Emily Halliday got an unusually specific and demanding request prior to a regional semifinal game her Coal City Lady Coalers hosted against Lincoln-Way West on Feb. 12.

"My mom would always give me a goal to shoot for before every game, for how many points to score," Halliday said this week. "She told me to score 22 points before the game against Lincoln-Way West. I scored 21, so I fell one short. I thought she was just giving me a hard time with it, but she was obviously telling the truth, that there was a reason for me to want to do it."

Halliday had entered the game 22 points shy of becoming the first player in Lady Coalers history to score 1,000 varsity points before the end of her junior season. Coal City won the game 57-38, and Halliday was able to reach the milestone during a 51-39 loss to Joliet Catholic in the regional championship two days later.