It was a battle between two of the top teams in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference on Jan. 12 with Centerburg (9-2, 5-1) hosting Danville (11-4, 6-2), and the Trojans were lights out shooting while playing outstanding defense in a 57-21 win.
Kayla Larimore was on fire right from the start, putting up 13 points in the opening quarter. This included a three to get the scoring onslaught started for the Trojans, who had a 19-2 lead after one quarter. Kylee Hess had the lone basket for the Blue Devils.
The Trojans went on to take a 28-9 lead at halftime. Larimore led all scorers with 16 points, and Danville was led by Ella Proper with five points.
It was a 42-16 game after three quarters, with Larimore continuing to control the game with seven points. Brooklyn Staats had a three for the Blue Devils. In the fourth quarter Kennedi Glenn went off for three makes from downtown, and Larimore put four more points on the board to help the Trojans secure the win.
Larimore outscored the entire Danville squad in the victory, tallying 27 points on 11-for-13 shooting. Tiara Sheppard put together an all-around terrific performance, just missing a triple-double. She had 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine steals for the Trojans. Glenn scored nine points, all on threes in the fourth quarter.
Centerburg Coach Bill Abner also praised the play of Evie Stowe at point guard, saying she “played a beautiful game.” Stowe only had four turnovers while controlling the ball all game, and Abner was impressed by the way she handled the pressure Danville was putting on.
For Danville, Hess led the scoring with six points. Proper and Staats each had five points.
The Trojans led in every facet of the game, forcing 22 turnovers and only turning it over 10 times- a season low. Danville shot 7-for-40 and was only 2-for-15 from deep, while Centerburg was 23-for-48 from the floor. Centerburg also led 33-26 in rebounds.
The Trojans were able to avenge a previous loss earlier in the season, where the Blue Devils walked away with a win in double overtime. Despite the team being ravaged by the flu recently, Centerburg was on top of their game in a vital KMAC matchup.
“The last time we played Danville we lost a heartbreaker in double overtime,” Coach Abner said. “Danville made some huge shots and it hurt our pride a little by giving up 71 points. We challenged the girls before the game to put forth a better defensive effort. To hold a team like Danville to 21 points -no one expected that.”
Coach Abner admitted that he was a bit nervous heading into the game because the Trojans were coming off a 10-day stint where the flu hit the team especially hard. There were four healthy players for much of the week, and two league games were postponed. While they took a 52-25 win over KMAC rival Northmor on Jan. 9 after a long break between (last game was Dec. 29 against Utica), Abner said the Trojans were a bit sluggish. Seeing the team play at this high level against a tough Danville squad was encouraging.
“I did think there was a different level of focus for this one,” Abner said. “The girls knew we let one get away at their place. And like I said after that game, all credit to Danville, they showed why they're a veteran team. But we knew we didn't play our best that day and I think the kids looked forward to a chance at redemption.”
Abner said the team still has a long road in front of them with some huge matchups around the corner. The team set goals in June, and he looks forward to seeing his team rise to the test and push toward a KMAC title and beyond.
“This was a great win, but we have to keep our focus and go to the next one,” Coach Abner said.