Fittingly, Kokenis bows out vs. Bolingbrook
Toni Kokenis' Hinsdale Central career ended with a made 3-pointer in the final minutes Monday, and Bolingbrook fans honored her departure with warm applause.
A champion can appreciate a worthy challenger.
Kokenis scored 20 points against constant pressure, but her Red Devils fell to No. 1 Bolingbrook in sectionals for the fourth straight year, 61-42 in the Class 4A Oswego East semifinals.
Bolingbrook beat Hinsdale Central (22-10) in the sectional final Kokenis' first three years.
"Too bad we've had to play them in sectionals four straight years instead of later down the road in the playoffs," Kokenis said. "But that's how it works out."
Kokenis can at least say her Red Devils went down fighting.
Bolingbrook, whose only win by single digits to an in-state team this year came over Montini, led just 19-18 with 5:51 left in the second quarter after an Avery Anderson 3-pointer. It was 31-26 at halftime, arguably Hinsdale Central's best of the season. Bolingbrook shot just 10 of 28 against a Red Devils' matchup zone.
"That's probably as good as we could have hoped for coming in," Kokenis said.
A Kokenis runner kept the score at 40-30 two minutes into the third quarter, before Bolingbrook's withering pressure finally caught up to Hinsdale Central.
The Raiders scored three straight baskets off turnovers, the third by Morgan Tuck, to make it 46-30.
"They had two people guarding me," Kokenis said, "and everybody else waiting."
Two minutes later it was 50-30.
"You see what happened as soon as they turned it on," Hinsdale Central coach Lindsey Montgomery said, "and I don't think we looked scared. To beat them it's going to take a team that - it's going to take a little luck. Any team can lose on any given night, but I don't know if anyone can beat them."
Count Bolingbrook coach Anthony Smith as an admirer of Kokenis, who finished her career with 2,031 points.
"I like Toni. I'd take her," Smith said. "I think she's going to have quite a career at Stanford."
Tuck had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Ariel Massengale 17 points for Bolingbrook (25-1).
Adabelle Ekechukwu added 10 points and 9 rebounds and Anderson 8 points off the bench, 7 in a big first half.
"I'm really, really proud with how the girls played," Montgomery said. "They played with all their heart, and everything they had in their bodies. And they kept playing, even when they got down in the second half.
"That (Bolingbrook) is just a tough team. We finished our season strong against a great, great program."