The Clinton High School Lady Maroons won their 24th straight game Tuesday night, tying the program’s single-season win record at 28 with a 58-44 victory over the Maroa-Forsyth High School Lady Trojans in the Class 2A Regional Semifinal at El Paso-Gridley High School.
Clinton started slow and was tied at 9 midway through the first quarter before closing the period on an 8-1 run to take a 17-10 lead. The Lady Maroons matched that 17-point output in the second quarter to stretch the advantage to 34-19 at halftime. Maroa-Forsyth battled in the second half and outscored Clinton 25-24, but the early cushion proved too much to overcome.
Carly Anderson led the way with 17 points, going 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Lilah Cluver added 15 points, doing much of her damage in transition. Avery Smith finished with nine, and Clara Dempsey chipped in eight.
Kalli Kahler paced the Lady Trojans with 12 points, while Adelyn Simmons added 11 and Rilinda Ballazhi scored eight.
The win pushes Clinton to 28-4 overall and sends the Lady Maroons to Thursday’s Regional Championship — their first regional title game appearance since 2022. The victory also showcased Clinton’s depth, as the team found scoring inside the lane and converted five three-point plays the old-fashioned way with and-ones, stepping up on a night when their usual three-point shooting wasn’t at its best.
Clinton will face the winner of Normal Community West High School (Normal U-High) and El Paso-Gridley High School at 6 p.m. Thursday at EPG. Fans can hear all the action on WHOW and its digital platforms.
Avery Smith talks first regional win since 2022.
Coach Josh Smith talks win over Maroa-Forsyth
Lilah Cluver scores a tough bucket
Ozzie Goar AND ONE for Clinton