MANLIUS — The Stillman Valley Cardinal basketball team saw its record-setting season come to a conclusion during the IHSA 2A Super Sectional at Bureau Valley High School on Monday.
Facing off against defending Class 2A state champion Peoria Notre Dame for a bid to the state tournament, Stillman Valley fell behind early and faced a double-digit deficit at halftime. Despite a tremendous effort from standout guard Taylor Davidson, who head coach Bobby Mellon called a “once in a lifetime player” after the game, the Cardinals were unable to erase the early deficit, falling to the Irish 67-56 and suffering only their second defeat of their historic 2024-25 season.
“This is an amazing team,” Mellon said. “We’ve always talked about being a family and that’s what this group really is. We’re one big family and the girls play hard for one another and that’s what can make a team really special. We wanted to get over the hump tonight and have that experience down state, but we are still really proud of everything we were able to accomplish.”
Stillman Valley (32-2, 8-1 Big Northern) found itself down early in the first quarter, where Peoria Notre Dame (32-4, 10-0 Big Twelve) opened the game on an 8-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer from guard Julia Mingus, who drilled five triples and finished with 25 points for the defending state champion Irish. The Cardinals soon recaptured their footing, though, playing through forward Dailene Wade in the low post, where the sophomore put home a pair of field goals.
A buzzer-beating stepback triple from PND forward Lexi Baer capped off a strong opening quarter for the Irish, who led 16-9 entering the second quarter, where PND continued to push the pace and stretch the floor on offense. On the other end of the floor, Stillman Valley leaned heavily on Davidson and Wade, who combined for all but one of the team’s first-half points.
“We knew what to expect based on our scouting report,” Mellon said. “We allowed some easy transition threes and threes for some of their players who we had hoped to take away. We knew we could get some offensive looks for Taylor and we hoped to for others, but that didn’t happen.”
Davidson entered double figures in the second quarter, knocking down a long-range 3-pointer that bounced high above the rim before falling through the hoop, enabling the Cardinals to keep the Irish within striking distance at halftime. Entering the third quarter with a 31-21 deficit, senior guard Amelia Dunseth drained a triple from the corner and Stillman Valley, who rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Byron in the sectional finals, forced a turnover on the next PND series.
But the Irish quelled the momentum with their 3-point shooting, as Baer knocked down multiple stepback triples and went toe-to-toe against Davidson, who buried long-range shots of her own in an entertaining third-quarter shooting display. A crossover move to the basket led to a layup for guard Emy Wardle that gave the Irish a 41-29 lead and forced a Stillman Valley timeout.
With their season on the line, the Cardinals turned to their star guard Davidson, who made six shots in the third quarter alone and helped keep the Irish within 10 points, 51-41, entering the fourth quarter. But Davidson’s outstanding scoring display wasn’t enough to upend the Irish, who saw Mingus deliver a pair of 3-point daggers over the final minutes to help PND clinch its bid to the state tournament later this week. Davidson led all players with 31 points on Monday.
“I told [Taylor] before the game and I told her coming out of halftime that there wasn’t any way that any of their players could stop her,” Mellon said. “It was her game to dominate and she did that. It was one of those games where, anytime she was able to do something, they were able to make a basket or stop our run. She’s the kind of player who’s a blessing to coach and it’s been amazing to have her for four years. She’s so coachable and she’s so respectful.”
Baer finished with 21 points for the Irish, who will advance to face Mt. Carmel in the state semifinals at the CEFCU Arena in Normal on Thursday at 2 p.m. Despite the loss, Stillman Valley reached the super sectional round for the first time since 2017 and set a new record for victories in a season with 32. Stillman Valley’s 27 wins to start the season are also a record.
“It’s a huge learning experience where our younger players are able to learn alongside these seniors while not having the same level of pressure on them,” Mellon said. “The girls can step into larger roles in our program over the next few years and I think they will. We have great kids all throughout the program and we’re excited for the future.”
