NORMAL, Ill. — It took everything they had, but the O'Fallon girls basketball team came away with a historic win this weekend at the Illinois state tournament.
The Panthers defeated Lisle Benet Academy 62-57 in a thrilling double overtime contest for the Class 4A state championship at Redbird Arena in Normal.
It's the first state title in basketball history for O'Fallon, rounding out a dominant 34-4 season.
The Panthers were led by their senior star and all-time leading scorer, Shannon Dowell, who had 25 points. Dowell is committed to play in college at Illinois State, so she capped off her high school career where her college career will begin.
O'Fallon ended the year on a 14-game winning streak.
The win capped off a banner day for the Metro East at the state tournament. Mater Dei and Okawville joined O'Fallon as champions, claiming three of the four titles up for grabs in girls basketball for the Metro East.