Lady Hearts Are Charleston Tourney Champs

The Effingham Lady Hearts had just one lead in their game last night, but it was the lead at the end of the game, and that's what matters.

Effingham won the Charleston Holiday Tournament with a 49-47 win over the Charleston Lady Trojans on Charleston's home floor. The win not only gives the Lady Hearts the title, it avenges an earlier drubbing in Apollo Conference action on the same floor.

The Lady Hearts trailed 31-19 at halftime before hitching up their collective belts and coming back for the win.

Effingham tied the game 47-47 with 10.5 seconds remaining. Marranda Steffen then stole the ball and fed Jantzen Michael for the winning basket.

Michael made the All-Tournament Team from Effingham, as did Shelby Myers and Brittany Beals.

The third place game went to Paris over Putnam County 44-24. Taylorville was the fifth place winner over Danville 55-53. Earlier in the day, Effingham beat Paris 48-39, Taylorville won over Rantoul 72-35, Urbana downed Decatur Eisenhower 56-43 and Putnam County beat Danville 48-31.

Charleston Holiday Tournament

Championship

EFFINGHAM (49)

Michael 5-0 -- 11, Armstrong 3-0 -- 8, Myers 7-4 -- 18, Steffen 1-0 -- 2, Webster 1-0 -- 2, Field 2-2 -- 6. TOTALS 19 FG, 6 FT.

CHARLESTON (47)

Crowder 1-2 -- 4, Story 1-0 -- 2, Swango 4-0 -- 11, O'Dell 1-4 -- 7, Sherwood 6-1 -- 13, Rennels 2-0 -- 4, Parish 1-4 -- 6. TOTALS 16 FG, 11 FT.

Effingham               6    13    13    17    --    49

Charleston           12    19      6    10    --    47

3-point FG -- Effingham 3 (Michael 1, Armstrong 2), Charleston 4 (Swango 3, O'Dell 1)