First, the Stevenson Patriots nibbled on the Freeport Pretzels. Then they swallowed them whole.
The sound you heard was Freeport’s unbeaten season ending with a crunch.
The next sound was Stevenson’s screaming locomotive roaring into Saturday’s Class AA girls state championship game at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena-right on schedule.
Final score: Stevenson 64, Freeport 47.
“Well, we made it,” said Stevenson coach Frank Mattucci.
Yes, they did. But get this: The Patriots (32-2) shot the ball like it was made of Silly Putty in the first half, hitting only 10 of 40 attempts, and still won.
“We didn’t play a great ballgame at all,” said junior guard Katie Coleman, who played an inspired 32 minutes and led the Patriots with 21 points. “But we played well enough to win. We’ll take it.”
Stevenson will meet Mother McAuley (28-5) for the state title at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. Freeport (32-1) will play Normal (28-1), the first unbeaten team to bite the dust here Friday, for third place at 1:30.
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“Coleman really came to play,” said Mattucci. “She’s done that all year. Every time we’ve had a big game, she’s come through.”
Sophomore center Tamika Catchings had 20 points in just 3 1/2 quarters (with 4 minutes to go, she sat down with four personals). Somehow, she shook off an awful first half in which she converted just 3 of 14 shots.
“One reason I had so many rebounds tonight (20),” said Tamika with a shy smile, “was that I missed so many shots and got the ball back. I want the ball. I want it ’til I make it. Tonight it just took me a while to get untracked.”
Jenny Crouse, Freeport’s 6-foot-3-inch All-State senior center, was her team’s brightest light with 21 points.
“We said, `Let’s keep going after her (Crouse), let’s keep going after her,’ ” said Mattucci. “We didn’t get intimidated. We made her work and she still got her shots.”
Stevenson’s smothering half-court pressure forced 27 Freeport turnovers.
“We knew we had to get transition baskets tonight,” said Mattucci. “I don’t know how many points we got off the break, but I’d guess it was about 15. We play tough defense. If you look at the knees of the girls on this team, they look pretty ugly. To me, though, they look pretty.”
In a deliberate first half, Stevenson crept to a 31-22 lead at the break.
The Patriots were 4 of 14 from the floor in the first 8 minutes but behind Coleman, who scored seven points and had two steals, managed a 15-12 edge. Freeport got within 20-19 with 4:11 left in the first half, but Stevenson quickly manufactured a 10-0 run that turned the Pretzels to mush.
Tamika Catchings wasn’t the only Patriot with a cold first half. Tauja Catchings was 1 of 7 and Coleman 3 of 10. To have a nine-point halftime cushion under those circumstances was a good sign for the Patriots, who wound up shooting 31 percent for the game.
When Stevenson extended its lead to 39-25 with an 8-0 run after intermission, the Freeport cheering section slumped in its seats. Stevenson was where many expected it to be way back in November: playing for the state crown.