The Best... championship basketball moments
Over the years they've been few, and they were very far between. DuPage County basketball championships have flourished in recent seasons, however, capped by one just last weekend.
1) Naperville Central repeats
Consensus national player of the year Candace Parker, who overcame off-season ACL surgery, flashes the No. 2 symbol as Naperville Central (33-2) defeats New Trier 48-37 in the Class AA state championship game at Redbird Arena in Normal. Leading coach Andy Nussbaum's Redhawks to a second straight state title, Parker had game highs of 29 points, 13 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3 steals in her last high school game. "I love going out like this," she said. "This is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life."
2) A singular sensation
Parker pours in a state-final record 32 points to lead No. 1 Naperville Central (35-0) to the Class AA championship over No. 2 Fenwick, 63-59 at Redbird Arena. Nussbaum's Redhawks, who include center Courtney Peters, guards Tiffany Hudson and Rachel Crissy and forward Erica Carter, become only the fifth unbeaten Class AA champion and the first since Maine West in 1988.
3) Where it all began (well, almost)
After finishing in fourth place in Illinois' first state basketball series in 1908 - as the IHSA puts it, actually "a small invitational" - the boys of Hinsdale Twp. (20-3) claim the first true state championship in 1909, 18-13 over Washington at the Bloomington YMCA. Preston Davidson scores 6 points, Fred Cortis 7 - all on free throws - and all-tourney pick Gilbert Keith scores 5 to deliver coach Arthur Collins the title.
4) They got game
Seven years after the girls state series debuted, York (32-1) defeats Peoria Richwoods 55-46 to win the 1984 Class AA title at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall. It's DuPage County's first state basketball title since the '08 Hinsdale boys, and it won't happen again until the 2002 Hinsdale Central girls. Ranked third after the regular season, Dukes coach Val Cothern gets 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 steals from all-tourney pick Laurie Hudgens to level No. 1 Richwoods.
5) A whole new ballgame
We all know Driscoll is a football school (eight state titles), a baseball school (three titles) and, heck, even a golf school (Gigi DiGrazia, last fall). On Feb. 28, 2009, the Highlanders, led by all-stater Courtney Lindfors with some of that DiGrazia championship magic, join the club. Driscoll (33-1) makes up a 14-point deficit to upend defending Class 2A state champion West Hancock, 40-35 at Redbird Arena. "It's cool that we're getting that kind of attention," guard Allie DiVito said.