Fenton 53, Elmwood Park 45
Somebody finally handed Fenton girls basketball coach Tim Anderson a pair of scissors.
After his girls won 53-45 over Elmwood Park in Bensenville on Thursday, Anderson scaled a step ladder and snipped down a net in celebration of a Class 3A regional title -- the first regional title in his 20-year coaching career at the school.
"This isn't about me. It's about them," Anderson said afterward, pointing to his players as they celebrated the win. "But it sure feels good."
"It feels amazing," said Fenton senior Stephanie Pingel, who buried a pair of 3-pointers and scored 10 points on the night. "It took so long. This is my fourth year on varsity, and it's a great feeling."
The Bison (19-13) got their usual steady, scrappy backcourt play from Mia Sansone and Tricia Chiamas, and another big night from Samantha Rubright, who led all players with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
"We knew we could come out and win it if we played hard, and we played hard," Rubright said. "It feels great."
Sansone and Chiamas netted 7 points apiece, Sansone also pulled down 8 rebounds, and Brittany Potenza sparked her squad at the outset during an 8-0 Fenton run to start the game.
And Anderson had another player step into the spotlight after Potenza left the game with a shoulder injury.
"Jayme Biagi. You have to mention her," Anderson said, after the senior scored 6 of her 8 points in the fourth quarter as Fenton took control. "We told her we'd need her to get a couple baskets for us, and she got 4. She did a great job."
Biagi also had 6 rebounds, and Sasha Molina also came in and battled inside for the Bison in Potenza's absence.
In a first half of scoring runs both ways, the Tigers (17-13) answered Fenton's opening run with a 7-1 run of their own. The Bison answered with a 13-3 run, and led 27-20 at halftime.
"We kept the intensity up," Rubright said. "They picked it up, but we were able to bring (the intensity) back up and get the lead back."
The Tigers earned an 11-6 scoring edge in the third quarter and tied the game at 31-31 before a pair of Rubright free throws ended the quarter.
A Rubright basket in the lane and a Biagi turnaround jump shot in the post gave Fenton a 37-31 lead in the fourth, and Rubright found Biagi for an easy basket to put the Bison up 41-35.
The Bison went 11 of 16 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep the game out of reach from the Tigers down the stretch. Sansone finished things off with a pair of free throws with seconds left in the contest.
"It's been neck-and-neck every game. We just pulled through," Pingel said. "It's always our defense, coming through."
-- Gary Larsen
Bolingbrook 40, Hinsdale South 30:ŒNo. 2 seed Bolingbrook held off Hinsdale South to win the Class 4A Romeoville regional behind Ariel Massengale's game-high 11 points.
Seventh-seeded Hinsdale South (22-9) cut the Raiders' lead to 3 in the middle of the fourth quarter but then missed on its next five possessions.
Joanna Giampoli and Chloe Harris led the Hornets in scoring with 10 apiece.
Boys basketball
York 68, Hinsdale Central 51:ŒFreshman Will Sullivan scored 18 points and junior Tom Judge added 14 for the Dukes (16-8, 7-4) in a West Suburban Silver game at Hinsdale Central. Chris Chana's 9 point paced the Red Devils.