1997 Undefeated Streaks- Part III

So what did the 1997 team do to stand out?

Won first 33 games before losing to Taylorville in the Semi-Finals.

Completed the regular season a perfect 27-0.

15 of 35 games were won by 30+ points.

23 of 35 games were won by 20+ points.

28 of 35 games were won by 10+ points.

Only 5 of wins were by under 10 points.

The five tourney wins were by 80, 14, 13, 20, and 24 points.

Galesburg was ranked #1 in Illinois.

Galesburg vs. Taylorville semi-final game was and is the highest attended girls State Tourney game.

1997 State Tourney has the highest attendance in history of girls basketball in Illinois.

Galesburg averaged 70.7 points per game, and held opponents to 44.6 points per game.

Four members of the '97 team would go on to be All-State players. Molly Watson was First Team in 1997, Sarah Larson was All-State in 1998 and First Team in 1999. Jaque Howard and Megan Pacheco were All-State in 2000.

Starting lineup was- Molly Watson, Melanie Pendergrass, Angie Galyean, Sarah Larson, and Jessica Thompson. First off the bench were Meg Sherwood and Megan Pacheco. Others on the team were Jaque Howard, Michelle Flaar, Leslie Gumm, Danielle Murfin, Whitney Snyder, Jenny Zolper, and Katie McCants. Team manager was Erin Snyder.

Molly Watson- Sr    19.9ppg, 5.2 assists, 42% threes
Melanie Pendergrass- Jr   11.0 ppg, 37% threes
Sarah Larson- Soph    9.7ppg, 8.1reb
Jessica Thompson- Sr   7.7ppg, 5.6 reb
Angie Galyean- Sr     6.7ppg, 3.5 reb
Megan Pacheco- Fr     6.5ppg, 4.8 reb
Meg Sherwood- Sr      3.5ppg

Six of the players on this team achieved a distinction very few basketball players in Illinois can claim. Sarah Larson and Jenny Zolper were sophomores on this team. Whitney Snyder, Jaque Howard, Michelle Flaar, and Megan Pacheco were all freshmen. These six players played their last game of each of their four years in high school at Redbird Arena. In their four years in high school, Galesburg never lost a Regional, Sectional or Supersectional game.

Larson and Zolper were on teams who took 3rd, 4th, Elite 8 and 2nd in State.

Howard, Pacheco, Snyder, and Flaar were on teams who took 4th, Elite 8, 2nd, and 4th in State.

Overall record of Streaks team during each of the four classes on this team:
Seniors during their four years- 115-7
Juniors during their four years- 118-16
Sophs during their four years- 122-15
Frosh during their four years- 127-13

Molly Watson went on to play for DePaul. Sarah Larson and Jaque Howard went on to play for SIU-Edwardsville, Megan Pacheco played at ICC, Michelle Flaar played at Monmouth, and after transferring to a high school in Wisconsin- Katie McCants played at Lake Forest. Whitney Snyder went on to receive a scholarship as a manager for the women's basketball team at the University of Iowa.

Assistant coaches for the '97 team were Steve Peachey, Michael Rux, Michelle Wynne, and Trisha Hickey.

Angie Galyean, Jaque Howard, Michelle Flaar, Danielle Murfin, and Jenny Zolper still live in the Galesburg area.