Entering the 2026 portion of its schedule with a 7-8 record, the Macomb High girls basketball team started the new year with sunny optimism.
After dispatching the West Central Heat 56-20 on Jan. 5, the Bombers had a second chance against Abingdon-Avon at Washington Street Gym two days later.
Macomb made the most of that opportunity, defeating the state-ranked Tornadoes 47-37, improving to 9-8 on the season.
The two teams played for seventh place at Lady Tiger Classic in Beardstown on Dec. 30. Tied at 36-36 at the end of regulation, A-Town outscored MHS 16-0 in the overtime for a 52-36 victory.
Abingdon-Avon (12-4) entered the contest ranked No. 10 in Class 1A by the Associated Press.
“To beat a team like that by 10 points, it’s a really big win for our program,” said MHS coach Justin Elbe.
The opening eight minutes was low scoring as the two teams combined for just seven baskets and 16 points.
“To me, it felt like one of those heavyweight fights,” said Elbe. “You throw a couple of punches, but you don’t knock them out. You knock them back a little bit, but they come back.”
Macomb’s big-three of Sophie Wilson, Jordan Hines and Aubrey Holthaus combined for all nine points as the Bombers edged out to 9-7 lead.
The second period saw MHS extend its lead by outscoring A-Town 11-6. A last-second basket by Brooklyn Lyles upped the Bomber lead to 20-13 at halftime.
The third quarter saw A-Town pick up the scoring pace as juniors Kennedy Quinn, Kaydin Quinn and Kallie Nelson combined for 14 points.
But Macomb countered by knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 17 points in all to build a 37-27 advantage heading into the final frame.
Wilson knocked down three treys, while Lyles and Reese Watson also added three-pointers for the Bombers. Lyles' shot in the final seconds boosted the MHS lead to 10 points.
But the game was far from over.
A-Town opened the final period with a 9-0 run capped by Avery Stigall’s layup that made it 37-36 with 3:40 remaining.
“We knew they were going to come back,” said Elbe of A-Town. “We just had to withstand those blows.”
Macomb hung on despite not making a basket as Wilson sank 6-of-8 from the free throw line, while Holthaus added 4-of-4.
A-Town missed its final seven shots from the floor.
Wilson topped Macomb with 23 points that included five 3-pointers.
“Every one of them was big,” said Elbe of Wilson’s three-pointers.
“Revenge was our word coming into this game,” said Wilson. “The last game went overtime and it was a good game, we just got tired at the end.”
“(This game) we knew we were ready,” she added. “We’d been practicing for this and we knew them pretty well.”
“It was pivotal for us to show everybody what we could do,” said Wilson. “We cleaned up the errors we made in the first game and made our free throws when they mattered.”
Hines and Holthaus added eight points despite missing significant time in foul trouble.
Lyles added five and Watson three for the Bombers.
Though not scoring, starter Dakota Thorman, along with bench players Grace O’Hern, Taylor Mann, Josie Elbe and Kinley Sloan also played important roles for MHS.
“Our subs came in and give us really good minutes,” said Elbe.
“In a big game like this, it takes everybody,” said Wilson. “Every defensive play. Every person on that court.”
Kennedy Quinn and Stigall topped A-Town with 15 and 11 points respectively.
The Bombers eased into the new year against the winless Heat, racing out to a 26-6 lead after the first quarter on the way to building a 35-9 halftime advantage.
Macomb led 49-16 entering the final eight minutes.
Holthaus and Hines paced Macomb with 14 and 11 points respectively.
Wilson was next with eight points, followed by Watson with seven, Thorman with six and Lyles with five.
Mann and Sloan each added a basket for two points, while Josie Elbe had one point.
“Even though we won, I think we still made some errors,” said Wilson following the A-Town win. “We’ll have to go back and watch film and take that into the next game.”
“It’s the beginning of January. We’ve still got a month,” she added. “We’ve got to peak at postseason and to really show everybody what we’ve got there.”
“I think this is a good boost to get there.”
Addison Burrell topped West Central (0-11) with five points.
In JV play, MHS and A-Town played an abbreviated game consisting of two 10-minute halves with a running clock.
Macomb led 12-2after the initial frame and finished with a 21-12 victory.
O’Hern topped MHS with 12 points as the Bombers improved to 8-1 on the season.
Sloan added four points, followed by Elbe with three and Lyles with two.
Vivian Bigger led A-Town with eight points.
Over New Year’s weekend, the Bomber JV headed to Hamilton for games against Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West.
MHS downed QND 39-35.
The Bombers led 11-4 after one quarter, 22-15 at halftime and 30-24 after three periods.
Watson and Sloan topped MHS with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Lyles was next with eight points, followed by Elbe with five, Mann with three and O’Hern with two.
The MHS JV suffered its first loss of the season as the Bombers fell behind early in a 39-31 loss to the Chargers.
Illini West took a 13-3 lead after the opening quarter on the way to building a 21-7 halftime advantage.
Macomb trailed 29-23 entering the final stanza.
Watson led the Bombers with nine points, followed by Sloan with six.
Elbe was next with five points, followed by Lyles and Mann with four points each. O’Hern added three to round out the MHS scoring.
The Bombers were scheduled to face North Fulton Monday at Spoon River Valley High School.
On Wednesday, the Bombers will head to The Shoebox in Monmouth to face Monmouth-Roseville.
Macomb will then host stateranked Liberty Thursday at Washington Street Gym with the JV contest beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Eagles entered the week ranked No. 6 in Class 1A by the AP.
