Lady Railers win the tournament championship by defeating Dixon 49-16
Froebe and Whiteman score in double-figures

 

[December 30, 2022] The Lady Railers won the 2022 Dixon-KSB Holiday Classic on Thursday night over the hosts by a final score of 49-16.

The ladies accomplished the feat without their second-leading scorer on the team, Becca Heitzig. Heitzig suffered a fractured wrist late in the game on Wednesday night versus Byron. Heitzig sat on the bench Thursday night cheering on her teammates, while sophomore Piper Whiteman stepped up to fill her spot in the lineup.

Whiteman scored 14 points for the Lady Railers in her first Varsity start of her career. She handled the pressure like a pro. Whiteman made several great moves in the lane and played a very aggressive offensive and defensive game. Her ability to step into a fast-paced lineup and play such a key role in the victory, as a sophomore, is admirable.
 

Kloe Froebe, who leads that fast-paced lineup and who always handles the pressure like a pro, led Lincoln with 22 points against Dixon.

Lincoln certainly had a battle on their hands with the undefeated Dixon Duchesses, who had an overwhelming home court advantage inside a very loud and packed gymnasium filled with their screaming fans. In all reality, it was probably a good test for the Lady Railers, who passed with flying colors.

Lincoln was quick to take a 3-0 lead early as Kloe Froebe scored a layup and got the ‘and one’ to start the game. Froebe then sank two free throws after another attempt to score in the paint and this put Lincoln on top 5-0. Dixon went on to score at the other end and close the gap to 5-3. A putback by Froebe stretched the lead to 7-3, but Dixon was quick to score again and make the score 7-5. It was evident early on this game would be a challenge, but the Lady Railers were ready to rise to it. Piper Whiteman drove the baseline and tossed in the next two points for Lincoln. Whiteman would also grab her own rebound and put it back up and in for two more points as the first quarter buzzer began to rattle the gym. Lincoln wins the first quarter battle 11-5.

Whiteman did not miss a beat coming out of the huddle and she was burning up the net in the second quarter. After her two free throws and another drive in the lane, the Lady Railers had a 15-8 lead. Taryn Stoltzenburg added a free throw to make the score 16-8 and the Duchesses called a timeout with 3:24 on the second quarter clock. The lead quickly escalated to 20-8 with Whiteman and Froebe scoring for Lincoln in a matter of seconds following the timeout. Stoltzenburg then lit up the scoreboard with a three that breezed through the net and Lincoln was working their tails off, earning a 23-8 lead. Finally it was Froebe dishing it off to Jenna Bowman, who banked in the last shot of the half and this gave Lincoln a 25-8 lead. The tough Lincoln defense had managed to hold Dixon to just one three-point basket early in the quarter. Nice job, ladies!

Both Dixon and Lincoln scored early in the third quarter to make the score 27-13 and it rested on that set of numbers for quite a while. After a timeout by Dixon, Lincoln added to the lead on free throws by Whiteman and Froebe. These two would each add a field goal to make the score 35-13 with just under a minute left in the quarter. Froebe finished the 11-0 run in the third quarter with a magnificent three-point basket at the buzzer. It was a real mood killer for the Duchesses but it gave Lincoln a little breathing room with a 38-13 lead going into the final quarter.

Quarter number four saw the Lady Railers stretch the lead out to 44-13 after Geriets and Froebe sank free throws and Bowman calmly hit a corner three. Following a three by Dixon, Froebe retaliated with another three and Lincoln was on the edge of glory. A jumper by Mia Clark would complete the Lincoln offense and close out the win. The Lady Railers remain unbeaten with a 49-16 win over the Dixon Duchesses.

There was no all-tournament team or any recognition of the tournament champions after the game but after the Lady Railers donned the tournament championship t-shirts, they gathered for a team photo and quietly celebrated the win.

Lincoln improves to 18-0 on the season.

Dixon falls to 15-1 after suffering their first loss on the season.

It really was a hard-fought battle and one that was not easily won, but Lincoln prevailed.

“Dixon was a tough team,” said Lincoln coach Taylor Rohrer. “They were extremely physical and they had a huge cheering section. We did our best to mentally and physically prepare the girls for the physical game they would have to play against Dixon. Our team executed everything that was talked about at practice.”

The injury to Becca Heitzig is a huge blow to the team’s chemistry but her teammates really stepped up to fill the void on offense and defense. Rohrer addressed the situation after the win.

“Losing Becca is a devastating blow to our team but in all sports there are always injuries,” said Rohrer. “It’s the sign of a great team when you have players who in a day’s notice can step in and fill the role to help our team succeed. And that’s exactly what happened tonight. This game was a big test and it’s a tribute to the girls and their character that in the face of adversity they were able to rise up to the challenge.”

“Our rebounding and defense won the game for us tonight,” continued Rohrer. “We out-hustled and out-worked the other team in all the aspects that took a lot of heart. I’m extremely proud of how we played and now it’s time to prepare for the next one.”
 

Next up on the schedule for Lincoln is a game on January 5, 2023 at Pleasant Plains. The JV will start at 6 p.m. and the Varsity will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

Lincoln will return home on Saturday, January 7, 2023 to play Mahomet-Seymour. The JV game will start at 1 p.m. and the Varsity game will tip-off at 2:30 p.m.

Lincoln 49
Froebe 22
Whiteman 14
Bowman 5
Stoltzenburg 4
Geriets 2
Clark 2

Dixon 16
Govig 11
K. Knipple 3
Day 2

[Teena Lowery]