Santos likely out with torn ACL
The initial diagnosis on Geneva senior Ashley Santos’ injured right knee is a torn ACL which would end her high school career and become the latest chapter in an awful run of luck for the family.
Santos is waiting on an MRI to confirm the preliminary report.
Santos, a versatile 5-foot-10 player who is the leading scorer on a Geneva team that is 16-3 and ranked No. 5 in the Daily Herald Top 20, injured her knee Saturday night at the 22nd annual McDonald’s Shootout at Willowbrook High School.
Santos was retreating on defense with Lincoln-Way East coming down on a 3-on-2 break late in the second quarter. Her right leg gave out and Santos fell to the floor in obvious pain.
Santos eventually was helped off the court by her father. She sat on the Geneva bench with an ice pack on her right knee the rest of the game, which Geneva won 65-55 to hand Lincoln-Way East its first loss of the year.
“It really scared me, I’m not going to lie,” Santos said Saturday night. “I felt what I thought was a pop. When he (the trainer) checked it out there was no swelling and he didn’t say ACL or MCL but there is something wrong.
“I’m a little achy at the moment,” added Santos, who had 8 points, 5 steals and 2 assists as the Vikings played perhaps their best basketball of the year in building a 22-point lead in her limited time. “I just stopped funny (when the injury occurred). I just stopped and the leg collapsed.”
After the game Santos walked off the court gingerly. She was hopeful the damage was below her knee and not as serious as the two injuries her younger sister Sidney has suffered that have forced Sidney to miss both of her first two years at Geneva.
“This family has seen this injury one to many times, yet they stay strong, positive and supportive,” Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said. “It is hard to believe this has happened again.”
Santos, who transferred from Bartlett after her freshman year, went over 1,000 career points as a junior last year. She has been in the forefront of some great teams at Geneva. As a sophomore the Vikings went 31-0 before losing their only game of the year to Hersey at the Streamwood supersectional.
Santos and Kat Yelle led Geneva to a third straight sectional championship last season, and the Vikings have shown the potential for another such run this year with wins over No. 6 Montini and No. 7 Wheaton Warrenville South, among others. The Vikings are 72-11 the last three years with Santos.
If the torn ACL diagnosis turns out to be correct, her teammates have a major void in their lineup while the next game for Santos will be at Marquette after she completes her rehab.
“Ashley will come back stronger, she is a kid who will not stop,” Meadows said. “I can say the same thing for her sister as well.”