Dempsey Leads Clinton Past Undefeated Mt. Pulaski

ILSportsWire was on hand Monday night as the Clinton Lady Maroons made a statement, handing the Mt. Pulaski Lady Hilltoppers their first loss of the season with a 49–36 non-conference victory in Clinton, in a game heard on WHOW and all its digital platforms.

Clinton entered the contest riding a 20-game winning streak with a 24–4 record, while Mt. Pulaski came in undefeated at 25–0. The night carried some uncertainty for the Lady Maroons, as leading scorer Clara Dempsey was questionable heading into tipoff. Dempsey admitted she didn’t know if she would be able to go, but with the help of icy hot, medication, and pure adrenaline, she was ready when it mattered most.

Clinton made their entrance wearing cool ILSportsWire pink t-shirts, and from the opening possession, they came out flying.

Dempsey showed no signs of weakness early, knocking down four three-pointers in the first quarter to give Clinton a 14–9 lead. Both teams traded punches in the second quarter, scoring 11 points each, but the Lady Maroons took control of the game on the defensive end after halftime.

Clinton’s defense turned up the pressure in the third quarter, holding Mt. Pulaski to just five points. A key factor in that effort was Averiee Fatheree, who played lock-down defense all night, limiting Mt. Pulaski standout Alyson Murphy to just eight points.

Dempsey finished with a game-high 23 points to lead all scorers. Avery Smith added 12 points, including seven made free throws in the second half, while Carly Anderson contributed eight points.

Mt. Pulaski was led by Addison Brown, who scored 20 points, including five three-pointers. Murphy finished with eight points, and Alayna Marten added four.

With the win, Clinton improves to 25–4 on the season, while Mt. Pulaski falls to 25–1.

Following the game, ILSportsWire caught up with both head coaches, as well as Clara Dempsey, to talk about the statement win, the defensive intensity, and what the performance means heading into the final stretch of the season.

The Lady Maroons will return to action on Wednesday night for Senior Night, hosting the Cerro Gordo-Bement Lady Broncos in their final home game of the regular season. Tipoff is set for 7:15 PM.