By Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

OAKWOOD — The Casey-Westfield Lady Warriors overcame a sluggish third quarter to secure a 48-37 victory over Rantoul on Friday, clinching third place in the Oakwood Holiday Tournament. It marked a successful finish to the tournament for Casey-Westfield (CW), with senior Lucy Moore earning a spot on the All-Tournament team for the third consecutive year.

The Purple and Gold started strong, establishing a solid rhythm in the first quarter to build a 14-8 advantage. The two teams traded baskets evenly over the next eight minutes, with the Lady Warriors edging Rantoul 14-13 in the second frame to take a 28-21 lead at intermission.

Coming out of the break, CW struggled offensively, managing just seven points in the third quarter. Rantoul capitalized on the cold streak, cutting into the deficit to trail by just four, 35-31, heading into the final quarter of regulation.

In the final stanza, the Lady Warriors found their groove. The offense got back on track while the defense clamped down, holding Rantoul to just six points. The local cagers posted 13 points in the fourth to seal the double-digit victory.

Lucy Moore erupted for a career-high 31 points, completing a double-double with 11 rebounds. Chloe Taylor chipped in nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds while handing out two assists and recording two steals.

Gylly Gilbert contributed five points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Julia Eckerty finished with three points, six steals, four assists, and two rebounds. Kayla Clark tallied five assists, five rebounds, three steals, and one point, while Madison Gray added two steals, one assist, and one rebound.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives (Game Flow)

• 1st Quarter: CW establishes an early lead with a strong offensive start, going up 14-8.

• 2nd Quarter: A back-and-forth battle sees CW edge Rantoul by a single point in the frame, holding a 28-21 halftime lead.

• 3rd Quarter: Offense stalls for the Lady Warriors; Rantoul closes the gap to 35-31.

• 4th Quarter: CW defense locks in, allowing only six points while the offense scores 13 to secure the win.

Individual Statistics

• SCORING: Lucy Moore 31, Chloe Taylor 9, Gylly Gilbert 5, Julia Eckerty 3, Kayla Clark 1.

• REBOUNDING: Chloe Taylor 12, Lucy Moore 11, Gylly Gilbert 9, Kayla Clark 5, Julia Eckerty 2, Madison Gray 1.

• ASSISTS: Kayla Clark 5, Julia Eckerty 4, Gylly Gilbert 3, Chloe Taylor 2, Madison Gray 1.

• STEALS: Julia Eckerty 6, Kayla Clark 3, Lucy Moore 2 (assumed from narrative context of defense), Chloe Taylor 2, Gylly Gilbert 2, Madison Gray 2.