By Michael Belmont
Gargoyle sports editor
Posted Friday, Feb. 23, 2007, The OG, girls basketball & sports

SOPHOMORE JESSI SULLIVAN'S remarkable run in the IHSA Three-Point Showdown came to an end Thursday night when she was eliminated in the preliminaries of the Class A state contest. Out of a field of 64 shooters, only four advanced to Saturday's Class A finals.

Sullivan, who made four out of 15 shots at Redbird Arena in Normal, says nerves got the best of her on the big stage. “I got psyched out,” she said.

However, the experience was still a great one. “It was so exciting [to compete at state],” she said.

The 5-foot-8 Sullivan was the first Uni “ball” (basketball, baseball, soccer, or volleyball) player to ever compete at a state tournament, according to Athletic Director Sally Walker.

In the Three-Point Showdown, a player has 45 seconds to work through three racks containing five basketballs each. The first rack is set to the right side of the free-throw line extended, the second is at the top of the circle, and the third is to the left side. Each basket is worth one point, and the shooters with the most points advance. (Rounds lasting 30 seconds are used to break ties.)

Four girls from each of the state's 16 Class A sectionals competed in Thursday's event. The final four advancing shooters were Rachel Pernau of Peotone (11 shots made), Abigail Hart of Monmouth-Roseville (11), Rebecca Peddicord of Greenville (10), and Tiffany Williams of Gallatin County (10).

From this group, one girl will be crowned the Class A champion on Saturday and will compete against the Class AA champion for the “Queen of the Hill” title in a week's time.

RELATED

— IHSA: Terms and conditions of the Three-Point Showdown

— IHSA: Complete list of the 64 Class A Three-Point Showdown state qualifiers

— IHSA: Complete results of the Class A Three-Point Showdown state preliminaries