Lady Indians win seventh straight game
By Trenten Scheidegger
The Pecatonica Indians won their seventh consecutive matchup of the 2024-25 girls’ basketball season when they played host to Dakota on Jan. 28. Dakota came into the matchup with an overall record of 12-9. Pecatonica was 21-4 as they were riding a six-game winning streak.
Pecatonica has consistently been ranked among the top 1A teams in Illinois girls’ basketball, and they continue to show us why. Even when playing host to a 12-win Dakota team or traveling to take on top NUIC teams like the Orangeville Broncos and the Stockton Blackhawks, the Indians are dominating their competition.
The same was true in their matchup with Dakota. After 26 games played, Pecatonica has outscored their opponents 1,281-816. That includes a big 52-34 win over Dakota last week.
It was Kianna Degner who had the hot hand in the first quarter. Degner sunk an early three-pointer, to go along with a successful and-one opportunity. She put up eight points in the opening quarter.
Elaina Rager then took over in the second quarter. The senior hit a trio of baskets as she put up six points in the quarter. It was just enough to give Pecatonica a slim lead as they went into the break up 21-20.
The second half was dominated by Pecatonica, however. Whatever head coach Daniel Rosenstiel and his staff told the team at halftime, it worked. They came out and held Dakota to just three points in the third quarter. It was a game-altering period.
While Dakota couldn’t find a basket, Pecatonica remained consistent. Rager put up eight points in the third, including going a perfect four for four at the free throw line. Degner added another four points of her own as the Indians took a 37-23 lead into the fourth.
Rager wound up leading all scorers as she finished the night with 25 points. Degner wasn’t far behind as she added 16 in the victory.
Rosenstiel took the time to discuss the current state of the team, the end of the regular season, the upcoming playoffs, and a couple of exciting freshmen after the win. Rosenstiel said after they improved to 22-4 on the year that she is, “Really proud of where we are as a team.”
“First place in conference and hoping to win the first conference title in over 20 years on the girls side. Still have work to do, obviously, with four more conference games coming up, but happy with the girls’ efforts and how they’ve committed to chasing that goal and staying consistent all year in conference,” Rosenstiel also shared.
One area the third-year head coach has seen his team step up is their leadership. “Big picture: I’m really happy with our team’s leadership. Especially from our seniors. Kianna Degner has been tremendous vocally and really been pushing all the right buttons for our team on the court. Other seniors have really been leading by example in practice and in games, which has helped our younger girls a lot as we’ve gone on,” Rosenstiel said, complimenting his squad.
While Pecatonica has some standout players on offense, it is their defensive play that has caught their coach’s eye. The three-point third quarter was a prime example of the type of impact their defensive play can have on games with the postseason approaching. “The key to our success, in my opinion, has been their effort on defense first and foremost, and their unselfishness on offense. If we keep doing those things, I think, and they believe we have a chance versus any team. However, we know there are a lot of formidable opponents in our area in 1A and know it’s going to take some big time performances collectively to keep it going and beat really good teams,” Rosenstiel said on the upcoming playoffs.
Finally, the Pecatonica coach wanted to compliment two newcomers who have been key in the team’s success. “I think the two freshmen deserve a lot of praise for what they’ve done. Ryleigh Alexander, on defense, has really been our engine, if you will, on that side of the ball. She gets us going on that end. And Korah Noud has really given us a lift offensively in some big games to help us balance out the box scores and we’re expecting those two to keep doing that going forward,” Rosenstiel stated.
Pecatonica faces a tough matchup on Friday, Feb. 10. That evening, they play host to the Byron Tigers. The Tigers are 25-2 on the season, so they should provide a good challenge for the Indians as they prepare for the postseason. That game is set to begin at 6:45 p.m.