WAVERLY - The Marquette Catholic girls' basketball team came out ready to go, but were just a few shots away from another win Friday night, as Quincy Notre Dame topped the Explorers 54-45 in the IHSA Class 2A Sectional final at Waverly High.

The game was originally set for Thursday night, but was postponed because of the winter weather mix that made travel conditions poor, pushing the game back 24 hours. And Marquette was ready to go.

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"Our energy and competitiveness were there," said Explorers head coach Lee Green. "Everybody was locked in, but we had an off-night shooting and Quincy Notre Dame had a lot to do with that. They played good defense and they did a great job holding us off."

Marquette ended their very successful season at 27-7, and it's a milestone mark for the program, with the second-most wins in a season in the program's history.

"The girls worked hard all year," Green said, "and I couldn't be more proud of them."

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The Explorers will lose seven seniors - Kamryn Fandrey, Megan Meyer, Jillian Nelson, Hayley Porter, Alyssa Powell, Chloe White and Abby Williams - and their accomplishments over the last four seasons helped establish Marquette as one of the best small-school teams in the area, going a combined 62-24 in three of the four years, with a 7-5 record in the abbreviated COVID season of 2020-21.

"This senior class, each year we had a real season, they won over 20 games every year," Green said, "and played for the regional championship each year. They went 21-10 in their freshman year, 24-7 in their sophomore year and 27-7 in their senior year. There's no question that they were the heart and soul of this team."

Powell led the Explorers with 17 points, while White scored nine points, Williams had eight points, Nelson netted six points, Nia Ballinger had three points and Fandrey scored two points.

The Raiders are now 26-3 and advance to the super-sectional game Monday night at Beardstown, going up against Normal University, a 39-36 winner over Canton in the final of the Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central sectional, with the game starting at 7 p.m. The Explorers were eliminated, but there are many promises coming on the horizon.

"We've got a good junior class, and our JV team was 18-7," Green said. "So we've got a good underclass coming back, junior heavy, but they'll be ready to step in and they'll be really good. We're disappointed we lost, but very proud of the whole season."

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Feb 28, 2024 - Rochester Leads With 20 Points, Three Marquette Players Score In Double Figures, Top Pleasant Plains 56-45, Advance To Sweet Sixteen  

Feb 23, 2024 - Explorers Win Fifth Regional Title In Six Years - Head To Sectional Semis Against Pleasant Plains

Feb 12, 2024 - Roxana Upends Marquette Catholic To Move To IHSA Class 2A Girls Regional Semifinal

Feb 29, 2024 - Wednesday, Feb. 28 Sports Round-Up: East Side Falls To Mt. Vernon In Boys Sectional Game, Williamsville Wins - Play Marquette Next

Mar 2, 2024 - Explorers' Super-Sectional Bid Comes Up Just Short Against Williamsville

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