The Carmi-White County Girls Basketball Lady Bulldogs punched their ticket to the IHSA Class 2A Eldorado Regional Championship with a thrilling 44-42 upset win over Harrisburg on Monday night at the regional semifinals at Duff-Kingston Gymnasium.
Carmi came out firing early, jumping to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 29-17 advantage into halftime. The Lady Bulldogs continued to control the pace in the third, hanging on to a 36-26 lead heading into the final frame after leading by as many as 13 points in the first half.
Harrisburg, however, refused to go quietly. The Purple Lady Bulldogs rallied all the way back and tied the game at 42-42 with three minutes remaining, setting the stage for a tense finish.
That’s when Caroline Simmons delivered the decisive moment, scoring a clutch basket to put Carmi back in front, 44-42.
From there, the Maroon Lady Bulldog defense took over. Carmi locked down defensively over the final two and a half minutes, forcing stops and taking care of the ball down the stretch to seal the victory.
Torrie Rider led the way offensively with 15 points, while Simmons and Addi Elliott each added 11. Natalie Goemaat chipped in four points, and Jaya Smith finished with three in a balanced team effort.
With the win, Carmi advances to Thursday’s 2A Regional Championship, where they’ll face Olney, who defeated Hamilton County 59-48 in the other semifinal.
Olney handed Carmi its first loss of the season back on December 16, winning 54-49.
Thursday’s matchup marks the third straight trip to the regional championship for the Lady Bulldogs, who will be looking to capture their first regional title since 2010.