The Abingdon-Avon Tornado girls basketball team will play for a class 1A sectional championship tonight at United High School. It will be the second straight season the Tornadoes will play for a chance to move on to the super sectionals on Monday in Brimfield. Last season, as the hunter, A-Town took on favored Illini Bluffs in the same round in Bushnell. The Tornadoes gave the favored Tigers all they could handle before Bluffs pulled away down the stretch. The Tigers eventually made it all the way to state title game in Bloomington before losing to Okawville 48-36.
With nearly all players returning from that sectional championship game appearance, Abingdon-Avon came into this season as the hunted. They have met nearly all challenges, going (26-4) during the regular season and winning their three postseason games by an average of over 20 points.
A-Town’s opponent in tonight’s sectional title game is a very familiar one. The Wethersfield Flying Geese have played as well as anyone in the area in the past month and a half, winning 14 of their last 15 games since January 15th. Their only loss……to A-Town in the Lincoln Trail Conference tournament championship game two weeks ago. The Tornadoes also won the first of their two match ups this season back on December 9th, 49-44 in Kewanee. Along with losing the Lincoln Trail Conference title game to Abingdon-Avon, the Geese also finished right behind the Tornadoes in the LTC regular season standings.
A-Town is led by the 2-headed monster of sophomore point guard Kennedy Quinn and senior Hailey Redding. Those two combine for 34 points a game. But one of the keys to this season’s success has been the play of sophomore Kaydin Quinn. Kaydin, who missed time recently with a broken thumb, has stepped up to score 8 points and haul down a team leading 5.5 rebounds a game. A-Town head coach Brent Dugan says he loves the depth of this year’s team and hopes that the experience of last season puts his team over the top.
We’ll have tonight’s sectional championship game on the PCSN. Tune into Casey Grant’s pregame show at 5:40 on AM 1330/FM 95.7 WRAM, online at radiomonmouth.com or on our 1330 WRAM app for your smartphone or tablet. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 6:00 at United High School.
