In front of a capacity crowd in the Potterdome, Seniors Brandi Bisping and Jacey Wharram, played their final game minutes on the Morton High School floor. They exited in grand fashion, to thunderous applause and once again in victory on the home floor, as the Lady Potters (27-2, 14-0) dismantled a beleaguered Washington Panther team by the score of 56-22. It was the perfect ending to a perfect conference season for the Potters.
Prior to the game, Coach Becker introduced both Seniors and their parents and expressed his sentiments of Brandi and Jacey, including how important each has been to the Lady Potters throughout their careers. Everyone in attendance was also treated to a tribute video of their remarkable basketball careers, which brought tears and cheers from the crowd. Click this link to view the video for yourself: https://youtu.be/PXJJgQ6lvJ8
The Morton student section, which made an impressive showing, also had a special plan in store for the game as they perfectly executed their own version of “Silent Night”. They remained perfectly quiet through the first 9 points the Potters scored, holding in their enthusiasm until the very next basket, and then went completely ballistic at that point. The immediate change in atmosphere sparked the Potters and seemed to rattle Washington, as it lead to an immediate steal and assist for another score and started an avalanche, which stole the breathe away from Washington as Morton’s lead went from 9-6 to 25-8 at the halftime break. The Lady Potters cruised through the 2nd half and ended the season perfect in conference play at 14-0 and for the second year in a row, perfect at home on the season.
After the game, the team and many fans gathered to celebrate the careers of Brandi and Jacey. Stories, smiles and gifts were abundant and it was an indeed a perfect Senior Night for the Lady Potters.
The Lady Potters were certainly dominant in Mid-Illini play this year. Dominant may actually be an understatement if you consider that they finished 6 games up on the three teams tied for second place (Limestone, Pekin and Dunlap) who all finished 8-6. Their average point differential in conference play was a ‘merciful’ +28.7 points per game against conference opponents. Their closest game was at Limestone, where they won by 15 points. This in a conference where most teams would leave their starters in until the final seconds to boost their stats, even after the games were well beyond their reach.
Now all attention is turned to the post season and preparation for their first game of Regionals, which will be on Tuesday, February 14th, at Peoria High School (7pm) vs the winner of Canton and Peoria Manual, who will play the night before. It’s no secret that the Lady Potters are looking to get back to Redbird Arena for a third straight year and they know the formula to getting there. One game at a time.