No.1 Eagles cruise at Cougar Holiday Tourney

Metro Sports Report


Paige Bradford

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - The top-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team defeated Carl Sandburg College, 63-42, in the opening round of the 38th Annual Cougar Holiday Tournament Saturday.

The Eagles (14-0) will face 20th-ranked McHenry County (11-1) in the semifinals Sunday at 2 p.m.

Paige Bradford collected a double-double for Kirkwood with 13 points,10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. Kortney Drake scored 12 points for the Eagles and Tatiana Hodges-Johnson netted 11.

The other semifinal Sunday features 13th-ranked Bryant & Stratton(9-4) against 10th-ranked Illinois Central (8-4). Bryant & Stratton topped No. 2 NIACC, 65-59, in the opening round.

KIRKWOOD (63): Paige Bradford 5-12 2-2 13, Tatiana Hodges-Johnson 5-7
1-5 11, Ju Gaston 0-1 2-4 2, Amara Lipsey 2-4 0-0 4, Marissa Metz 1-6
0-0 2, Delani Harris 2-4 2-2 6, Jheda Kennedy 1-4 0-0 2, Kortney Drake
4-6 2-2 12, Addison Rath 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Tomaszewski 1-5 0-0 2,
Kemara Watson 2-4 1-2 5, Britney Smith 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 25-56 10-17 63.

Halftime - Kirkwood 35, Carl Sandburg 25. 3-point goals - Kirkwood
3-18 (Drake 2-4, Bradford 1-1,
Tomaszewski 0-1, Smith 0-1, Lipsey 0-2, Harris 0-2, Kennedy 0-3, Metz 0-4).