The Lady Lions Basketball team has been having an amazing season so far. They are 26-3, and they finished with a 9-1 Conference record, meaning they are Conference Champions. This year they did not have to share it with another school, not even a small piece of it. Over the years Carterville has had to share it with another school, this is the first time in years that it has not been shared. They were the only team with one single loss. The Lions have also broken a record, winning 26 regular season games out of the 29 played.

This season they have beat some very good teams such as Highland, Sesser, Vienna, and Mt. Vernon. Unfortunately, the Lions lost a couple of games they should have won. For example, Teutopolis is an all around good team, and they only beat us by two points. The Lions should have beat Nashville and Benton, which were two games that did not go the way they were expected to. The Lions prepared and have beat teams better than these two and that is why the two losses were a shock to many people.

This past week, the Lady Lions had their Senior Night. There are only three seniors on the team this year: Summer Rains, McKenzie Rogman, and Alexi Swalls. These three have been playing together since Junior High, and it is very hard to think that they will not be able to play another game on their favorite floor. When asked about her last home game, senior Summer Rains states, “It didn’t quite hit me until Coach Crain said he was going to sub us for the last time, when I came out I just started to cry. I never thought the day would come but it sure came fast! I knew I had left it all out on the court that day and [that] there was still work to be done because our ride wasn’t over.” The Lions played the Sparta Bulldogs that night and came off the floor with a 63-33 victory. The Lions will begin regional play soon.

Postseason is finally here. The Lions will be facing the winner of Carbondale and Murphysboro on February 12th at 6pm in Carbondale. If they win on Tuesday, they will play on Thursday against either Massac County or Centralia. Things are just beginning for the Lady Lions, so make sure to catch a game soon. It will not be a waste of your time, that is for sure.