Basketball: Week 11 MVPs
Junior guard Matt Reed of Libertyville and senior guard Nell Wentling of South Elgin have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their performances in recent basketball games.
Reed came of the bench and made all 8 of his shot attempts, five of them 3s, to score 25 points as Libertyville upset Mundelein. Wentling made a school record 8 three-pointers and finished with 27 points to help the Storm past Batavia in an Upstate Eight crossover.
BOYS MVP
Matt Reed, Libertyville: Reed was ready. The sharpshooting junior guard came off the bench to spark the host Wildcats’ 87-80 upset of rival Mundelein on senior night, as he shot a crazy 8 of 8 from the floor, sinking five 3-pointers. He finished with a season-high 25 points and contributed 3 steals, as well.
BOYS RUNNERS-UP
Ryan Cork, Hampshire: One reason 20-win Hampshire is competing for a conference title in the season’s final two weeks is the steady play of point guard Ryan Cork. The 6-foot-1 junior opened the week by scoring 19 points in Hampshire’s 58-53 nonconference victory at South Elgin. Cork later dished out 4 assists and scored 19 more points in a 76-57 Fox Valley Conference Fox Division victory over Grayslake North.
Nate Navigato, Geneva: The 6-foot-6 sophomore swingman totaled 29 points, 19 rebounds and 8 assists in a pair of games last week. He scored 11 points with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a loss to Larkin. Geneva bounced back with a 69-62 win over St. Viator behind Navigato’s 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
Devin O’Hara, Prospect: Prospect’s Devin O’Hara produced his best game when his team need him most. The Knights’ 6-foot-4 senior produced 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in a 70-68 double overtime victory against visiting Elk Grove which clinched the MSL East title for Prospect — its fifth in the last six years.
Collin Roy, Wheaton Academy: The 6-foot-3 senior guard scored a personal-high 29 points in a 66-46 win over Kaneland. Roy made four 3-point baskets and hit 9 of 12 free throws. That came on the heels of a 55-42 win at Walther Lutheran for the Warriors’ fourth straight SCC title overall. Roy added 4 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.
GIRLS MVP
Nell Wentling, South Elgin: South Elgin’s 5-foot-7 senior guard hit for a school record eight 3-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter to help send the game into overtime, as the Storm defeated Batavia 61-56 in an Upstate Eight crossover game. In making 8 of 12 from 3-point range, she scored a game and career-high 27 points in the win, which pushed South Elgin’s record to 16-10 for the season.
GIRLS RUNNERS-UP
Katie Claussner, St. Charles East: The sophomore continued her strong second half with a team-high 20 points in the Saints’ 68-61 victory over Metea Valley in the Upstate Eight Conference second-place crossover game. Claussner made three 3-pointers in the final three minutes including one to tie the game and another to give the Saints the lead for good.
Haley Gorecki, Fremd: Despite missing 13 games with an ankle injury midway through the season, Fremd’s Haley Gorecki has shown she is back, and good as ever. The 5-foot-10 sophomore guard poured home 26 points with 8 rebounds as the Vikings pulled out a thrilling 66-63 overtime win at Rolling Meadows in the Mid-Suburban League championship game.
AnnaBell Lansdowne, York: The Dukes senior guard scored 20 points — hitting four 3-pointers — with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in York’s 52-36 win over Downers Grove South. Lansdowne followed that up with 11 points and 4 rebounds as Dukes beat Buffalo Grove 54-35 for York’s seventh win in its last eight games to finish the regular season.
Terese McMahon, Lakes: The senior forward pulled off a first, netting 21 points in the Eagles’ regular-season finale to become the first female basketball player in school history to score 1,000 points. She then nearly pulled off another Eagles first — a triple-double. Her 19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 steals led the Eagles to a playoff-opening, 67-32 win over Gordon Tech.