Waubonsie Valley celebrates health, championship

Jessica Morice isn't all the way healed - but she's not going to stop playing now.

"Physically, it's not 100 percent," Waubonsie Valley's senior guard said, "but I'm going 100 percent."

Morice, in her fourth game back from a broken ankle that cost her two months, had 11 points in the Warriors' 42-26 win over Downers Grove North in Friday's Class 4A Oswego East regional final.

There was Morice holding Waubonsie Valley's third straight regional plaque. A different sight than when she went down in December. Without her the Warriors missed out on repeating as Upstate Eight Conference champions.

"It was horrible," Morice said. "When I heard the news about the injury I was in tears. I wasn't sure if I'd be back at first. But as soon as I played that first game on senior night, I said there's no way I'm stopping."

It's been a trying season for Waubonsie Valley (19-8), which has lost Morice, fellow senior Rachel Bostick and sophomore Hannah Klancic to injury at various times. Freshman Keiera Ray, the Warriors' leading scorer and rebounder, tore her ACL and meniscus the last week of the regular season.

"This senior group has been through a lot," Waubonsie Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. "It was going to take a lot to get past them tonight."

No. 3 seed Waubonsie Valley trailed No. 11 Downers Grove North 6-2 midway through the first quarter, but a pair of Morice 3-pointers spurred the Warriors to an 11-6 lead after eight minutes.

The advantage was 20-17 at the half before Waubonsie Valley held its opponent scoreless the entire third quarter to push the lead to 30-17.

"We switched up defenses and kept them off-balance," Kalivas said. "I thought the kids really got after it."

Missy Blazej's putback with 6:40 left in the fourth quarter was the Trojans' first score of the half. Downers Grove North (8-21) played six sophomores Friday - a tough matchup physically against a Waubonsie Valley team with four senior starters. Blazej, the lone Trojans senior starter, had 10 points.

"They're a physical team," Trojans coach Paul Maggiore said, "and they wore us down a little bit."

Tami Morice scored 10 points and Bostick had 6 points and 7 rebounds for Waubonsie Valley, which plays Hinsdale Central at 8 p.m. Monday in the Waubonsie Valley sectional semifinal.

The Red Devils are all too familiar to the Warriors, having beaten them twice during the regular season, twice last season, and in the sectional semifinals two years ago. Jessica Morice, though, missed both Hinsdale Central games this year.

"I have two months of build-up just to play them," Morice said, "and I'm so excited."