Crystal Lake South upends St. Charles East
Apparently, Crystal Lake South's girls basketball team wasn't satisfied with capturing its first regional championship since 1993.
"This is new for us and it's all very exciting - we're just loving it," said junior forward Jenny Hanrahan, who recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to help lead the Gators (26-4) to a 51-38 victory over St. Charles East (16-14) in Monday night's Class 4A Jacobs sectional semifinals in Algonquin.
Leading 36-31 with 5:11 remaining, the Gators rattled off 7 straight points and closed the game on a 15-7 surge to gradually pull away from the pesky Saints.
With the win, the Gators will get an opportunity to earn their first sectional title Thursday night against Rockford Boylan (30-1), which defeated Huntley 65-42 in Monday's other sectional semifinal.
"We just saw that they're ranked sixth in the state but you know what - right now this is all fun," said Crystal Lake South coach Kyle McCaughn. "These kids know that. They definitely played like it was fun tonight."
Senior point guard Carly Juliano scored 7 of her team-leading 13 points during the Gators' 20-13 fourth-quarter run. Crystal Lake South was tough down the stretch, shooting 5-for-6 from the field while converting 10-of-13 free throws.
For the game, the Gators were 15-for-20 at the free-throw line while also using their height advantage for a 39-27 edge on the glass.
"Our kids really took that rebounding to heart tonight," said McCaughn. "We knew we had a little bit of a height advantage but when it comes to rebounding height doesn't really mean anything.
"Tonight, it was heart. We did a great job on the boards."
Crystal Lake South, which led 25-21 at halftime and 31-25 after 3 quarters, also featured balanced scoring as Caitlin Mize (9 points, 7 rebounds), Katie Burton (8 points, 9 rebounds) and Michelle Gaede (5 points, 5 rebounds) supported the cause.
"That has been something that has been a strong suit for us all year long," said McCaughn. "We have multiple weapons. The kids know each other so well and they find each other on the floor.
"We're such an unselfish team. We don't mind making that second, third, fourth pass to make sure we get the right basket at the right time."
After limiting Jacobs to just 28 points in their regional title win last Thursday, the Gators limited St. Charles East to 28 percent field-goal shooting (15-for-53) for the game.
"Defensively, we knew they could dribble-drive like mad and shoot the three," said McCaughn. "They're probably the best 3-point shooting team we've faced all year."
Lexi Baltes, 1 of 4 junior starters, had 4 of the Saints' 5 three-pointers while finishing with a game-high 16 points and 6 steals.
"We missed some open looks and that happens," said Baltes. "It's disappointing but some days they don't fall."
Foul trouble also hampered the Saints, as Jaime Rust was limited to 4 points in 14-plus minutes before fouling out with 3:48 left.
"That was a key factor," said Saints coach Lori Drumtra. "She's such an important part of our offense. The kids that went in did everything they could but it just throws your whole offense out of whack."
Tasha Lalos and Kara Schnier added 7 and 6 points, respectively, for the Saints, who were making their first sectional appearance since 2006.
"The experience of getting past the regional is huge," said Drumtra. "It gives them confidence going into next year. We're going to miss the seniors but we've got a lot coming back."