The Freeburg High senior took advantage of the rare snow/ice day off to upgrade her usual lunchtime meal.

"Salad and a couple pieces of pineapple," the 5-foot-10-inch forward said. "That was all the fuel I needed."

The Midgets might want to incorporate that daily double into a team meal down the road.

Borja pumped in a season-high 19 points to help Freeburg to a 57-46 win over rival Columbia in a Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division girls basketball contest at Freeburg High.

The red-hot Midgets (19-8 overall, 8-0 league) won their eighth in a row and also beat Columbia for the ninth successive time.

They moved to within two games of claiming the outright league crown for the first time since 2006.

Freeburg faces Salem in a conference game Thursday and will close the season at Breese Central (16-9, 6-1) on Feb. 9 in a contest that could decide the crown.

It's a good bet Borja will load up on salad and pineapple prior to that contest as well.

"With no school, it wasn't a normal day," Borja said. "We were able to eat well, sit around, and relax in the afternoon."

Borja, who is headed to Kaskaskia College to play volleyball, came within two points of her career high of 21, set last season against Okawville.

Her offensive prowess and three blocks on defense played a key role in the Midgets' 22-6 start over the first eight minutes.

"That first quarter we added in our new press," Borja said. "We found a lot of intensity in that. We enjoy putting pressure on people."

That defensive wizardry was the key to the triumph.

The Eagles (17-9, 5-3) never recovered from the early salvo but managed to chop a 26-point deficit to 14 late in the third period.

"We've got to be able to handle pressure," Columbia coach Scott Germain said. "It's kind of frustrating. But once we settled in, we were able to play a little bit."

Columbia scored the last six points of the game to make the final result seem relatively close.

Yet the contest was essentially decided in that opening stanza.

"Our crew is made up of a lot of seniors and they know how to bring the intensity," Freeburg coach Bethany McQuiston said. "It's their second to last game on their home floor, so they had a lot of energy with that.

"Plus, it's always fun playing Columbia."

Freeburg senior Natalie Peterson added 19 points. Senior guard Kylie Kisgen chipped in with 15 points.

Peterson, who is heading to Southwestern Illinois College, scored eight of her team's first 13 points and triggered the quick getaway with a couple steals.

"We wanted to get points up early and our defense was going to help make that happen," Peterson said. "We're all pretty athletic and that helps a lot."

Borja and Kisgen were members of Freeburg's volleyball team that finished fourth in Class 2A in the fall.

The Midgets used a 14-0 run over the final 3 minutes and 9 seconds of first quarter to grab control.

Kisgen began the blitz with a 3-pointer and Peterson converted on a layup off a steal by Borja for a 13-6 lead. Kisgen then followed with an old-fashioned 3-point play. Calli Smith kept the streak going with a pair of foul shots.

Borja then hit two baskets in the final 67 seconds of the period to push the lead to 16 points.

Columbia, behind senior Karsen Jany's 16 points, closed to within 42-28 late in the third period.

Kisgen silenced the rally with a 3-pointer.

The Eagles kept their heads above water with back-to-back baskets by Jany, who will play softball at St. Louis University.

Peterson squelched the second rally with a driving layup for a 55-38 cushion.

Freeburg appears to be peaking at the right time. It won the Hillsboro Tournament over the weekend.

"We're just now starting to play our best basketball," Peterson said. "And this is the perfect time for it."