Hearts Onto Regional Final With Win at Olney

It'll take three wins to get the Effingham Hearts through the Olney 3A Regional Tournament.

 

They're two-thirds of the way there.

After a Monday night win over Mt. Zion, the Hearts came from behind to defeat the host Olney Tigers, 49-41 in a contest heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

(NATE THOMPSON)

Effingham didn't take a lead until the fourth quarter of the contest. The Hearts, in fact, were down 20-8 after the first quarter. Then began the long climb back.

Effingham held Olney to three points in the second quarter and had pulled to within 23-18 by halftime. A 16-12 third quarter edge had the Hearts within 35-34 heading into the fourth quarter. Effingham finally took its first lead in the final period and outscored the Tigers 15-6 to post the eight-point win. Olney managed just one basket in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Nate Thompson stepped up big for the Hearts, leading the way with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and completed a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds. Landon Wolfe, who was triple-teamed for much of the contest, scored 16 points and grabbed seven boards. Parker Wolfe scored nine points, Drew Thompson added five, and Jacob Stoneburner scored two points with eight rebounds.

Effingham managed the win despite shooting just under 35% from the field, 16 of 46, including 5 of 22 threes, but made 12 of 14 foul shots and turned the ball over a microscopic three times. The Hearts pulled down 30 rebounds.

Braden Flanagan led Olney with 19 points, while Sutton Dunn scored 15 points. 

Olney shot 33% from the field, 14 of 42, including 4 of 13 threes. The Tigers made 9 of 12 free throws, turned the ball over nine times and grabbed 25 rebounds.

Effingham improved to 19-12 on the season, and will play Urbana for the regional championship Friday at 7pm. We will have the game on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. Olney closes its season with a 23-6 record.

In regionals that lead into the Springfield Southeast Sectional where the Hearts could head with a victory Friday evening, Decatur MacArthur downed Mattoon at the Rantoul Regional to advance to the championship game Friday against Champaign Central.

Taylorville pounded Quincy Notre Dame, 76-46 and will now meet Lincoln at 7 p.m. Friday for the Clinton Regional title.

Springfield Southeast defeated Jacksonville, 85-41 to advance in the Jerseyville Jersey Regional. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin downed Jerseyville Jersey, 70-51. Springfield Southeast will meet Springfield SH-G at 7 p.m. Friday for the championship.

Class 3A Olney Regional

EFFINGHAM (49)

P. Wolfe 3-7 3-4 9, L. Wolfe 4-15 7-8 16, D. Thompson 1-5 2-2 5, N. Thompson 7-13 0-0 17, Stoneburner 1-4 0-0 2, Niebrugge 0-2 0-0 0, Briggerman 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 16-46 FG, 12-14 FT.

OLNEY (41)

Flanagan 7-13 2-8 19, Brown 1-6 2-2 4, Hatten 1-10 1-1 3, Duenas 0-1 0-1 0, Dunn 5-10 4-5 15, Travis 0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS 14-42 FG, 9-12 FT.

Effingham          8    10    16    15    --    49

Olney               20      3    12      6    --    41

3-point FG -- Effingham 5 (L Wolfe 1, D. Thompson 1, N. Thompson 3), Olney 4 (Flanagan 3, Dunn 1). Rebounds --Effingham 18 (L. Wolfe 5, N. Thompson 5), Olney 17 (Flanagan 4, Brown 4, Duenas 4),