Lady Potters 65

East Peoria 17

Afterwards, Bob Becker said, “January! What happened to January? I mean, really. A month is gone in the 2023 season.”

The Potters lost on December 30, 2022, and began the new year with four straight defeats, barely competitive.

“There was a point in there when we were in such a low point . . . ” (after losses to Peoria, Dunlap, Washington, Canton) . . .

“I think I’m pretty tough-minded, usually, but, boy, I was looking at the schedule . . . “ (four games coming against Mahomet-Seymour, Metamora, Galesburg and Peoria Notre Dame). . .

“And wondering if we’d ever win a game.”

Well, now. The sun did rise every day in January. Order was restored in PotterNation. After those five straight losses, the Potters closed January with seven straight victories. Five came against good teams, and however helpless a poor East Peoria team was without two injured starters, one its leading scorer, it remained for the Potters to play well. That, they did.

“Our kids are on an upswing,” Becker said, “and tonight they took care of business the way solid, great teams do.”

They were merciless, those smiling sweethearts in jerseys that on the back bear the dates 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 – years in which the Potters program won state championships.

The first quarter, for instance, went this way . . .

Addy Engel three free throws in the first minute. Izzy Hutchinson a layup off a Tatym Lamprecht pass, then Lamprecht a layup off a Hutchinson pass. Ellie VanMeenen joined the fun with a 3. Engel wound her way in for a layup and then made the first free throw in a bonus situation.

Here, catch a breath. We’re not four minutes into the game and it’s 13-0.

When Engel missed the second free throw, the rebound found its way to Lamprecht, who did what happy shooters do, she put up a 3 as pretty as could be. She followed with a pair of layups, one a breakaway after a midcourt steal, and the second a driving, falling-out-of-bounds curler that kissed the glass and fell in.

Whew, 20-0 in five minutes, 23-0 after a quarter, 39-6 at the half.

By game’s end, the reserves were running free and the starters were dancing on the bench, kids having fun.

Morton is now 18-9, 8-4 in the Mid-Illini Conference with two games left on the regular-season schedule, Friday at Dunlap (which beat the Potters on Jan. 6, 59-38) and next Tuesday at home on Senior Night against Washington (which won at their place, 48-25). East Peoria is 1-22 and 0-12.

Morton’s scoring tonight: Engel 12, Lamprecht 12, Hutchinson 11, Ellie VanMeenen 10, Anja Ruxlow 5, Emilia Miller 5, Julia Laufenberg 4, Annelise Heppe 3, Magda Lopko 2, Kerrigan Vandel 1.