Lady Toppers beat Illini Bluffs
39-35 in overtime; improve to 20-0
[January 23, 2026]
“Alyson Murphy will not let us lose and that’s probably the
best compliment I can give any player that I’ve ever coached,” said
Mount Pulaski head coach Ryan McVickers after the team’s 39-35
overtime win on Thursday night against a 20-2 Illini Bluffs team.
Senior Alyson Murphy led the team with 24 points. She was 11-for-12
from the free throw line throughout the game and it was her heads up
play or rather drive and determination that allowed her to take the
ball to the basket with her team down by two points as regulation
was winding down. It was a do or die move that paid off with a
game-tying layup that forced overtime and gave her team new life and
another opportunity to remain perfect on the season.
First quarter
Both teams shot poorly in the first quarter and Mount Pulaski found
themselves on the losing end of an 8-5 ballgame when the grueling
eight minutes finally ended. Addison Brown scored Mount Pulaski’s
first bucket off a rebound and then Ella Martin added a free throw
for a 3-0 lead. Illini Bluffs got a couple baskets from Emerson
Eeten to jump in front 4-3. Then it was Alyson Murphy with a short
jumper to give Mount Pulaski the 5-4 lead at the 4:05 mark. The
Tigers scored at the 3:18 mark and then again at 2:45 to go in front
8-5. Mount Pulaski held the ball for a lengthy time for a last shot
and that was a miss. It was simply a quarter filled with a few hits
and far too many misses.
Second quarter
The Lady Toppers had to earn most of their points at the free throw
line in the second quarter. Murphy went 4-for-5 and Brown went
1-for-2 at the line to push Mount Pulaski to a 10-10 tie with 3:39
on the clock. The Tigers earned their two points at the free throw
line too. Neither team could hit from the outside. Murphy’s layup
finally put Mount Pulaski in the lead at the 2:55 mark and after the
Tigers tied it up, Elayna Marten took a layup to put Mount Pulaski
back in front, 14-12. Two more free throws from Brown allowed the
Lady Toppers a 16-12 lead. Whitney Parker’s two points in the paint
trimmed the lead to 16-14 and that’s where it would stay until
halftime.
Neither team made a three-pointer in the first half and as a preview
of the second half, Mount Pulaski will make the only two 3s of the
game. Illini Bluffs failed to make a single three.
Third quarter
Murphy will start the third quarter off with a three…finally! She
will also add four points at the free throw line and a two-point
field goal to keep Mount Pulaski on top. With Brown adding one free
throw the Lady Toppers stayed in front 26-20 in the third quarter.
Fourth quarter
Hang on for a wild ride in the fourth quarter. Murphy manages to
keep Mount Pulaski on top 28-20 and then Brown finally hit a three
at the 4:34 mark that was good for a 31-22 lead. But the Tigers
clawed their way back in the game. First a free throw. Then the
Tigers hit a field goal to close the gap to 31-25 at the 3:40 mark.
From there it was point by point at the free throw line until the
game was tied 31-31. With 1:09 left Illini Bluffs took a 32-31 lead
that was soon followed by another trip to the line. That resulted in
a 33-31 lead with 11.4 seconds left. Mount Pulaski called a timeout
with 9.1 seconds on the clock and whatever the play was, well this
is what happened: Alyson Murphy ran down the lane with three
defenders chasing her and another in her way but she leaned to the
right and managed to get the ball up and in off the glass for the
game-tying basket with about 4.5 seconds to go. The Tigers failed to
make a last attempt for the win and the game went to overtime all
tied at 33 apiece.
Overtime
The Tigers struck first in the overtime with a bucket by Annabelle
Reimer at the 3:48 mark. Marten came back to tie the game for Mount
Pulaski at the free throw line with 2:24 on the clock. Audrey Cooper
was the one to break the tie at the free throw line and she did that
with 44.1 seconds remaining. Cooper made one free throw to put the
Lady Toppers on top for good, 36-35. Murphy had an opportunity to
extend the lead at the line with 21.6 seconds left. She made one.
Coach Ryan McVickers still wasn’t calm with a 37-35 lead.
[to top of second column] |
Coach Ryan McVickers gets his team focused during a fourth quarter
timeout versus Illini Bluffs. Photo by Teena Lowery
After Mount Pulaski forced an over and back call on
Illini Bluffs with just under 12.0 seconds left, McVickers was
jumping in the air. When Murphy stepped to the line for two free
throws with 8.5 seconds remaining, you could tell McVickers was
still a nervous wreck, even though he stood calmly on the sidelines
watching his senior swish both shots. With Illini Bluffs down four
points and forced to toss up a long shot that crashed off the front
of the rim as the buzzer sounded, McVickers was finally able to let
out a heavy sigh of relief.
To summarize, the game was loaded with fouls, too many turnovers and
a low shooting percentage for both teams.
It was good for these two teams to battle it out in a close game but
it was obvious both teams felt some pressure.
So while win no. 20 was not pretty, it was still a WIN!
For Mount Pulaski it was a good win, especially after last season’s
51-20 loss to Illini Bluffs in Glasford.
The Tigers are always a top-notch program and the one game on the
schedule that McVickers always has circled.
“And to beat Illini Bluffs after they just completely embarrassed us
last year,” said McVickers. “To come out the way we did on our home
floor and the way that the crowd was tonight. That’s something
special. It’s Mount Pulaski basketball and it’s awesome.”
“The game was extremely ugly at times but we found a way to win,”
continued McVickers. “Once again, Alyson Murphy will not let us
lose. Just like against Litchfield. She will not let us lose.”
And a good team just finds a way to win.
“We’re going to have to battle something different every single
night to beat these really good teams and to get where we want to
get to. Sometimes we aren’t shooting the ball great or other times
we turn the ball over but our girls continue to battle. They
continue to play so hard and that’s why we love them. They just play
their butts off every single night and bring the energy.”
“Tonight when we were down we had to switch some things up and got a
couple steals late and we just made plays at the right time,” added
McVickers.
Speaking of energy, the MPHS student section really brought the
energy.
“Not only did our student section show up but they
were absolutely awesome tonight,” said McVickers. “And our fans in
the community have been showing up every single night. We’ve been
going on the road and having a bigger crowd than the home team. I
want to thank the community for showing up and giving the girls a
ton of support. It is their support and momentum that has helped us
win these tough games.”
Mount Pulaski will host Armstrong on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. for a
Varsity only game.
Mount Pulaski 39
Murphy 24
Brown 9
Marten 4
Cooper 1
Martin 1
Illini Bluffs 35
Eeten 12
Stephens 11
Reimer 5
O. Howard 3
C. Howard 2
Parker 2
[Teena Lowery] |
