Loberg, Geneva top Glenbard West
Grace Loberg admitted there was a little different feel to Geneva's Class 4A girls basketball regional semifinal game against Glenbard West Tuesday night.
"I was nervous before the game but excited because I know it could be the start to a great journey," said Loberg.
The 6-foot-2 junior center helped the second-seeded Vikings (23-4) start their postseason journey on a positive note, scoring a game-high 14 points with 13 rebounds, 4 blocked shots and 4 steals during their 58-29 victory over the 14th-seeded Hilltoppers (13-16) in Glen Ellyn.
Loberg already recorded a double-double by halftime with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Vikings built a commanding 33-11 advantage.
"She was a lot taller than most of those kids on that team," Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said of Loberg. "It's fun to watch her even on the boards with her long arms. She doesn't necessarily have position all the time but her long arms come out and she just grabs it.
"She had blocks tonight, she had deflections and she had steals. She wants it - you can see it."
Senior Taylor Williams scored 5 of her 11 points in the opening quarter, helping the Vikings explode to leads of 9-0 and 20-2.
"She's getting more confidence in that shot and it's exactly what we need her to do," Meadows said of Williams.
Sophomore guard Margaret Whitley (11 points) capped a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer to extend the Vikings' lead to 30-7 with 3:09 left before halftime.
Glenbard West, which shot just 15 percent in the first half (4 of 27), trimmed the deficit to 39-20 on a jumper by Ellen Daniels (6 points) midway through the third quarter before the Vikings sealed the deal with another 10-0 surge that included a 3-pointer by Stephanie Hart (5 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals).
Geneva led 49-20 after 3 quarters, enabling Meadows to rest her starters.
The Vikings will face familiar foe St. Charles North in Thursday's regional finals after the North Stars' 46-37 semifinal win over York.
Senior Grey Hayes paced the Hilltoppers with 11 points while Catherine Reedy added 7.
"We got off to a rough start," said Glenbard coach Karen Persinger. "We had a hard time settling in.
"Hats off to Geneva - they played a great game. I'm super proud of my girls this year. Last year, we had three wins and they took us to 13. The seniors pushed this program in the right direction."