By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (February 5, 2026) – There’s cold, and then there’s downright Antarctic-like, glacial cold.
In fact, take away Evergreen’s 5-for-6 shooting in the final 3:25 of the second quarter, and the Vikings shot a frosty 10 percent from the floor the rest of the night in a 37–26 loss to Liberty Center.
Evergreen’s Bailey Lumbrezer was the only Viking to hit a field goal—and in fact, the only Viking to score—in the first 12-plus minutes as Liberty Center built a 14-point second-quarter lead.
Aletha Fausnight knocked home four first-quarter baskets from in close to give Liberty Center an 11–4 lead, then got another to start the second to put the Tigers ahead by nine.
Castyn Miller’s bucket and a three-pointer from Addi Davis made it 18–4 with 4:20 left in the half. To that point, Evergreen had shot 2-for-20 from the floor.
That all changed in the latter part of the second quarter, as Avery Emmitt hit twice from deep. Lumbrezer and Lanae Manz each added another from outside the arc to bring the Vikings even at 18-all by halftime.
However, at the start of the third quarter, Evergreen went cold again. While the Vikings went 0-for-12 in the quarter, the Tigers extended their lead to 14 points.
Davis hit two more from long range, Kenna Cordes added another from deep, and Miller got a hoop inside to help Liberty Center grab a 32–18 advantage.
Liberty Center was hampered by six turnovers in the fourth quarter (the Tigers had 26 in the game), but Evergreen couldn’t take advantage, shooting just 2-for-8.
Davis had 14 and Fausnight 12 to pace Liberty Center. No Evergreen player reached double figures.
LIBERTY CENTER (37) – Miller 8; B. Mohler 0; Davis 13; Cordes 3; C. Mohler 0; Fausnight 13; Chambers 0; Hill 0; Totals: 11-4-3 – 37
EVERGREEN (26) – Risner 0; Manz 5; Lumbrezer 7; Vaculik 2; Gleckler 0; Emmitt 8; Radel 4; Totals: 5-4-4 – 26
LCHS 11 7 14 5 – 37
EHS 4 14 1 7 – 26