Lincoln opens season with a 49-29 win over Rochester

[November 16, 2022]  The Lady Railers kicked off the 2022-2023 basketball season with a 49-29 win over Rochester Tuesday night at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium.

Head Coach Taylor Rohrer put a starting lineup on the floor that consisted of Taryn Stoltzenburg, Becca Heitzig, Kloe Froebe, Jenna Bowman and Tori Geriets. Each of these girls are juniors and will lead the team all season long, as there are no seniors this year. Expectations are going to be high for this group, but they’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time.

Rochester won the tip over Lincoln and also scored the first basket of the game, but that’s all the Rockets have to brag about. Becca Heitzig was quick to tie the game and after a steal and the finger roll in the lane by Kloe Froebe, the Lady Railers were on top 4-2. Froebe gave Lincoln a 6-3 lead after her basket in the lane fell through as three Rockets hung on her uniform. With 1:10 on the first quarter clock, Heitzig scored the final bucket of the quarter off the offense rebound and the Lady Railers were up 8-3.

Taryn Stoltzenburg was quick to toss in the first three of the game for the Lady Railers as the second quarter opened. Tori Geriets would follow with her first basket of the season at the 5:55 mark and the Lincoln lead was now at double-digits, 13-3 the score. Stoltzenburg scored again just seconds after Geriets and Lincoln was schooling the Rockets with the score now 15-3.
 

The Lincoln defense had managed to keep the Rockets from scoring since the 4:52 mark in the first quarter, but the Rockets would get a scoring opportunity at the free throw line at the 5:01 mark in the second quarter. Taylor Offer would sink two free throws for the Rockets and cut the lead to 15-5. Lincoln continued to play like the team everyone expected and with Froebe on the assist to Heitzig, the lead grew to 17-5 just under the five minute mark. With under two minutes left in the quarter, Jenna Bowman hit her first field goal of the season and the lead was now 19-7.

Seconds later Froebe did her little step back on the baseline and the lead was 21-7. Froebe added an underhand layup with less than forty seconds to go before the half and the Lady Railers were enjoying a 23-7 lead. Froebe added a free throw before the quarter ended and this would allow Lincoln to head to the locker room with a 24-9 lead.

The Rockets would finally hit double-digits in scoring in the second half but the Lady Railers continued to play their game and take Rochester out of theirs.

Threes from Stoltzenburg and Froebe launched the Lady Railers towards a 30-13 lead. Just under the three minute mark it was Froebe with the basket and the ‘and one’ to make the score 33-15. After Bowman scored off the offensive rebound for Lincoln, the score was 35-19. A free throw from Froebe finished the third quarter scoring for Lincoln and the lead was 36-19.

Piper Whiteman tossed in her first points in the fourth quarter. The 5’7" sophomore gave Lincoln a 40-22 lead with her basket. Froebe had preceded Whiteman with a basket off the offensive rebound.

With 4:42 remaining in the game, Heitzig hit a beautiful soft jumper for a three from the baseline, making the score 44-24. There may have been a little extra pep in Heitzig’s step on opening night, as her older brother, Brenden, had just announced his commitment to the University of Missouri earlier in the evening. If you don’t know the Heitzig siblings by now, you haven't been reading Lincoln Daily News. They are a very special duo who run fast and run long distances. Congratulations, Brenden!

Back to the action on the court, the Lady Railers just handled business like it was nothing. With Froebe and Bowman finishing the scoring, Lincoln went on to win 49-29 over the Rockets.

Kloe Froebe led all scorers with 21 points. Becca Heitzig finished with 9 points and Taryn Stoltzenburg had 8 points.

It was a fun night of basketball and after the game Coach Taylor Rohrer was smiling about that Lady Railer defense.

“I think that we played outstanding defense tonight,” said Rohrer. “Rochester is a really strong program and our girls, I mean they were everywhere. Rochester didn’t get any open looks and that won us the game. It was just incredible defense. The girls played as a team. I think for the first game of the season we looked good. We have lots to improve on but that’s with any team at the beginning of the year. I am really proud of the way the girls played.”

Junior Varsity

Prior to the Varsity game, the tip-off for the JV game was promptly at 6 p.m. and these Lady Railers wasted no time showing the crowd they were ready for this basketball season.

After the first quarter, the Lady Railers had a 17-5 lead over the Rockets. Makinley Knapp poured in eight first quarter points for Lincoln.

By halftime the lead was 35-10 lead, with every Lady Railer on the court scoring. Lily Holmes connected for the first three on the season in the second quarter and Knapp continued to pace the Lady Railers with six points scored.

The Lady Railers continued to move the ball well in the third quarter and with another balanced scoring attack, the Lincoln lead grew to 50-21. Mesa McCloud’s five points, which included her first three, helped put the ladies in a comfortable position heading into the final eight minutes.

Grace Schneider tossed in four points in the fourth quarter to help herself to double-digits in her first game as a Lady Railer and with the Lincoln defense containing the Rockets, a 57-26 win was in the books.

First year JV coach Cory Farmer has his team looking sharp early and ready to hit the court running. This looks like it will be a fun JV season to watch.

Makinley Knapp led the Lincoln JV team with 16 points.

Grace Schneider contributed 10 points in the win.

It was a great way to start the season for sure.

Incidentally, last season the Lady Railers opened play in Rochester and also swept the Rockets.

This weekend the Varsity team will play in the Pana Thanksgiving Tournament. The ladies will take on Mattoon at 7 p.m. on Friday night. On Saturday Lincoln is scheduled to play Williamsville at 10 a.m. and Gillespie at 3 p.m.
 

The JV team will also be hosting a tournament this weekend. Lincoln will play at 6 p.m. Friday night and again on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Varsity scoring

Lincoln 49

Froebe 21
Heitzig 9
Stoltzenburg 8
Bowman 7
Whiteman 2
Geriets 2

Rochester 29

Gegen 8
Reed 8
Farris 6
Offer 4
Farris 3

JV scoring

Lincoln 57

Knapp 16
Schneider 10
Clark 9
McCloud 9
Holmes 8
Adams 5

Rochester 26

Farris 10
Day 7
Stock 3
Thomas 3
Deatherage 2
Harness 1

Teena Lowery