(WAND) - Three programs will have a chance to claim a girls' basketball state championship later this week, after clinching super-sectional victories.
In 3A, Glenwood topped CS8 foe MacArthur, 62-35, advancing to the team's second Final Four in the last three seasons. The Titans will meet Trinity High School from River Forest in Friday morning's semifinal.
"I can't put it into words," said Glenwood head coach Alyssa Riley. "A lot of coaches go their whole career without getting there once. I've been able to do it two different times in three years. I get to do it with my dad by my side. So, it's pretty emotional for us."
While MacArthur's season comes to a close, it was the best year in the program's history, having clinched their first ever sectional championship. They've made their school and the surrounding Decatur community proud.
"History was made, and, these girls cannot hang their head about absolutely anything," said Generals head coach JaDawn Bryant. "They were able to accomplish something that has not been done. And even though tonight did not go the way we wanted it to go, we can look back 10 years from now and see this particular season in the record books - how well we played and how we got to this level."
2A super-sectionals featured a pair of teams in different matchups. Pleasant Plains hosted Tri-Valley on their home floor, in a tight contest between #1 seeds. The game was even in the early stages, but a 22-3 run in the 2nd quarter for the Cardinals gave them the separation they needed to best the Vikings 54-37.
In Benton, Teutopolis went toe-to-toe with Breese Central, a rematch from a meeting earlier in the season. Despite a slow start to the game, the Lady Shoes began chipping away at the deficit, trailing 21-30 at the end of the third quarter. Despite their efforts, it wasn't enough to win the contest, falling 33-46. Breese Central will meet Pleasant Plains in the 2A semifinal Thursday afternoon.
The lone team in 1A, Mt. Pulaski, has suffered just one loss this season. The Hilltoppers hoped the trend would continue, meeting Edwards County at the Arcola super-sectional. A back-and-forth game kept the lead margins for both teams within single digits. Mt. Pulaski made the most of takeaways and down the stretch found themselves pulling away to a 48-38 victory.
"Everybody around us, it wouldn't be possible without them," said senior guard Alyson Murphy. "I couldn't be more thankful for them, my family, my coaches. It's just a blast. I'm so glad we made it to Redbird [Arena]. We've been working for this since day one and I couldn't be more happy for the girls and for everybody."
Mt. Pulaski is returning to state for the first time since 2013. The Hilltoppers will meet Brown County in the first semifinal matchup Thursday morning at 10 a.m.
The full IHSA brackets can be found here.
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