While tonight’s girls basketball game is already historic for the Iron, playing in three consecutive 4A Sectional Finals, a victory would mean a first 4A Super-Sectional appearance and a new program win record. Photo Courtesy: Charles Green // @crgmojo

The 31-3 Ironmen girls basketball team makes their third consecutive trip to the IHSA Sectional Finals tonight after a third-quarter rally for a 70-50 victory over the East Moline United Township Panthers on Feb. 20.

Community found themselves trailing 30-26 at the half, unable to contain the Panthers’ 6-foot-5 N.C. State-commit Lorena Awou, who tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds in two quarters of play.

Awou’s dominance came as no surprise to the Ironmen, as the post put up 29 points for the Panthers when the two teams met in the regular season, a contest that saw U.T. fall in a 75-49 rout on Dec. 29. 

United Township was the first team to score in the second half, extending their lead to six before the Iron caught fire from three, sinking seven in the third and, ultimately, 11 in the game. 

Community held Awou to just two points in the quarter and never looked back as they racked up 44 points in the second half to seal the win. 

Senior guards Olivia Corson and Ali Ince led the Iron in scoring, putting up 24 and 17, respectively. 

With the Sectional Semis in the rearview mirror, the girls look ahead to the Title game against the #2 Associated Press-ranked Alton Redbirds. 

Alton enters the matchup 31-2 on the season after a 51-41 win over O’Fallon, a contest where the Redbirds faced adversity of their own, trailing 29-23 at the half. 

Like the Iron, the Redbirds exploded in the third quarter to turn the tide and secure their spot in the Sectional Championship game. 

Community hopes the cliche “third times a charm” holds true as they enter the 2024 Sectional Final as the’ 21-22 season ended in a 57-45 loss to Edwardsville, and last year the Iron fell to O’Fallon 60-42. Since the expansion to four classes, Community has yet to advance to the IHSA Super-Sectionals.  

The host of this year’s championship, Normal West, saves the Iron from the long travel times of the last two seasons and may provide the Ironmen with the best alternative to playing at home. 

An Iron win tonight would provide the team with a postseason advantage, with the 4A Super-Sectionals hosted at Illinois Wesleyan, where this team has celebrated big wins the past two seasons, and the State Championship held at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena. 

Community will take any advantage as Alton has proven to be a juggernaut in 4A and have only been taken down twice: first against a top-ranked team hailing from Wisconsin and second to 3A State-favorite Lincoln. 

Less than 10 points decided both of those games. 

The Iron are chasing a Sectional Title and history, as a win tonight would put them at 32 wins on the season, setting a new bar for the program win record. 

Tonight’s victor will play for a Super-Sectional championship, facing the winner of the Oswego Sectional contest between Benet Academy and Waubonsie Valley on Feb. 26 at IWU.

Community and Alton tip off in the Sectional Championship tonight at 7 p.m. at Normal West.