Maine South 62, Elk Grove 37

High school programs aren't built overnight and every school has to deal with some bumps in the road.

The Elk Grove girls basketball team posted 14 wins this season with a roster featuring six underclassmen and five juniors.

However, the most successful season in more than a decade for the 10th-seeded Grens came to a close Wednesday as they lost to No. 7 Maine South 62-37 in a Class 4A Northside regional semifinal in Chicago.

"This year we had more wins than we've ever had in 10 years and it's just going to get better, I think," said the team's lone senior Kayla Mahoney (5 points, 2 steals). "We worked really hard and I think we deserve it."

Sophomore star Ashley Capotosto had another stellar game with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Capotosto scored 9 first-quarter points as the Grens (14-14) trailed 15-13.

Maine South (19-12) opened the second period on a 13-4 run and led 30-21 at halftime.

The Grens had 23 turnovers, including 14 in the second half, and shot 9-of-32 in the final three quarters.

Although the season ended sooner than Elk Grove would have liked, coach Jim Wills is confident that Elk Grove could soon be playing late into the postseason.

"There's potential there and the future looks bright," said Wills. "If we work at it, continue to work hard, we could reap the rewards down the stretch to become a championship team."

And with 11 players eligible to return next year, there is plenty of reason for optimism.

"(This season) gives us a lot of confidence for next year because a lot of the teams are losing strong seniors," said Capotosto after leading the Mid-Suburban East in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (9.3). "We're keeping the same team together, so we're only going to grow and get better."

Sophomore Olivia Roback had 5 steals and 2 assists for Elk Grove. Junior Krystina Leazer added 4 points.