Watseka/Milford guard Christa Holohan has been a part of three regional-winning teams in her high school career.

She has typically been in more of a supporting role in the past, including last season to seniors Megan Martin and Lauren Tegtmeyer.

Now the team’s top option as a senior, Holohan has risen to the challenge, including on Saturday when her game-high 31 points led the Warriors (13-2) to a 60-49 home win over Clifton Central (11-8).

“I feel like this year my offense and defense have grown so much,” she said. “Last year, I feel like I was more the person passing it off to Megan and Lauren in the paint, but now I feel like I’ve grown into that role, and I couldn’t do it without my teammates.”

Holohan scored 13 points in the first half, keeping the Warriors within striking distance down 32-27 at halftime. She then put up 11 points during a third quarter in which the Warriors outscored the Comets 22-3 to erase that five-point halftime deficit and seize control of the game.

She also added five rebounds and four assists, tying for the team lead in both categories.

Holohan was a first-team All-Vermilion Valley Conference pick a season ago, averaging 10 points per game and leading the team in assists and deflections, and head coach Barry Bauer said she has done a good job this season both fitting into and elevating the team’s fast-paced style of play.

“She just fits this team so well,” he said. “We have a lot of team speed, and she’s part of that. The point guards have been pushing the ball, her other teammates on the other side of the floor have been running. So we’ve been sprinting the floor really well and she’s been the recipient of a lot of points in transition.”

Getting out in transition was one of the keys of the Warriors explosive third quarter on Saturday, and Holohan said that once the team managed to ramp up the defensive intensity a bit, it allowed them to get out and run.

“After struggling in the first half, we had to come out with energy and get those deflections and steals,” she said. “That’s our offense, transition through our defense.”

After letting Clifton Central control the offensive glass in the opening half, the Warriors also did a better job limiting second chances in the third.

Junior Kami Muehling, who had 10 points and four assists in the game, said the team made some tweaks to their defensive strategy over halftime that also helped fuel their dominant start to the half.

“In the first half, we played 2-3 zone and it wasn’t really working that well,” Muehling said. “We went in the locker room and talked about how we were going to switch to man, and definitely was a key factor. We just kept pressuring the ball.”

Rennah Barrett and Noelle Schroeder added five points apiece for the Warriors. Schroeder and Kyah Westerfield added five rebounds apiece.

For the Comets, Alexis Prisock led the way with 11 points. Mia Perzee added 10 points and Maddie Webb had nine. Ella Ponton knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to finish with six points.

Coming off a tough 57-38 to Beecher in River Valley Conference play on Thursday, Clifton Central head coach Henry Hines said that Saturday’s performance, particularly in the first half, was a welcome return to form.

“That’s the team that I’m used to seeing,” he said. “That was our best half of the season, by far. It was because of the way we crashed the boards and finished plays.

“...If we can play like that all year, I told them that I’ll take that all day, every day.”

The Comets will play their next seven games all against RVC opponents as they look keep pace with Tri-Point and Beecher near the top of the standings. They will host Donovan/St. Anne on Thursday.

Watseka/Milford was playing the second of eight straight home games on Saturday, and will host Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Monday and Bismarck-Henning on Wednesday in VVC matchups.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 12

Girls Basketball: Watseka-Milford vs. Clifton Central Watseka-Milford's Noelle Schroder is high-fived by teammate Christa Holohan after hitting a 3-pointer during the Warriors' 60-49 victory over Clifton Central on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Tiffany Blanchette)