Manteno was on the brink of extending the winningest season in program history and claiming its first sectional title on Thursday, but a late 3-pointer from Pontiac’s Bailee Branscum brought things to an end for the Panthers.

That shot with 36 seconds to go put Pontiac on top by one point in what ended as a 46-44 win for the Indians (23-11), with Manteno’s Lila Prindeville’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer nearly keeping the Panthers’ season alive.

Instead, it came to an end with a 27-7 record.

Manteno set a new program record for wins in a season, surpassing last season’s 24, and claimed its second regional title in three years, with the only prior two regional titles for the program coming in 1990 and 1991.

It was also just the second time the Panthers had reached the sectional championship game, and while the loss is sure to sting for a while, head coach Bethany Stritar said she hopes the team can appreciate how far they came.

“I understand the importance of this game, but it’s just one game and I want them to remember all the things they accomplished,” she said. “Especially the seniors, what they’ve done over the last four years is absolutely remarkable and they should walk away with their heads held high and be proud of what they’ve been able to do.”

Thursday’s game was a back-and-forth affair from the opening tip, with the Panthers and Indians exchanging the lead five times in the first quarter.

Pontiac ended up leading 13-8 by the end of the first, and clung to a narrow lead until Manteno’s Sophie Peterson drilled a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter that put the Panthers up 33-32.

Manteno then led most of the fourth until the Pontiac sophomore Branscum stepped up to knock down the biggest shot of her young career.

“I was just open, and I tried to shoot it and hoped it would go in,” Branscum said. “...It just made me more excited on our pressure defense so (Manteno) wouldn’t get another shot. It felt great.”

Head coach Brad Harmon said Branscum has shown a knack for clutch moments already as a varsity player and doesn’t let early misses deter her in big situations.

“She has ice-water veins, like they say,” he said. “I’ve never had a kid like that. We had one game where she was 0 for 10. We needed a key shot in the last minute, and who made it? Bailee.”

A Manteno turnover on its ensuing possession eventually led to a trip to the free-throw line for Trinity Miller, who led Pontiac with 16 points and went 1 of 2 from the line on that trip, with Prindeville’s buzzer-beater attempt drawing iron soon after.

Branscum finished with 12 points while Anjolie Duck and Grace Lanning had six points apiece for Pontiac.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 10

Manteno's Maddie Gesky, left, looks to make a post move while Pontiac's Grace Lanning defends during the IHSA Class 3A Pontiac Sectional championship Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Mason Schweizer)

Manteno was led by junior Maddie Gesky, who finished off a season in which she became the program’s all-time scoring and rebounding leader with a 16-point, 20-rebound performance that included nine offensive boards.

Seniors Prindeville, Peterson, Alyssa Singleton, Emily Horath and Brooke Blanchette had their careers come to an end. The group helped lead Manteno to four straight winning seasons after 15 consecutive years of sub-.500 finishes.

“They all stepped up, they all played hard and did their roles well today, and have all season,” Striatar said. “They’ve been such a tight group since middle school, and we’re going to miss them.”

Prindeville had 10 points while Peterson and Singleton had eight points apiece. Horath had two points and seven rebounds while Blanchette had four rebounds and four assists.

While the season ended sooner than they were all hoping, Stritar said this group of players and the things they were able to accomplish on and off the court are things she will remember, and she hopes they will remember them fondly as well.

“This is such a fun group of girls,” she said. “What they do on the court during practices and they way they get along and just have fun together is probably going to be my biggest memory of them.

“...There’s a lot of fun memories, and I’ll definitely take those forward.”