By Dennis Bowling
Manteno coach Bethany Stritar is the hardest working in Class 2A girl basketball circles. She has built the Panthers into a very competitive team. Manteno senior Katherine Gaffney was in difference maker mode on February 11.
Gaffney, a 5-foot-7 talented forward, registered a team best nine points, which included five steals, five rebounds, three clutch points in the fourth quarter, to help Manteno edge Wilmington 36-30 in the first round of the Class 2A Wilmington Regional at the Manteno Middle School in Manteno.
It was without a doubt a memorable night for Stritar. It is the first time in six years that the Panther (15-12) have won a regional contest. It was the first time since 2006 that Manteno has had a winning record. It is the first time since 2006 that they have had 15-wins.
“I am very proud of this win,” said a happy Stritar. “We played really strong defense. We had a good rebounding effort too.”
“Katherine plays the game with so much heart,” she said. “She was diving for loose balls. She just brings so much energy to our team.”
In the fourth quarter, with the outcome hanging in the balance, Manteno was clinging to a 28-26 lead. The Panther Sydney Sosnowski (7 points) trey made the score 31-26. While Gaffney was double teamed, she still managed to grab a rebound and make a bucket for a 33-26 lead.
Moments later, Manteno’s Macy Iwanus (5 points) grabbed a rebound basket for a 35-28 advantage. With time running out in the game, Gaffney grabbed a rebound and she was fouled. She made a single free throw for a 36-30 win. The Manteno fans went home very happy.
“We just worked toward winning a regional game,” said Gaffney. “This was our goal. We finally did it. This was coach‘s (Stritar) first regional game win of her career.”
“Macy just never gives up,” she said. “She is a great teammate.”
Stritar knows that Iwanus has a bright future with the Panthers.
“Macy did have a nice basket at the end of the game,” she said. “She was able to finish. She did very well around the basket.”
Gaffney, a golf and basketball standout, was quite pleased with the play of senior Kylie Saathoff, who had eleven rebounds and five points.
“Kylie always manages to find a way to get the ball into the baskets,” she said. “She is always able to get those rebounds.”
With time running out in the second quarter, the Panthers Sara Schmidt made a pair of free throws for a 21-16 lead. Sosnowski made a single free throw for a 22-16 half time advantage.
Manteno had a 28-23 advantage at the close of the third stanza. The Panthers out-rebounded the Wildcats by a 48-22 count. They shot a crisp 14 of 29 from the free throw line.
The Panther’s played the No. 1 seeded Minonk (Fieldcrest) on February 13 at Wilmington High School at 6 p.m.