Girls basketball/Scouting Cary-Grove vs. Geneva

Class 4A Jacobs sectional championship

When: Thursday, 7: 30 p.m.

The teams: Cary-Grove (27-3) vs. Geneva (24-6)

The coaches: Rod Saffert (Cary-Grove) and Gina Nolan (Geneva)

The starters

Cary-Grove: Claire Jakubicek (6-0, Sr., G/F, 19.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.8 spg, 2.6 apg), Megan Straumann (5-9 Sr., G, 10 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.0 spg), Paige Lincicum (5-9 Jr., G, 7.2 ppg), Johanna Geegan (5-7 Sr., G/F, 4.2 ppg), Olivia Jakubicek (5-10 So., G/F, 8.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg).

Geneva: Kat Yelle (5-8 Sr., G, 17.5 ppg, 3.4 spg, 3.1 apg), Ashley Santos (5-10 Jr., G/F, 15.7 ppg, 3.2 spg, 5.4 rpg), Sammy Scofield (5-9 Sr., G, 7.5 ppg, 3.7 apg), Katelyn Allen (5-9 Sr., G, 6.8 ppg), Kelsey Pease (5-8 Sr., F, 3.0 ppg).

How they got here: Cary-Grove defeated Larkin 50-19 and Streamwood 50-29 to win the Dundee-Crown regional then defeated Huntley 57-37 in the sectional semifinals; Geneva Geneva defeated St. Charles East 82-45 and St. Charles North 52-31 to win the St. Charles East regional then downed Hononegah 70-60 in the sectional semis. Each team also won its conference championship, Cary-Grove the Fox Valley Valley Division and Geneva the Upstate Eight River.

Outlook: A rematch of last year's sectional semifinal at Huntley that Geneva won 48-41 behind a big 16-point night from Sammy Scofield. Getting a chance to play the Vikings again is just what Cary-Grove and coach Rod Saffert wanted.

“We were kind of hoping for this matchup,” he said. “They beat us last year, and I just like the way Gina Nolan does things. They're very disciplined.”

Saffert knows one of the keys to beating Geneva is controlling the big-game potential of senior guard Kat Yelle and junior Ashley Santos. They combined for 19 points in last year's sectional game.

“Kay Yelle is one of the best point guards in the state,” said Saffert, whose team is on a 14-game winning streak. “And Santos has really raised her game this year. She's incredible.

“They're playing their best basketball of the season right now. They present tough matchups on both sides. You have to keep Santos under control and you have to keep Yelle on the wing. She's an incredible ballhandler and passer. It's hard to say who to stop. It should be a fun matchup to watch.”

Nolan has equal respect for the Trojans, as does Yelle.

“They have a real nice inside post presence and a nice guard out front in Straumann,” said Nolan, whose team has won 9 straight. “They don't have the height we saw (against Hononegah). They are a great opponent. Well-coached. They do a lot of things on offense. On defense we'll be ready for whatever they throw at us. It should be a great game.”

A quick start will be important to the Vikings, Yelle says.

“We just have to come out with a lot of momentum and really go on a run and try to destroy their confidence and boost our confidence up,” she said. “They are a good team. It's going to be a tough one, definitely.”

Advancement: The winner will move on to the Barrington supersectional Monday night to play the winner of the Mundelein sectional final between Barrington and Zion-Benton.

— John Radtke and John Lemon