their IHSA Class 3A regional semifinal on Tuesday, the Lady Vikings picked up the second win in five days against Champaign Central 46-34.
In the first few meetings with the Maroons, the team was without players like senior Amara McFarland, junior Anna Houpt and sophomore Ashanti Conaway.
In Thursday’s 47-43 win and Tuesday’s game, those players were back and they were able to bring some type of wholeness for the team.
“We are very grateful for everyone coming back,” Danville sophomore Jada Bell said. “We knew we didn’t have the personnel to battle some of these teams, but now that they are back, we can play together and win like we did today.”
“We have everyone back and it is still a process in getting the pieces in place,” Danville coach Glennie Watson said. “We still have people nursing injuries and still trying to find their way. So we still have kinks to adjust, but the girls are playing hard and competing for the most part.”
McFarland only played a few minutes in Tuesday’s game, but made the most of them.
In the second quarter, the Maroons were trying to get close but the senior made a 3-pointer and the Vikings’ lead continued to expand until it reached double-digits in the second half and stayed that way.
“It felt really good. I was relieved that I could even come back because I didn’t think I would be cleared. Once I got back and got a feel for the game, I felt normal,” McFarland said. “I seen my team get the rebound and I spotted up and I felt it was coming to me and I knocked it down. The momentum changed from there.”
“We were excited for her to make that three because she is a senior and she was injured in the first home game,” Bell said. ‘So for her to come out and do that turned us up.”
“I am so happy for her, because to come back from the type of injury that she had and catch the ball and knock it down was huge,” Watson said. “She’s a good kid and has been a great leader for us in the last four years. I am happy that she got back on the court because we were optimistic that she got on and she took the opportunity to be on the floor.”
The Vikings had a 24-17 halftime lead, and in the third quarter, Houpt scored all seven of her points in the quarter to build the lead to a 34-22 advantage.
“Anna came through and hit some big shots,” Watson said. “The girls are trying to find her and she is building up confidence and we need her to build up the inside game.”
Bell led the Vikings with 15 points with Conaway getting 11 points and McFarland and Audrianna Burns each added four points.
“We have grown a lot,” McFarland said. “A few of the players are starting to develop, get into their characters, get more confidence and make more plays.”
During the days between games, the Vikings were able to build on the success on Thursday during practices.
“We just practiced on what they did last time,” Bell said. “They made some changes and we made some changes, so we didn’t know what each team was going to do.”
“We got back into practice, tweaked some things and we went into our back pocket to get some things to throw at them and they were effective,” Watson said. “Jada has been transitioning into the point guard role and she is adjusting to it. I am probably one of her toughest critics because I am preparing her for what’s to come. It is a learning experience for them and one for me as the coach because I am learning every day.”
It was the fourth and final matchup between the two teams and the last time this season Jada Bell went against father Kris Bell, who is the first-year head coach for Champaign Central.
“It is difficult to go against him, but I have learned to overcome that now,” Jada Bell said. “I know he is a great coach and I love him so much, but I couldn’t let that get in my way.”
“The first few times that we played them, we were able to win those games. We tease each other, but we know how to make that work,” Kris Bell said. “It would be weird if you see it at face value, but we work around it and she knows how to win. The first time was weird, but we settled in as time has gone on. She is a competitor and I am trying to take those values and put them with my team, but she is a force to be reckoned with.”
Alex Parastaran led the Maroons with 19 points, while Zion Reid had seven points.
“Going into the game, we knew we had some key girls out for various reasons,” Kris Bell said. “Our senior — Alex Parastaran — played her heart out, but we didn’t have the spark. Shout out to Danville, because they had a great game.”
Kris Bell’s first season ends at 10-16 for Central and he is looking forward to a better second season.
“The first season didn’t go the way we planned it because of the injuries,” Kris Bell said. “With our right five, we would have been competitive, but we have to wait for next year. We have some talented girls coming up from Franklin (Middle School) and there will be program changes that will be coming up. The future is bright and the year was fun, there were up and downs, but I have to thank the parents and they have been great and the administration and the AD’s have been very supportive.”
The Lady Vikings are 12-20 and will have another rematch in Friday’s regional championship game against Mahomet-Seymour. The Bulldogs beat them in last year’s regional and earlier this season.
“We are ready for them,” Jada Bell said. “We are ready for our revenge because they beat us in the first round last year and we want to get them back for the championship.”
“Mahomet is fundamentally sound, well-coached and they have some shooters,” Watson said. “The zone that they play is pretty effective and they do a good job closing on the shots. It is going to be a great challenge and we will be up for it.”