Loyola gets tough test from Prospect

A pair of old friends faced off against each other Monday night at Niles West.

But this was no time for Prospect's Danielle Brucci and Loyola's Michelle Bilek to exchange pleasantries from their days of playing basketball together as kids.

Not with their high school careers and their teammates' seasons at stake in the Class 4A girls basketball sectional semifinals in Skokie.

Fourth-seeded Prospect (19-10) kept the outcome in doubt until the final minute before top-seeded Loyola (29-2) advanced to Thursday's sectional final with a 50-44 win.

"Give them credit, they were knocking down shots several feet behind the arc," said senior Alyssa Glennon, who led Prospect's typical balanced attack with 10 points. "Especially (No.) 22."

That was Bilek, who went to grade school at St. Raymond's in Mount Prospect.

She hit all three of her 3-point attempts - including one a second before halftime to wipe out Prospect's last lead and another with 4:27 left in the third quarter to give Loyola a 32-29 lead it never lost.

"It was pretty hard," Bilek said. "Before the game my dad asked me, 'How do you feel, someone could end the other's season?'

"It made me feel kind of bad. But when you start playing it's just a game and you play defense against whoever is out there."

It turned out to be Bilek (11 points) taking on Brucci.

"I've played with her as long as I can remember," Brucci said. "It was fun, though. She's a good player."

So is Loyola's 5-foot-10 senior Megan Holy, who had game-highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

But the Knights showed their capability in what second-year coach Martha Kelly called "probably our best two games of the year" on Monday and last Thursday's regional title win over Lincoln Park.

"We definitely poured our hearts out," Brucci said.

"Everyone really stepped up," Glennon said, "and has been focused and dedicated - the last few games especially."

Loyola took its biggest lead at 43-35 with 6:48 left on a 3 by Audrey Gaughan (9 points). Prospect battled back as a pullup jumper by Brucci and a layup by Lexi Glennon (8 points) off a Marissa Pettenuzzo (7 points, 6 rebounds) feed cut its deficit to 46-43 with 1:10 left.

Gaughan hit 4 free throws in the final minute to end the Knights' upset bid.

But Brucci and Alyssa Glennon hope this is just a start for Lexi Glennon, Pettenuzzo, Rachel and Sarah Hunt and Sarah Winans as they will return after combining for 27 points Monday.

"We tried to set a good example of the work ethic you need to have," Alyssa Glennon said. "The heart and determination you need to play the game."