Cary-Grove gets a crack at unbeaten Geneva
There's no question which team has the target on its back at this week's Class 4A Huntley girls basketball sectional.
The Geneva Vikings.
Geneva, which finished fourth in Class 4A last season, comes into Huntley 29-0 and ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press poll.
But Vikings coach Gina Nolan says pressure has become routine to her team, which now has a 61-2 record over the past two seasons.
"It's not anything we even talk about," says Nolan of the pressure of being undefeated. "We're used to playing with a target on our back. Everyone starts the postseason 0-0 and at this time of the season anyone can beat anyone. We just focus on what we can control."
What the Vikings hope they can control in Monday's 6 p.m. semifinal is a 26-3 Cary-Grove team that shared the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title with Jacobs and has lost only to Libertyville, Hersey and Jacobs.
"They're a real nice team that's had a lot of success," Nolan said of the Trojans. "They play great scrappy man-to-man defense and they've got a nice post in Claire (Jakubicek)."
Jakubicek, a 6-foot junior who averages just over 16 points per game, is the central figure for Cary-Grove, which has been able to overcome the early-season ACL injury to junior point guard Meg Straumann. The Trojans have gotten steady play from Claire Jakubicek's 5-10 freshman sister Olivia as well as senior 3-point specialist Liz Bart. Sophomore guard Paige Lincicum has done a credible job replacing Straumann and senior Liz Dyrek has the ability to drive or pull up and shoot.
Claire Jakubicek had 19 points and 9 rebounds, Olivia added 15 points and 8 boards, and Bart had 10 points and 4 assists as the Trojans held off Streamwood 53-49 in overtime to win the program's 15th regional title.
The Trojans generally employ a full-court press defense and create easy baskets off turnovers.
"We'll have to take care of the ball and take care of the boards," said Nolan. "If we can get some offensive boards and only give them one opportunity that will help us. And we hope our pressure will slow them down some."
For Cary-Grove, which is seeking its first sectional title since 1989, there's little pressure and a lot of confidence.
"We're not giving into this thinking we can't win," said Trojans coach Rod Saffert, who is 87-29 in his fourth season. "The pressure's on them. They're the undefeated ones."
That said, Saffert also has great respect for the Vikings.
"They're the real deal," Saffert said. "They're 29-0 and No. 4 in the state. They're the most disciplined polished team I've seen."
Saffert says his main concern is Geneva's inside game of 6-1 senior Lauren Wicinski and 6-foot Kelsey Augustine. Junior Kat Yelle, junior Sammy Scofield, who will play soccer at Notre Dame, and sophomore Ashley Santos round out the Vikings' starting five.
"We've got to box out and stop their inside game," said Saffert. "They've got some guards who can play but Wicinski is really tough and we want to force them outside."
Wicinski, who will play volleyball at Northern Illinois, had 14 points and 17 rebounds while Yelle added 16 points and 7 assists for the Vikes in their 47-45 regional championship win over St. Charles North, a game won when Yelle found Wicinski along under the basket for the game-winning shot.
"I'm confident," said Saffert, whose team beat St. Charles North 64-56 a week ago "We've had some good practices and we've got some weapons."
Monday's second game pits NIC-10 rivals Rockford Boylan and Hononegah against each other for the third time this season. Boylan (26-3), which advanced to a supersectional last year, beat Hononegah (20-11) twice during the regular season, 78-70 and 59-52. The Titans are led by all-state candidate Brea Edwards. They rolled over Rockford Auburn 69-48 to win the Boylan regional and avenge their only NIC-10 loss of the season. Boylan was also destroyed by Class 3A No. 1 Montini 83-47 two weeks ago.
Hononegah, which defeated Jacobs 54-48 in double overtime to win the McHenry regional, live and die with the 3-pointer but they also have a formidable post player in 6-3 sophomore Nicole Smith.