One thing the girls always do is try hard and I'm proud of them for that.

We've got to play all four quarters of every game like we played the fourth quarter against Maryville. We've got to win two games in the district tournament to get into the region. These girls know the challenge and they've got to step up and do it.

I thought the return of Lindsey Manning from her broken arm helped us, and she gave us some significant minutes.

We boxed out very well, holding St. Mary's to usually just one shot when they had the ball. The girls continue to amaze me with the intensity that they show on defense. And that 11-0 run to begin the game was the turning point. We also really weren't in any foul trouble.

That's the best we've played all season. The girls did a great job because we knew that we had to play the whole game against them.

Our girls ran well - East Peoria is a good team. But we'll have someone to go after next week. It's always fun to compete against them.