SouthtownStar’s three things to know

Beecher is perfect. At least the Bobcats are in the River Valley Conference after a 68-34 victory over Tri-Point Thursday left them at 12-0 and the league champions for the third time in four seasons. Danielle Snuckel (13.9 ppg) and Taylor Johnson (12.8 ppg) are double-digit scorers for Beecher (19-6), which Saturday defeated Watseka in a preview of what could be the Class 2A Paxton Buckley-Loda Regional title game.

No lead is safe. Sandburg learned that the hard way Thursday when the Eagles saw an 11-point lead with just over two minutes remaining disappear in seemingly the blink of an eye in a 42-40 loss at Stagg. A flick of the wrist by Stagg’s Hannah Henderson was the final blow, a three-pointer with 15 seconds left.

Playing 32 minutes is a must. Morgan Park didn’t do that Thursday in a shocking 81-78 loss to Brooks that cost the Mustangs their fourth consecutive trip to the city finals. Give them credit. They didn’t lay down and die after when trailing by eight with 2:42 left. But it shouldn’t have come down to an open-look three-point miss at the buzzer against a team Morgan Park twice had beaten earlier earlier in the season, by 18 and 16 points.

Tony Baranek