Taylorville Basketball Splits Busy Weekend Against Mattoon, Pana
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PANA — The Taylorville Tornado Boys Basketball team holds aloft the Coal Miners Trophy after winning against the Pana Panthers on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Submitted Photo
It was a packed and emotional weekend on the hardwood for Taylorville basketball, as the Tornadoes picked up a pair of rivalry wins while also seeing a late lead slip away on the road.
The weekend opened Friday night at home, where the Taylorville girls earned their second straight victory for the first time since the Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament with a 73–57 win over Mattoon. Taylorville led wire-to-wire, though the Green Wave cut the margin to a single possession multiple times in the first half.
Grace Rogers provided the spark late in the second quarter, helping the Tornadoes build a 10-point lead at the break. She carried that momentum into the second half as Taylorville consistently pushed Mattoon beyond the foul limit in each quarter. The Green Wave also battled individual foul trouble, with Belle Powers fouling out and three others finishing one foul shy.
Rogers finished with 16 points as did Baileigh Jackson also scored 16, McKynlee Siempelkamp added 12, and Hope Kietzman chipped in four points while filling the stat sheet with steals and assists. Mattoon was led by Kennedy Smith’s 23 points, including seven three-pointers, while Ava Larson added 19.
Less than 24 hours later, the Tornadoes traveled to Pana with Christian County pride on the line but came up just short in a 66–62 loss. Taylorville held a steady lead early and benefited from improved free-throw shooting as Pana reached the foul limit in each of the first three quarters.
Siempelkamp knocked down a pair of first-half threes to help build the advantage.
The momentum shifted in the second half as Taylorville’s shooting cooled and Pana heated up from long range. Joey Laker connected on four second-half threes as part of an 11-three-pointer night for the Panthers. Despite missed free throws by Pana late, Taylorville couldn’t complete the comeback.
Siempelkamp scored 14 points while Julie Wayman had 11, and Nora Thomas and Rogers each finished with 10. Laker led all scorers with 25 points, and Brooke Cox added 22 as Pana reclaimed the Traveling Trophy.
The boys made sure Taylorville didn’t leave Pana empty-handed, dominating defensively in a 57–42 win later that night. The Tornadoes jumped out to a 9–0 start and didn’t allow a Panther field goal until midway through the second quarter. Blake Ladage led an early surge as Taylorville built a 15–8 first-quarter lead and carried a 24–20 advantage into halftime.
Taylorville adjusted defensively in the third quarter, and Brock Brown came alive with eight points, including a three-point play, as the Tornadoes stretched the lead to double digits. They continued to pull away in the fourth, sealing the win and bringing the Coal Miners Trophy back to Taylorville once again.
Ladage finished with 21 points, Brown added 17, Malique Pearse scored eight, and Maddex Havera chipped in five. Pana was led by Easton Malisia’s 20 points and Cash Lynch’s 13.
By the end of the weekend, Taylorville basketball walked away with statement rivalry wins on both the girls’ and boys’ sides — and another trophy — as the Tornadoes head into the final stretch of the regular season.
