The IVCC Women’s Basketball Team made an impressive run in the 2017-18 campaign. Coach Tom Ptak and the Lady Eagles are Arrowhead Conference Champions for the second year in a row.

Last year it was Daniela Pavlovich scoring over 20 points per game, with Julia Pohar waiting in the wings. Pohar stepped up in a major way as she finished off her illustrious IVCC career with over 1,000 points.

Pohar averaged 21 points in the regular season and Quincie Weber stepped up with the loss of Hannah Wolfe, totaling 11.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Freshman Rachael Moraski was a reliable offensive threat as well from behind the arch.

The Lady Eagles sealed the deal on their share of the Arrowhead Conference Title with an overtime victory over the Skyhawks of Sauk Valley. In conference they finished with an 8-2 record tying them for the top spot in the conference with Highland Community College. The Eagles were flying high into the postseason, hoping their conference play would catapult them to a regional title.

The road to Arkansas began with promise as the Lady Eagles Trounced Wilbur Wright in their first round match-up, 81-49. Pohar was firing on all cylinders in that game racking up 27 points and 7 steals. Weber also had a strong game with a double-double scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“We pushed the ball really well,” said Pohar. “We had a lot of fast break opportunities that were created by our defense forcing them into some turnovers.”

Everything was going the Eagles way has they went into a Semi-Final match-up against a team they had already beaten in the Prairie State Pioneers.

The Lady Eagles were met with high intensity defense from tip to buzzer and members of the Prairie State team locked down the Eagles offensive attack.

“I just think we didn’t come ready to play,” said Sophomore Quincie Weber. “I’m not sure if we were nervous or what, but we bested ourselves.”

Beating a team once can cause a team to let up off the gas for a little bit, and that is evident in all levels. But Weber assures the loss did not come due to a lack of preparedness.

“I don’t know if it was in the back of our minds that we had beaten them before, but Coach Ptak prepared us for this game, but we didn’t come through and perform.”

Despite the disappointing postseason finish, the Lady Eagles finished the year with an 18-11 record and an 8-2 conference record.

Ptak will be losing Sophomores Julia Pohar, Hunter Wright, Quincie Weber, Cassidy Murphy, Hunter Wright, Lauren Tomasson, and Paige Talty.

Rachael Moraski, Jenna Lusietto and a brand new recruiting class will look to keep pace with the rest of the Arrowhead Conference next season.