It's sectional final night
Class 4A Hoffman Estates sectional
The matchup: No. 1 Bartlett (29-1) vs. No. 6 WW South (28-3)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
How they got here: Bartlett defeated Glenbard West 63-25 and Schaumburg 58-40 in the Bartlett regional then downed West Chicago 52-46 Monday night in the sectional semifinals. WW South defeated Hoffman Estates 57-42 and Wheaton North 51-37 to win the Addison Trail regional, then beat Geneva 54-37 in Monday's semifinals.
Outlook: Wheaton Warrenville South becomes the latest team to try and knock No. 1 ranked and top seed Bartlett off its perch. If the Tigers lack anything its experience at this level. It's the program's first sectional title game since 2007 and WWS' last sectional title was in 1997. Bartlett, meanwhile, is in its third straight sectional and second title game in the last three years, and Hawks coach Denise Sarna is glad her team get to play an opponent it hasn't seen after facing two straight postseason foes that Bartlett also played in the regular season.
"I hated having to play two teams we had beaten soundly the first time," Sarna said of Schaumburg and West Chicago. "We're excited to play a team we haven't played before and they're a very good team."
The Tigers, co-champs of the DuPage Valley Conference with Naperville Central, have an attack that is led by sophomore Megan Waldron (14.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg), senior Katherine Gassensmith (13.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a Truman State signee, and junior Sarah Bisso (8.3 ppg). A stifling defense averages 13 steals per game. Waldron, the team's point guard, scored 17 points in the Tigers' sectional semifinal win while Glassensmith added 14 and junior Maggie Dansdill had 11.
"We'll just go out there and do what we've done all year," Sarna said. "Nothing new, nothing fancy. The kids always play hard and we know they'll put it out there and play their game. That's our focus and we're prepared."
Sarna has seen the Tigers play several times and is impressed with the Tigers.
"Waldron runs the show and she's a very talented player. She's the real deal," Sarna said. "They have a lot of nice kids around here and they're solid in all facets of the game, Their coach (Robert Kroehnke) has been around and it should be a good game."
Bartlett needed every bit of its energy to hold off West Chicago Monday. After methodically building a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Hawks didn't finish strong and West Chicago had two possessions in which it could have cut Bartlett's lead to one but misfired on 3-point attempts. Senior Indiana recruit Haley Videckis led Bartlett with 23 points despite playing with 12 stitches incurred during the Hawks' regional final win. The Hawks' other senior starters Kristin Conniff, Lisa Palmer, Janessa Baker and Katie Gutzwiller are all battle-tested and their experience may give Bartlett a slight edge in a close, pressure-packed game.
Advancement: The winner plays the McHenry sectional winner, either Cary-Grove or DeKalb, at 8 p.m. Monday in the Elgin supersectional at Elgin High's Chesbrough Field House.
Class 4A McHenry sectional
The matchup: Cary-Grove (21-8) vs. DeKalb (27-4)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
How they got here: Cary-Grove defeated Crystal Lake South 27-25 and Prairie Ridge 34-25 to win the PR regional, then downed South Elgin 49-47 Tuesday in the sectional semifinals. DeKalb defeated Jefferson 69-28 and Huntley 55-40 to win the DeKalb regional, then toppled Hononegah 53-50 in Tuesday's semifinals.
Outlook: The Trojans used superior defense and rebounding, especially on the offensive glass, and two free throws from junior Olivia Jakubicek (17 points, 12 rebounds) to hold off South Elgin in Tuesday's semifinals. But South Elgin doesn't have near the size the Barbs will throw at the Trojans, with 6-foot-1 senior Emily Bemis, her 6-2 sophomore sister Courtney, and 6-1 freshman Maddy Johnson leading the way. And 5-7 junior guard Rachel Torres had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in the second half against Hononegah Monday.
"We'll have to contend with their size," said Cary-Grove coach Rod Saffert. "We'll do what we do and they'll do what they do. You don't reinvent the wheel at this point. Our kids know their roles."
The teams have a common opponent in Huntley, which Fox Valley Conference Valley Division champ Cary-Grove split with, and which DeKalb beat by 15 in the regional final.
In addition to the steady play of the junior Jakubicek and senior leader Paige Lincicum (16 points), the Trojans got contributions from virtually everyone who played against South Elgin, including sophomore Sarah Kendeigh and junior Megan Leisten off the bench. Junior Joslyn Nicholson gives the Trojans some size against the Barbs and sophomore Abby Glaysher has given Saffert valuable minutes as well. Freshman sparkplug Katie Barker remains sidelined with a thumb injury.
"I tell kids like Megan and Kendeigh to give me 2-4 points every night and everybody else will do their job," Saffert said. "They were huge (against South Elgin)."
Cary-Grove made it to the sectional final last year before heartbreaking 55-53 loss to Geneva ended the Trojans' season. Jakubicek, Lincicum and Nicholson were key players for the Trojans last year and have been the catalyst behind Cary-Grove's current 9-game winning streak.
"We've had great chemistry and these kids love each other," Saffert said. "They're really on the same page."
Advancement: The winner advances to the Elgin High supersectional on Monday at 7:30 p.m. to play the winner of the Hoffman Estates sectional, either Bartlett or Wheaton Warrenville South.