Junior point guard Alyssa Iverson made a promise to herself after Harvest Christian’s stunning loss in the 2015 supersectional.
“My freshman year I was at supersectional and it was nerve-wracking,” Iverson said. “I told myself if I ever got the chance to come back here again, we wouldn’t be going home a loser.”
It can be considered a promise kept by the high-energy Iverson. She produced a game-high 25 points Monday to lead the Lions to a 54-39 victory over Heyworth in the Class 1A Pontiac Supersectional.
“We wanted this moment again,” Iverson said.
The 5-foot-8 Iverson and Harvest (28-3) played with a purpose from the start, seizing a big third-quarter lead on Heyworth (27-4) and cruising home to earn an 11:15 a.m. Friday semifinal berth at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena against Annawan (26-8).
It will be the program’s first appearance in the state finals.
“Alyssa is our heart and soul,” Harvest coach Rich DeTamble said. “She has got the moves to penetrate, she’s got the whirling dervishes, and she can put a spinner off the rim.
“But she is a junior, and sometimes when she gets on a streak and is rolling, she just wants to go. And she might forget we’ve got a Katie Kaldenberger, who can hit eight 3-pointers in a game or any of our other 3-point shooters.”
Iverson darted through and around Heyworth’s defense to score 15 points by halftime.
“I don’t think there was anything they could do to stop her (Monday),” Kaldenberger said.
The game changed when Iverson gave Heyworth’s defense something to worry about beyond her own scoring.
Harvest actually trailed 16-14 with four minutes left in the second quarter. Then Kaldenberger popped outside for passes from Iverson on consecutive possessions and drilled 3-pointers.
Kaldenberger’s six points and four from Iverson keyed a 14-0 run for a 28-16 halftime lead.
“I like to drive to the basket and stuff,” Iverson said. “When people come over to help, it gives my outside shooters the opportunity to score some points. They come through every time.”
Kaldenberger hit another 3-pointer in the third quarter. She finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
When junior guard Isamar Garcia began driving and shooting in the third quarter, the rout began for the Lions. Garcia scored six of her 10 points in the quarter as Harvest raced to a 43-23 lead.
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“I think that’s what’s so great about our team,” Garcia said. “We don’t have one killer asset to move the offense. All five of us on the floor, we can run the offense through us and score.”
DeTamble pointed out none of it would have occurred without defense. Heyworth received 11 points from Stephanie Brown, but committed 21 turnovers and shot 21 percent (12-for-58).
“We are blessed with some really quick girls,” DeTamble said. “Our defense is our offense. That’s our forte. We practice with a purpose. We get after it.”
They’re pretty good at keeping promises as well.
Twitter @genechamberlai2