Can anyone derail Geneva at SCE regional?

As the high school girls basketball regular season winds down, I figured that this is as good a time as any to start thinking about postseason play.

Playoffs?

Yes, Class 3A and 4A regional tournament action is less than a week away at various sites throughout the state. Together with the boys basketball tournament, this is one of my favorite times of the year.

Why, you ask?

Because there’s a finality to it.

Win and you advance.

Lose and your season is finished.

And also maybe because I can see and my back can feel that the end of winter isn’t really that far away after all.

Since all four of our Tri-Cities girls basketball teams are entered in the same regional at St. Charles East, here’s a sneak peek at next week’s tournament field and what to expect.

There’s five teams from the Upstate Eight Conference — four of them — Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North reside in the newly formed Upstate Eight Conference River Division.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Geneva coach Gina Nolan, whose Vikings are aiming to win their third consecutive regional title. “It’s ironic we are all in the same conference now. Some of the games could be the third time some of us are facing each other.

“I wish there was a way to avoid that but with the predetermined regionals by geography it doesn’t seem possible.”

Monday’s cat-tail matchup with the host Saints and fourth-seeded Batavia will mark the season’s third meeting between the teams. The Bulldogs won the first two games (41-36 on Dec. 9 and 60-57 on Jan. 12).

Batavia

Record: 7-16

Longest winning streak: 2.

Longest losing streak: 7.

Best win: 41-36 at St. Charles East, Dec. 9.

Last 10: 4-6.

Key facts: Four of the Bulldogs’ seven victories have come against St. Charles East and Larkin.

Last regional title: 1990.

Young legs: Liza Fruendt, 5-8 freshman; Erin Bayram, 6-1 freshman; Katie Ryan, 5-10 sophomore; Miranda Grizaffi, 5-8 sophomore; Sami Villarreal, 5-6 sophomore (injured).

What to expect: While it might be difficult to beat the same team three times in one season, Batavia could get past St. Charles East with a productive effort from backcourt players Katie Baglieri and Fruendt. No one plays harder than Ryan, who receives frontcourt support from Maddie Sychta, Mariah Zwart and Bayram.

With a win over the Saints, Batavia will take on Geneva for a third time in the regional semifinals.

Geneva

Record: 18-6

Longest winning streak: 5.

Longest losing streak: 2.

Best win: 61-52 at Streamwood, Jan. 6.

Last 10: 8-2.

Key facts: Geneva topped the 65-point mark in 11 of its first 22 games with an average victory margin of 23.5 points per game. The Vikings have also had 9 games decided by 10 points or less. Three of their five losses were 2- or 1-point decisions.

Last regional title: 2010.

Young legs: Sidney Santos, 6-0 freshman (injured); Sami Pawlak, 5-10 sophomore.

What to expect: A team searching for its third consecutive regional and sectional title, led by veteran guards Kat Yelle, Sammy Scofield and Ashley Santos. Does experience matter?

“Having players like Kat and Sammy with so much postseason experience is an asset for us,” said Nolan. “They understand the mental preparation and intensity we need to take into each game and will help the whole team understand that.”

Having played a rugged nonconference schedule (Fenwick, Montini, Springfield, Bartlett, Benet), the Vikings appear poised to make another deep postseason run. Don’t be surprised if Geneva wins another regional and faces Cary-Grove in the Jacobs sectional finals Feb. 24. Unheralded players like Brooke Binette, Katelyn Allen, Kelsey Pease and Rachel Hinchman could be difference makers.

St. Charles East

Record: 9-15

Longest winning streak: 2.

Longest losing streak: 4.

Best win: 56-38 at Jacobs, Jan. 15.

Last 10: 5-5.

Key facts: The Saints are 7-2 when holding opponents under 40 points but 1-7 in games decided by 7 or less.

Last regional title: 2009.

Young legs: Amanda Hilton, 5-5 freshman; Paige Jordan, 5-7 sophomore; Laney Deckrow, 5-9 sophomore; Carly Pottle, 5-7 sophomore.

What to expect: After starting the season at 0-4 and 2-8, the Saints have won 5 of their last 9 games and are as healthy as they’ve been all season. But first, they must find a way to beat Batavia after 41-36 and 60-57 losses during the regular season. If the Saints get past the Bulldogs, they’ll bring a nothing-to-lose attitude into a third meeting with top-seeded Geneva. With just 4 seniors on the roster, coach Lori Drumtra’s team will gain invaluable postseason experience heading into 2001-12.

St. Charles North

Record: 13-12

Longest winning streak: 3.

Longest losing streak: 3.

Best win: 59-57 over Geneva, Nov. 30.

Last 10: 6-4.

Key facts: The North Stars are 8-1 in games where they score 48-plus points.

Last regional title: 2008.

Young legs: Alex Silverman, 5-7 sophomore.

What to expect: St. Charles North already owns a 64-52 victory over first-round regional opponent South Elgin but that game was played more than two months ago (Dec. 11). Tess Fischer, Sydney Russell, Taylor Russell and Kate Booe were all members of the North Stars’ team that nearly upset eventual super sectional qualifier Geneva in last year’s regional finals. Can St. Charles North duplicate its effort from the 2-point win over the Vikings in November? Only if the North Stars value every possession against the Vikings’ vaunted pressure.

Senior forward/center Leah Horton and junior guard Megan Booe have given coach Colleen Brennan’s team a big lift off the bench in recent weeks.

South Elgin

Record: 12-11

Longest winning streak: 7.

Longest losing streak: 4.

Best win: 64-49 over Waubonsie Valley, Jan. 15.

Last 10: 7-3.

Key facts: Since losing junior leading scorer Becca Smith (20 ppg) to a knee injury last month, the Storm owns a 2-2 record.

Last regional title: None.

Young legs: Savannah Uvegas, 5-8 freshman; Kennede Miller, 5-11 freshman; Kara Rodriguez, 5-6 sophomore; Amanda Behles, 5-8 sophomore.

What to expect: No matter what South Elgin has done the last couple weeks, it will need a healthy Smith to make a serious run at its first regional crown. Opponents should take this team seriously, however, especially if the Storm play like they did during last month’s double-digit victory over a strong Waubonsie Valley team that earned a No. 2 seed in its sectional complex. The Feb. 16 matchup against St. Charles North could be one of state’s top opening-round matchups.