Comets Clamp Down on Defense, Roll Past Georgetowne

PEORIA HEIGHTS — Defense travels, but on Thursday night, it stayed home. The 8th grade girls’ basketball team put together another commanding defensive performance, rolling past Georgetowne Middle School Tigers 33–12 in their last home game before Fall Break.

From the start, the Comets controlled the tempo of the game, jumping out to an 11-0 lead after the first quarter. Morghan James powered the fast start with 7 of her 9 points in the opening quarter, asserting control in the paint alongside Mazzy Parry, who added 4 points and a high effort on the glass. The duo set the tone with physical play down low, collecting rebounds and controlling the paint on both ends of the court.

After a low-scoring second quarter, St. Thomas regained rhythm after halftime. Jo Campbell took over offensively, scoring 9 of her game-high 11 points in the second half as the Comets pulled away for good. Kennedy Cook, Riley Reusch, Zoe Torres-Ravelo, and Natalie Braet each contributed on the scoreboard, with Braet steering the offense from the point and helping create scoring chances in transition.

But once again, it was defense that defined the night. St. Thomas held Georgetowne scoreless in two quarters and never allowed the Tigers to find a consistent rhythm. Aggressive on-ball pressure and active hands produced steals and deflections, turning defensive stops into quick points going the other way.

With Thursday’s win, the Comets will be taking momentum with them on the road. The 8th graders will be playing four straight away games and competing in the annual 8th Grade Tournament before coming back home for 8th Grade night on October 27th.

St. Thomas returns to action Saturday, October 11th at 11 a.m. when the Comets travel to Bloomington to take on St. Mary’s.