FARINA — Revenge is sweet.
One year ago, the Brownstown-St. Elmo Bombers fell to Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) in the regional championship with a shot to win it at the buzzer.
This year, there was no need for a miraculous attempt.
BSE dominated Father McGivney from the start of the second quarter to the end of the game to win its first regional title since 2020. The Bombers defeated McGivney 46-27 at South Central High School.
“We were looking forward to playing them once we saw the brackets come out,” head coach Tim Pasley said. “If there was any team that was going to come through there, we were honestly hoping it was going to be them. I think we weren’t quite ready last year, as far as what to expect and dealing with that big-time moment. I think we played better at the end of the game last year and it left a lot of these girls that returned hungry to right that wrong. I know they weren’t the exact same team. They lost some seniors; we lost some seniors, as well, but the girls that played them last year, they looked forward to it.
“We’re a different team and it was a different ending.”
BSE got off to a slow start, trailing 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
Layla Tobin hit a three-pointer for the game’s first points.
Dayana Haslett was then fouled attempting a three-point shot. She made all of her foul shots, tying the game.
Madi Miller converted a layup and drew a foul with 4:17 left to send her to the charity stripe for a three-point play. She also made her attempt at the line to put the Bombers ahead by three points.
Peyton Ellis ended the period for McGivney with four straight points. She hit a hook shot and then a layup to put McGivney ahead.
“We started out slow,” Pasley said. “Early in the year, we ran a lot, got up and down the floor; we still like to do that if we get the chance, but it’s been a long year. Yesterday, I went with five girls; they played the whole way.”
The game opened for BSE in the second period.
Addie Sasse hit a layup and Presley Williams made one to give BSE a 10-7 advantage.
Zoe Oller made a layup after rebounding a missed shot to cut the lead to one point. Sasse then hit a hook shot and Haslett made a three-pointer to extend the margin to six points.
Oller made a layup. Danika Ramsey hit a midrange shot and Williams added a layup to push the cushion to eight.
Izzie Venarsky made a midrange shot and Tobin split a pair of free throws.
Sasse followed with a shot in the paint, Venarsky again split a pair of free throws and Sasse ended the half with a three-pointer to give the Bombers a nine-point lead, 24-15.
BSE’s defense continued to cause McGivney problems in the third quarter. McGivney only scored two points, and those came with 30 seconds left in the period.
The Bombers controlled a 15-point lead heading into the final frame. Williams made back-to-back layups during the third and Miller added one with 1:07 left. Devin Ellis hit a shot to score the only points for McGivney during those eight minutes.
Both teams traded baskets to start the fourth. Julia Behrmann made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 14 points. Miller then made back-to-back layups.
Behrmann would then hit a layup before a Ramsey three-pointer with 1:29 left pushed the lead to 17 points, 43-26.
Williams later made a layup to extend the lead to 18 at the time.
Williams finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal.
“What can I say? That was her best showing since coming back from her ankle injury,” Pasley said. “She did a great job of calming the team down. On the bench, she was reminding the girls, ‘Hey, we’ve got this. Let’s keep this pace and stay calm. We’re in control.’ I thought Presley played outstanding in all aspects of that game.”
Miller led the game with 13 points. She added four steals, eight rebounds and three assists.
“Madi has been working hard,” Pasley said. “She comes to me constantly. What do I need to fix? What can I do to get better here? It’s frustrating. I think she thought she’d be further along, but she started the season injured and we’ve been playing a little bit of catch-up here. I think she’s just now starting to see some of those spots that she wasn’t earlier in the year. She’s always had a great nose for the basketball. It’s just going out and getting it and she did. Everything that was around her, she was getting a hand on, going up and securing the ball with two hands. She did a wonderful job.”
Sasse had eight points, one assist, three rebounds and one steal. Ramsey had eight points, five assists and one rebound.
Haslett finished with six points but affected the game elsewhere. She added four rebounds, nine steals and four assists.
“She took over,” Pasley said. “She’s the one that slowed [the game] down. That’s who we look for to get the ball in her hands against that pressure. Numerous times, she split defenders with a nice rip-through and drive. That’s what got us out ahead and down the floor quickly. I thought she did a really good job there. She’s unselfish. She puts the team first.”
BSE will continue its season on Tuesday in a sectional semifinal of the Class 1A Raymond (Lincolnwood) Sectional. The Bombers will play either No. 1 seed Hardin (Calhoun) or No. 4 seed Nokomis at 7:30 p.m.