Mission accomplished: Princeton girls win first conference championship

Mission accomplished.

Princeton defeated Mendota 38-26 Wednesday night to clinch the Three Rivers East girls conference championship.

It is the first conference championship in program history.

Winning conference has been the team goal all along, first-year PHS coach Darcy Kepner said.

“This means so much to us as a team. From day one walking into the gym the girls said they wanted to win a conference championship. From that moment they all bought in.”

—  Darcy Kepner • PHS coach

“This means so much to us as a team. From day one walking into the gym the girls said they wanted to win a conference championship. From that moment they all bought in,” Kepner said. “It takes a lot of work in the gym during the offseason and at practice each day to achieve a goal like this. It doesn’t come easy. Those girls came to the gym each day willing to work and that’s why we could accomplish this as a team. Their attitudes and ability to put the team above themselves is what I am most proud of.

“This group has been the leaders in creating the winning culture we hope to see for a long time to come. I’d say the future of PHS girls basketball is very bright.i

The Tigresses went 10-1 in conference play. Their second game with second-place St. Bede (9-2), which was canceled by COVID-19 protocols, was not made up.

Olivia Gartin scored a team-high 11 points. Miyah Fox had seven points and McKenzie Hecht and Erin May added six each.

Princeton finishes the regular season at 19-2 and will host a 2A regional next week.

Mendota won the sophomore prelim, 30-29. Miyah Fox had 12 points for PHS, including a 3-pointer to tie the game at 29 with 1.4 seconds left.

Hall 52, Newman 38: The Red Devils scored a conference win on the road Wednesday, spoiling the Newman Senior Night.

Hall had three girls with double doubles. McKenna Christiansen had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Promise Giacometti had 16 points and 11 rebounds and toni Newton had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Marquette 53, St. Bede 42: The Bruins fell in nonconference play on Senior Night Wednesday at the Academy.

St. Bede honored seniors Erin Gray, Grace Maschmann, Leah Smudzinski, Lia Bosnich, Abbie George, Renn Ludford, Ryann Stoudt, Rylee McGunnigal and Jaden Hart before the start of the game.

Smudzinski paced the Bruins with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Bosnich added 10 points, a game-high 16 rebounds and three steals. Stoudt chipped in eight points and six rebounds.

BOYS BASKETBALL

DePue 54, LaMoille 42: Andres Moreno poured in 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Wednesday to lead the Little Giants to a victory in a Little Ten Conference game.

Sean Fitzgerald added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Little Giants.

Joe Quest paced the Lions with eight points.