Lady Hearts Down Taylorville

The Effingham Lady Hearts posted a 41-29 win over the Taylorville Lady Tornadoes in Apollo Conference girls basketball action Thursday night. The contest was heard on KJ Country 102.3 and www.kjcountry.com. 

The 12-point margin was the biggest of the game as Taylorville kept scrapping and staying in the fight against a young Effingham squad. The Lady Hearts have just one senior on the team.

Effingham worked its way to a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 20-14 at halftime. It was 30-21 after three quarters, but Taylorville pulled to within one before the Hearts found some offense and outpointed the Tornadoes 11-8 in the final period to post the 12-point win.

Effingham made 35% of its shots, 17 of 48 including 5 of 13 threes. The Lady Hearts were just two of seven from the line, turned the ball over 18 times, but pulled down 37 rebounds.

Taylorville made 11 of 37 shots, 30%, including 2 of 19 threes. The Lady Tornadoes made 5 of 10 foul shots, committed 18 turnovers and grabbed 21 rebounds.

Effingham freshman Annie Frost had a big game, scoring 14 points, 12 in the first half, and grabbing 10 rebounds. Hayley Diveley hit three threes in the second half and scored all 11 of her points after intermission. Also for Effingham: Callie Feldhake 5, Ella Niebrugge 4, Sawyer Althoff 3, Taylor Armstrong 2, and Sam Urch 2. Feldhake led with four assists, while Althoff and Diveley had three apiece.

Haylee Sagle led Taylorville with 10 points, while Courtney Gideon and Summer Brandis each scored 6, Victoria Anselm and Alerina Letniku 3 each, and Brynn Cummins 1.

Effingham improved to 5-3 overall, 2-1 in Apollo Conference play. Taylorville, coached by EHS graduate Steve Keller, is now 2-8 on the season.

At Effingham

TAYLORVILLE (29)

Havera 0-0 -- 0, McCullough 0-0 -- 0, Cummins 0-1 -- 1, Letniku 1-0 -- 3, Anselm 1-1 -- 3, Stephens 0-0 -- 0, Brandis 2-0 -- 6, Sagle 4-2 -- 10, Gideon 3-0 -- 6. TOTALS 11 FG, 4 FT.

EFFINGHAM (41)

Bushur 0-0 -- 0, Frost 7-0 -- 14, Althoff 1-0 -- 3, Armstrong 1-0 -- 2, Feldhake 2-0 -- 5, Niebrugge 2-0 -- 4, Carie 0-0 -- 0, Dively 3-2 -- 11, Sowell 0-0 -- 0, Urch 1-0 -- 2. TOTALS 17 FG, 2 FT.

Taylorville            9    5      7      8    --    29

Effingham          13    7    10    11    --    41

3-point FG -- Taylorville 3 (Brandis 2, Letniku 1), Effingham 5 (Dively 3, Althoff 1, Feldhake 1).