LADY SAGES FALL SHORT ON THE ROAD, 54–47

It was a night that felt like a snapshot of the Lady Sages’ season so far — resilience, momentum swings, and a late push that came up just short.

A three-point deficit after the first quarter grew into a 13-point hole by halftime, as Monticello struggled to find an offensive rhythm and Ali Weidner was held scoreless in the opening half. But coming out of the locker room, the switch flipped.

The Lady Sages stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring St. Joseph-Ogden 17–9 to cut the deficit to five heading into the fourth. The momentum carried over, and with 5:16 remaining, Monticello had erased the gap entirely, tying the game at 42. Moments later, the Sages surged ahead 47–42, forcing the Spartans to call a timeout.

Weidner delivered back-to-back three-point plays to fuel the run and finished with a game-high 17 points, while a clean triple from Sarah Cresap had the Sages firmly in control and riding a wave of confidence.

But the Spartans answered in a flash.

SJO caught fire, tying the game at 47 in a matter of seconds, and then completely flipped the script. Monticello was held scoreless the rest of the way as the Spartans closed the game on a decisive 12–0 run, pulling away for a 54–47 victory. The win improved St. Joseph-Ogden to 14–6 overall and 4–1 in Illini Prairie Conference play.

For Monticello, it marked their second conference loss of the week after a tough defeat to Illinois Valley Central, where they also nearly erased a double-digit deficit before a potential tying three fell short. The Lady Sages now sit at 12–11 overall and 1–4 in conference action.

Weidner’s 17 points led the way, with Cresap and Emma Arnold each adding eight. Lexi Leatherwood paced the Sages on the glass with six rebounds, followed by Arnold with five and Cresap with four. At the free-throw line, SJO went 17-of-25, while Monticello finished 11-of-16.

A crucial stretch awaits as postseason play approaches. On Saturday, the Taylorville Tornadoes (6–16, 3–3 Apollo) visit the Sievers Center for a 2:00 p.m. tip, weather permitting. The Sages then return to conference action Tuesday against Paxton-Buckley-Loda (6–14, 1–3 IPC), followed by a home matchup Friday with Unity (9–12, 3–2 IPC). The week wraps up Saturday at the Seneca Shootout with a 2:30 p.m. game against the Fighting Irish (8–14, 1–3 Tri-County).

Historically, Monticello is seeking its eighth straight win over PBL dating back to November 2022 and consecutive victories over Unity for the first time since a seven-game streak from 2015–2019. According to MaxPreps, both Taylorville and Seneca will be first-time opponents.

ILSportsWire will have coverage from the Taylorville and Unity contests.