Minooka‘s girls basketball team came out strong Thursday night to start the second half in the Class 4A Minooka Regional championship game against Moline. The Indians erased a two-point halftime deficit and built a five-point lead early in the third quarter.

Then, Moline’s Adalynn Voss got hot.

The 5-foot-7 senior guard made four of her five 3-point attempts in the second half and finished with a game-high 22 points in leading the Maroons to a 57-49 win. They advance to next week’s Peoria Richwoods Sectional, where they will take on the top-seeded host school Tuesday night at 7:30.

Voss and her teammates finished 8 of 22 from 3-point range, compared to just 2 for 22 for Minooka. The Maroons were 13 of 25 from the floor in the second half, with Minooka shooting 12 of 31 in the same span.

“We fought hard all game,” Minooka coach John Placher said. “It boiled down to they shot the ball well and we struggled shooting. They are very skilled at every position, and they played a defense we have struggled with all year. They played a 3-2 zone and shadowed [Kent State recruit] Madelyn [Kiper]. They didn’t leave her when the ball was on the other side of the court.

“They played with a lot of pace and energy and it was hard for us to match that.”

Moline (24-7) scored the final four points of the first quarter to take a 14-10 lead into the second. The Indians (23-9) got back-to-back baskets by Naya Carter (10 points) to start the second quarter and forge a 14-14 tie. The score was tied at 18 after a putback basket by Kiper (team-high 15 points) before Moline went on a quick 6-0 spurt when Aniya M. Dixon sandwiched a pair of baskets around one by Voss. Minooka answered with putback buckets by Sadie Webb and Jaelle Hamilton (6 points) to pull to within 24-22 at halftime.

Kiper opened the second half with her only 3-pointer of the game for a 25-24 Minooka lead. The Indians then got a basket each from Hamilton and Kendall Thomas (9 points) to move out to a 29-24 lead.

Voss stopped the Minooka run with a 3-pointer, then followed it with a driving basket to tie it at 29. Elle Machado put the Maroons ahead 31-29 before teammate Camila Velasquez (13 points) hit a 3-pointer to cap a 10-0 run and give Moline a 34-29 lead.

Kiper ended the Minooka drought with a driving basket before Voss drained a 3-pointer and had a basket in the lane to put Moline ahead 39-31. Thomas hit a 3-pointer for Minooka and Carter hit a driving basket at the buzzer to make it 39-36 entering the fourth.

The Maroons started the fourth with baskets by Bridget Machado and Velasquez before a basket by Carter got Minooka to within 43-38. The Maroons then got fast-break baskets by Velazquez and Bridget Machado before a 3-pointer by Voss put them ahead 50-38.

With 4:00 to play, Kiper scored to pull Minooka to within 53-41. That basket started a 10-0 Indian run, with Kiper scoring six points and Thomas four. Kiper’s steal and layup brought Miooka to within 53-49 with 2:21 to play, but it was the last oints the Indians scored.

“When they got those six quick points on the fast break, it really hurt,” Placher said. “We were right there with them and all of a sudden we were down eight. They also rebounded well and got a lot of second-chance points.

“Our girls never quit. They all played hard. Moline is a good team, and they had to earn this win tonight. And when you shoot like they did tonight, you’re going to win a lot of games.”