Looking back at the Geneva-SCN regional thriller

Here's one last look back at the past week's Class 4A St. Charles North regional before Geneva resumes its postseason push Monday night (weather permitting!) at the Huntley sectional.

Well prepared: When Geneva had the ball in a tie game with 30 seconds left Thursday against St. Charles North, one thought came to mind.

How will the Vikings handle this? One blowout win after another the past two years sure has been impressive, but could the drawback be that Geneva doesn't know how to handle a situation like this with the game on the line?

Turns out coach Gina Nolan had that covered. Even if Geneva doesn't see those end-of-game situations in an actual game, she had them prepared.

"We run a lot of drills like that in practice where we'll put 25 seconds on the clock, down 1 or tied and run something through, delay and go with 10 seconds left," Nolan said.

And that's just what Geneva did Thursday. They milked the clock, got the ball where it needs to be (Kat Yelle's hands) and watched as Yelle drove and found Lauren Wicinski for the game-winning basket... executed like they had been in these same tight situations all year long.

Nerves of steel: In the first half, Wicinski missed all four of her free throws, none coming all that close.

Then with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the senior forward went 4 for 4 in the final five minutes, none touching much more than net.

When Nolan was asked if there was a key play or two in the Vikings' rally from 10 points down, she pointed to Wicinski's free throws along with a spinning basket from Ashley Santos.

"Lauren's free throws were huge, especially with them calling timeout and icing her," Nolan said. "She's focused. She's a Division I athlete for a reason. Even though that's volleyball it (the focus) transfers over."

Calming influence: With their season slipping away while St. Charles North built a 10-point lead, the Vikings needed someone to settle the team down.

Enter junior guard Sammy Scofield, who did her best to keep the team calm.

"I try to pick us up, I am just that type of kid. It's never yelling. I try to get us calmed down because there were times in the game we were all stressed out and not ourselves," the junior Notre Dame-bound soccer player said.

So what was Scofield's advice?

"We were fouling like crazy. We just needed to stay on our feet and not get up in people's faces."

Geneva will needed that composure again this week, starting against a Cary-Grove that owns an 8-point win over St. Charles North.

Rave reviews: It would have hard to be more impressive in defeat than St. Charles North senior Jen Bell, who made her last game one of her best with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Geneva.

The numbers don't do justice to her impact because they don't count how many fouls she drew that sent Lauren Wicinski, Kelsey Augustine and others to the bench.

Bell didn't play in Geneva's early season 45-32 victory over St. Charles North, and anyone who doubted the difference she makes can simply look at the two outcomes.

"She came to play," North Stars coach Colleen Brennan said. "She's a competitor. She's such a good teammate. I wish everyone got to spend time with Jenna Bell. She's a great captain, she makes people smile, she knows when to be funny and when to show up and play."

Brennan did a great job with her team this year and judging by her reaction Thursday she thoroughly enjoyed her new job and the kids she coached.

"I'm really upset I'm not going to see them every day," Brennan said. "Personally I'm really going to miss seeing them. I can't really fathom it right now."

Super fan: You think the Geneva players were the only ones nervous their undefeated season was about to end?

One of the first people to come up to Geneva junior Kat Yelle while the Vikings were cutting down the nets was Nolan Block, who has the same point guard job with the Geneva boys basketball team.

"I was so worried for you guys," Block told a relieved Yelle.

Block was part of a large and vocal Geneva student section.

"Our fans were worried but we felt like we had to cheer them onto victory so we were going crazy there," Block said. "That was a lot of fun. They don't really have any close games all year. To be that into that game (as a fan) was a lot of fun. The atmosphere was fun for them, the North fans were good, our fans were good.

"Everybody gets so into it at our school and it's nice to root your friends on for a change."

Block obviously knows his basketball and knows this team. So how far does he see Geneva going?

"I don't want to say anything like that because I'll get yelled at," Block laughed. "Hopefully they go far and do well. I wish them the best."

What's next: So what does an escape like Thursday tell us about 29-0 Geneva?

Are they ripe for a loss as their upcoming opponents come at them with better records?

Or is it a scare they survived on their way back to Normal, like Elk Grove in last year's sectional semifinals?

I don't know if you noticed how many top-ranked teams went down in the regional finals. Wheeling, Elk Grove and New Trier are among the teams out. So I'll say the later is true, that Geneva is going to learn from some of its struggles in the middle of the game against the North Stars, play better and be a tough out this week at Huntley.

"I was so proud of the girls, they just wanted it," Nolan said. "They believed in each other and work so well together. That exemplifies how we played all year. They are a true team. It's awesome to see."