By Dennis Bowling
It was without a doubt going to be a memorable night for Peotone senior Mady Kibelkis. Although not feeling well prior to the game with rival Manteno, Kibelkis walked on to the Panthers’ court, and she could feel her ailments momentarily disappear. That was truly bad news for Manteno on February 2!
With fire in her eyes, Kibelkis, a 5’-8” shooting guard, made a remarkable eight treys and finished with a career-high 31 points, had five assists, and four steals, to help Peotone rout Manteno, 66-38, in an Illinois Central Eight Conference battle in Manteno.
With the win, Peotone remains the area top team in Class 2A circles, with a 25-1 overall mark, 13-0 and in first place in ICE, as well as the conference champions. They’ve won 30 conference contests in a row, while Manteno is 14-11, 6-7, and had their two-game winning streak halted.
The Blue Devils play at Wilmington on Monday February 6, at 7 p.m., and are looking to have back-to-back perfect conference records.
“This was my best game for this year,” said an elated Kibelkis. “Prior to the game, I was not feeling that well, but I did much better once I arrived at Manteno.”
“I was really open,” she continued. “We were running the ball and came out very strong. It’s great to be able to beat Manteno.”
Peotone Coach Steve Strough was elated with Kibelkis’ sensational performance against the Panthers.
“Mady came out ready to shoot the ball,” he said. “We were able to put her in the right spot on the floor, and she took full advantage of that – doing a phenomenal job!”
“It’s a good win,” he added. “We took care of business, were very focused, and ready to play. I’m very happy. We need to continue playing good basketball.”
In the first quarter, the amped-up Kibelkis found her groove quickly and had 16 first quarter points, which helped the Blue Devils pull away to a 34-6 lead at the close of the stanza. By half time, Peotone had a 48-26 lead, which led to the win.
Backing up Kibelkis was Peotone senior Jenna Hunter, who had eight first quarter points. Junior Addie Graffeo added six points, via a pair of treys.
“Mady made all of her shots, as well as had some great shots,” said a happy Hunter. “We were just moving the ball quickly.”
Manteno Coach Bethany Stritar summarized her team’s play against highly touted Peotone, saying, “We did our best trying to defend Mady (Kibelkis). We just went out and played hard.”
“Sydney (Sosnowski) has really grown a lot this season,” she continued. “She is our floor general and was making good decisions as the game progressed.”
“Macy (Iwanus) is a strong player,” she noted. “Her skills are developing, and she’ll be a big contributor in the next few years.”
Manteno junior Sosnowski led with 11 points, while sophomore Iwanus had six points. Senior Kylie Saathoff finished with six points, and junior Sara Schmidt added four.
In the junior varsity contest, Manteno beat Peotone, 41-32. The Panthers Emily Horath and Bella Gigliello each had nine points, with Lila Prindeville registering eight points for Manteno. Ava Peterson, who also has a very bright future with the Panthers, finished with six points.
Peotone’s Emma Orzel led with 12 points, with Allie Walsh recording nine points for the Blue Devils.
