Scouting: Mid-Suburban League championship

What: 39th annual Mid-Suburban League girls basketball championship

Where and when: Fremd High School, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Teams: MSL East champion Rolling Meadows (23-4) vs. MSL West champion Fremd (21-4).

How they got here: Rolling Meadows went 9-1 in the MSL East, losing only a 38-33 decision to Hersey in the final seconds Jan. 27. It ended the Mustangs' 18-game winning streak.

Fremd went 10-0 for the second straight season, getting its closest challenge from Palatine 42-41 on Dec. 9. Fremd has won 25 straight MSL West games stretching over three seasons.

The Coaches: Both coaches are in their fourth seasons. Fremd's Dave Yates has the Vikings in a third straight title game. They lost to Wheeling in 2010 and defeated Hersey last year. Yates' Vikes haven't lost in the MSL West since midway through the 2008-09 season.

Rolling Meadows' Todd Hatfield has taken the Mustangs from 9 wins in 2009 to a school-record 23 this season and. They are making their first appearance in a title game since 1994, when Hatfield was playing basketball at Schaumburg High School.

Previous meeting: The two teams met Nov. 16 in an opening-round game of the Turkey Thanksgiving Thriller hosted by Fremd, Lake Zurich and Lakes. It was Fremd's opener and Meadows' second game after a 68-63 overtime win at Stevenson. Fremd prevailed over Meadows 67-55. "I know that we finished the game very well and pulled away at the end," said Vikes coach Dave Yates. "A long time has passed since that game. I think both teams have improved tremendously from that point in the season. I know Meadows has had a great season and are very well-coached. So we expect a battle." After the first game, Meadows coach Todd Hatfield was hoping his Mustangs would get another chance to play Fremd. "We understood what that would mean (playing for the MSL title)," Hatfield said. "We won at Fremd last season and they beat us the first time this season. Dave is a phenomenal coach and it's a great program."

The players: Fremd has been going with a starting lineup of Jessi Wiedemann (6-1 senior guard), Ashley McConnell (5-9 junior guard), freshman Haley Gorecki (5-10 freshman guard), Bernie Williams (5-9 junior guard-forward) and Marilyn Lortz (5-11 junior forward).

Reserves are Sarah Macius (5-9 senior guard), Catherine Ernst (5-7 junior guard), Joanna Alden (6-0 junior center), Shannon Wittel (5-10 sophomore forward), Andrea Paulson (5-10 junior forward), Frannie Joyce (5-11 junior center), Sydney Sek (5-9 junior guard), Tiffany McKenzie (5-8 junior forward), Kara Kirchner (5-10 senior forward), Megan Daniello (5-9 junior forward) and Emma Hansen (5-10 junior forward).

Meadows has started Jackie Kemph (5-8 sophomore guard), Jenny Vliet (6-1 sophomore guard-forward), Alexis Glasgow (5-10 sophomore guard-forward), Ann Marie Lynch (5-8 senior guard) and Amanda Gunn (5-8 senior guard).

eserves are Josie Suchecki (5-8 senior forward), Jessica Laing (5-9 junior forward), Katie Shewmon (5-11 sophomore forward), Emma Simonson (5-8 senior guard-forward), Ashley Montanez (6-1 sophomore center), Melissa Whowell (5-8 junior guard-forward), Julie Unti (5-7 senior guard) and Morgan Keller (6-0 junior center).

Statistically speaking: Each team has three players averaging double figures. For Meadows, the trio is sophomores Jackie Kemph (15.8), Alexis Glasgow (12.3) and Jenny Vliet (10.8). Kemph is shooting 80.9 percent from the free throw line (102-of-126) and has 29 3-pointers. Glasgow has tossed home a team-high 47 3-pointers while Vliet has 44.

Double-digit scorers for Fremd are sophomore Ashley McConnell (15.6), senior Jessi Wiedemann (14.3) and freshman Haley Gorecki (13.1), who is shooting 71 percent from the free throw line.

Wiedemann (79 percent free throw shooter) has fired home 47 3-pointers while McConnell has 38.

Wiedemann has signed with Valparaiso while McConnell and Gorecki are being pursued by Division I schools as well.

Coaches' thoughts: Meadows' Todd Hatfield: "Wiedemann, McConnell and Gorecki pose matchup issues for any team. You're better off focusing on one because there's no way you can contain all three of them. A lot of these girls play together in the offseason so I know there's a lot of respect between these two teams and that both sides will be ready to play. February 8 was discussed after the first time we played and I'm just proud of this group for being able to follow through and make it happen."

Fremd's Dave Yates: "We are very excited to be in the MSL championship game and look forward to the opportunity to have one more big test before playoffs start. Our kids have worked very hard to get to this game and we look forward to the challenge. This was one of our team's goals for the season so it is nice to see them reach this. We lost five of our top seven last year so we are thrilled to make it back again with a lot of new faces. Our success is always dependent upon our ability to defend and rebound. Rolling Meadows presents some very difficult matchups so this will be a tough challenge."

Players' corner: Fremd's Jessi Wiedemann: "We know we have to play hard the whole game because they are going to give us their best shot. We won the first time but we can't take them lightly at all. We have to be confident. Playing at home just makes us more comfortable and our fans will be a big help. They'll probably want to play fast and get the ball up and down the floor so we have to get back on defense."

Rolling Meadows' Ann Marie Lynch: "It was a close game most of the way last time. All we can ask is that we play our best basketball and if we do that, we are satisfied. Our turnover ratio was not too good last time. It we can get that down, it should help us get some more points. It would be nice to play at our gym but Fremd has a very nice gym and we are playing them there for the third time in a row."

The history: Fremd's 13 MSL crowns are a record. Former coach Carol Plodzien, who was 12-of-12 in the showcase game, was honored on Jan. 27 along with several alums from the program as Fremd celebrated its girls basketball program history.

It was part of the school's 50th anniversary celebration.

Rolling Meadows is appearing in its third MSL title game. The Mustangs lost to Fremd in 1975 and to Hersey in 1994.

Halftime honorees: All-Conference players will be introduced to the crowd at halftime along with the players of the year from the MSL East and West.