Hersey rolls past Lake Zurich
Claire Gritt and Kelly Weyhrich played in their 100th win on Friday night, a feat that had never been accomplished by a Hersey girls or boys basketball player.
And along with it came another unprecedented fame to claim.
They became the first Hersey basketball players, along with fellow senior Gina Miklasz, to win four straight regional crowns.
The top-seeded Huskies (26-3) led 13-0 after one quarter over No. 8 Lake Zurich (12-17) and never looked back in a 44-20 win in the championship game of the Class 4A Wauconda regional.
Hersey advanced to Monday's semifinal of the Libertyville sectional to face No. 5 Lake Forest (23-9) at 6 p.m.
"To do this all four years is pretty awesome," said the Denver-bound Gritt, who led Hersey with 12 points. "We've all played together for so long. And it's so special that the 100th win for our senior class came on our fourth regional championship."
"It's so cool, I'm speechless," added Weyhrich, who had 4 assists and 3 steals. "I'm so proud of my class. It's so hard to say you've done this (regional title) every year."
And they've done it so unselfishly.
"They (Hersey) share the ball so well," said Lake Zurich veteran coach Chris Bennett. "They are just impressive the way they do that.
"I don't think they ever take a bad shot. They make that extra pass for the open 15-footer and they knock it down."
Miklasz finished with 10 points and 6 assists while junior sisters Erin McGrath (3 blocks) and Katie McGrath (7 rebounds) each scored 6 points.
Senior Carly Cooper hit a pair of buckets in the second quarter. Her first bucket made it 15-2 and Maesyn Benjamin followed with a floater that gave Hersey its biggest lead of the half at 17-2.
But Lake Zurich closed to within 19-11 by the break, half, getting a layup Grace Kinsey (7 points) and a putback from McKenna Zobel for its final 4 points of the quarter.
"We had a tough time there offensively in the second quarter," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley, who along with assistant Julia Barthel won their 11th regional crown. "But our defense compensates for that."
"When we aren't scoring we look to our defense to lead us," Gritt said.
The Huskies were back on track offensively in the third quarter.
Miklasz found Erin McGrath for a short bank shot that ignited a 9-2 run capped by 2 free throws and a 3-pointer by Miklasz to make it 28-12.
Miklasz hit her second 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 36-15 after three quarters.
"Sometimes we are offensively challenged and I credit their defense," Bennett said. "Every time we got a look, they had a hand in our face."
But Bennett gave a hand to his club.
"I'm proud of them," he said. "They played 32 minutes for every single game this season. And that's a credit to our seniors (Madison Hart, Sarah Blase and Lauryn Johnson) leading us and playing hard."
Fendley said her seniors are unfazed by their success.
"What's so funny is that I don't think they even realize how outstanding this is," she said. "Because to them, if they are playing their hardest and improving, they just feel this will happen.
"I think as they get older, they'll realize how spectacular what they've done is."