Wheeling completes sweep in Missouri

Just call them the holiday title kids.

Wheeling's girls basketball team won its second tournament within a span of six days by defeating Kickapoo, Mo. 50-44 in the championship game of the KTRX Lady Classic in Springfield, Mo.

A week ago today, the Wildcats completed a 5-0 run to win the Warren Christmas tournament in Gurnee.

Wednesday's win came over a Kickapoo team that has a record of 190-34 over the last eight seasons and was 22-4 last year. It is led by by 5-foot-10 all-state forward Casey Carrol, who scored 9 points.

"We led all the way," said Wheeling coach Shelly Wiegel, whose team is 16-2 overall and has gone 12-1 in its three tournaments this season, including its second-place finish (4-1) at the Niles North Thanksgiving tourney.

"I thought our bench gave us a lot of great encouragement and energy for the girls who were playing on the court," Wiegel said.

All-tourney selection Bianca Szafarowicz led the Wildcats with a game-high 23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Szafarowicz was playing in the state where she will continue her career, at Truman State University.

Sophomore Kellie Kuzmanic added 12 points and 6 rebounds for Wheeling while her sister Stephanie, a senior, had 7 points, 3 steals and 2 assists.

Tourney MVP Janelle Cannon collected 5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocked shots and 4 steals.

The Wildcats, who have won eight straight, sealed the win over Kickapoo with 2 free throws apiece by junior Kayla Jordan and Stephanie Kuzmanic and one by senior Selma Smajlovic.

The Wildcats finished with a 3-0 record against three out-of- state teams in the tourney held at Drury University.

"We played three talented teams," Wiegel said. "I felt like our team played really well."