The East Peoria girls basketball team could not dig all the way out of a 16-point hole Feb. 15.
The Raiders’ 2009-10 season ended with a 42-28 loss to Washington in the Class 3A Woodruff Regional quarterfinals.
Next year, East Peoria will try to end a seven-game postseason losing streak.
Kelsey Shoemake led the Raiders with 10 points. Carrie Myers followed with nine.
East Peoria (8-20) trailed 19-3 in the second quarter before getting as close as seven points.
“You can’t beat good teams when you’re that far behind,” EPCHS head coach Pete McGinnes said.
The contest marked the third time in the last five seasons the Raiders have faced the Lady Panthers in their opening game.
East Peoria sank only one field goal in the first 11:15, a Shoemake bucket late in the opening quarter, and Moriah Peterson scored 13 of Washington’s first 18 points.
Just when it looked like the No. 3 seed Lady Panthers would put the game away early, the Raiders went to work.
Shoemake and Myers had all the points during an 11-2 East Peoria push that reduced the halftime deficit to 21-14 for the No. 6 seed.
In the final minute of the second period, Myers netted a three-pointer and Shoemake beat the first-half buzzer on a baseline drive.
The Raiders suffered cold shooting again in the third quarter and also committed nine turnovers against Washington’s pressure defense.
East Peoria went scoreless over the last 4:13 of the third to trail 31-18 with eight minutes to go.
“We just can’t score. We can’t make shots,” said McGinnes.
The girls had attempts rim out from the three-point arc and missed too many chances from up close.
All hope was not lost, however, as the Raiders secured the first five points of the fourth period.
Myers made a trey, then Erica Harper canned two free throws at the 6:48 mark.
Washington moved closer to its third win this year over East Peoria with an 8-2 run that created a 39-25 separation with 3:30 left.
Harper dropped in a long-distance bomb, but the Raiders got no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
Peterson had 19 points. Ten of Lexi Grayer’s 13 for the Lady Panthers came after intermission.
“I can’t fault us defensively,” said McGinnes, whose team held Washington to 45 points or less for the third time this winter.
East Peoria’s inability to consistently handle pressure and its free-throw struggles were the two issues that caused the most problems for the team.
Decision-making is the area that will receive the most attention in the coming offseason, McGinnes said.
