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TERRY DUCKETT
For 17 seasons, Steve Ford was a fixture on the Moline High School girls basketball bench as head coach.
From 1999 to 2016, Ford’s teams won 359 games and 10 IHSA regional titles, reaching the Class 2A state quarterfinals in 2002 and the 2A Sweet 16 in ’06.
Now in his third season coaching Alleman, Ford has yet to lead the Pioneers to a win against his former squad. That was before Saturday afternoon.
Bolstered by a big game from junior forward Clair Hulke and a strong fourth-quarter finish, the Pioneers pulled away to top Moline 59-47 in a Western Big 6 matinee at Wharton Field House and give Ford its first win in five meetings against his former club.
“We’re definitely moving in the right direction and getting better every day,” Ford said. “We can build on some confidence that we’ll take away from this. We’re moving in the right direction, and that’s a good thing.”
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Fueling the Pioneers’ success was a monster performance by junior forward Clair Hulke. He hit nine of 15 shots and 11 of 13 free throw attempts to finish with 31 points. Hulke also added six rebounds and two steals.
“We went into every game believing we could win,” Hulke said. “It was big for us to come in here and get this win. It showed that we can compete in the conference. We’ve improved every day; you can see it in games and in practice.”
In terms of Saturday’s big game, Hulke was quick to praise her teammates, particularly junior Audrey Erickson (eight rebounds, six points).
“Every time I get open looks, it’s because my teammates get good screens for me,” Hulke said, “and Audrey does a fantastic job of getting the ball. to me.”
Alleman (4-5) moved to 2-1 in the Big 6 with Saturday’s conference win over a young and retooling Moline squad that fell to 1-6, 0-3 in league play.
“We’re kind of learning on the job, with a lot of young girls playing,” said Moline coach Adrian Ritchie. “They will come. These are important lessons to learn early in the year that will make us better next season.”
A definite bright spot for the Maroons is sophomore Tahlea Terrell. He knocked down three 3-pointers and led the hosts with 17 points and added six rebounds.
Terrell scored 12 of his points in the first half, including a free throw in the final seconds to snap a 24-24 halftime tie. He scored five straight points late in the third quarter to keep Moline even with Alleman at 37-37.
“We try to tell Tahlea that she has full rein to try and score until someone can stop her,” said Ritchie. “He’s an amazing basketball talent, and his scoring ability is especially good for a sophomore.”
However, the efforts of Terrell and senior teammate Sam Veto (14 points, six rebounds) were nullified when Alleman scored the final three points of the third quarter to go up 40-37. A bucket by Tyla Thomas (13 points) in the final minute put the Pioneers up by three.
“It’s unbelievable,” Thomas said. “This is my first time in high school getting a win against Moline. It’s a big win for us.”
In the fourth quarter, foul trouble caught the Maroons, and Alleman was able to take advantage.
After hitting just three of 13 foul shots in the first half, the Pioneers were 16 of 25 from the charity stripe in the second 16 minutes and hit 10 of 16 free throws in the final period.
“We had some foul trouble all game,” Ritchie said. “That puts pressure on us, and that’s an adjustment we have to make every time they call it tight.”
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