The Morton girls basketball team stuck with it through a difficult seven weeks in December and January.
The reward was a nine-game winning streak that culminated in an appearance alongside the rest of the state’s elite programs in the Sweet 16.
“I’m proud of how our girls played and didn’t want the season to end,” MHS head coach Bob Becker said.
The Potters’ season concluded with an 18-16 mark after a Feb. 25 loss to Springfield in the Class 3A Champaign Sectional final.
Morton now has reached that level three times in the last four years. Beginning with the 2004-05 season, the Potters own an incredible 18 postseason victories.
“That’s always our goal — to play our best at the end,” said Becker. “We definitely had a good feeling at the end of the season.”
Morton went 8-6 in the Mid-Illini Conference to share fourth place with Canton.
No team was better than the Potters’ 6-1 record in the second half of league play.
Morton began the year 4-1, including a 56-51 overtime win over defending state champion and No. 3 ranked Richwoods.
The girls lost 11 of their next 13 games, however, to fall to 6-12. They stayed in neutral after splitting their next six games, including their first loss to East Peoria since ’03.
But through it all, the Potters showed perseverance to overcome the adversity.
“It was a complete journey,” Becker said. “We had to learn how to win and learn our roles a little bit.”
What was impressive about Morton’s hot string at the end was the quality of opponents it beat.
Limestone (twice) Washington, Metamora, Normal U-High and Champaign Central all had at least 17 victories on the season.
Junior point guard Mariah Nimmo delivered terrific numbers for the Potters.
“I thought she had a really good year. She was a good quiet leader for us,” Becker said of Nimmo.
Nimmo led Morton with 14.8 points and 3.3 assists per game.
She also topped the team with 77 steals, 78-percent accuracy from the free-throw line and a torrid 42-percent clip from three-point range on 65 makes.
Despite being the focal point of opposing defenses, Nimmo was clutch down the stretch.
Sarah Livingston, a freshman, set a team single-season record with 114 blocks.
She also was the leader with 56 percent field-goal shooting and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Livingston was Morton’s other double-figure scorer at 10.4 ppg.
Nimmo and Livingston will receive recognition from the conference.
Junior Caitlyn Vandermeer chipped in 7.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting 45 percent from the floor.
Sophomores Erin Tisdale and Lexi Ellis both averaged 5.6 ppg.
Tisdale was the Potters’ No. 3 rebounder by collecting 4.1 caroms each night.
Ellis ranked second among players with at least 40 attempts with a .750 figure at the charity stripe.
Senior Carly Yingling, juniors Gabby Closner and Karissa Neihouser and sophomore Carly Crocker all appeared in at least 27 games.
Becker said shooting will be an area of emphasis in the offseason.
With 11 of the 12 players who saw varsity action not yet seniors, Morton is aiming for a quick start in ’10-11.
“I hope we do pick up where we left off,” Becker said. “I think we can be dangerous. We’ll have a little target on our backs.”
The Potters’ schedule will be the same next year except for the reshuffled league slate and possibly some different teams in the three in-season tournaments.
Only two of Morton’s foes this year were inferior, so a lot of challenges likely loom again next winter.
Morton, Ill. —
