Cibulskis, Rosary end Addison Trail winning streak

Rosary junior center Megan Cibulskis is quickly becoming a go-to player in her "second sport."

Cibulskis scored 14 points, corralled 9 rebounds and blocked 5 shots to lead the Royals to a 38-30 victory over Addison Trail in the first semifinal at the Lisle Holiday Cage Classic on Saturday night. The Blazers had won their last seven games.

Rosary (6-7) advanced to Monday's 8 p.m. championship game against the winner of the second semifinal between Walther Lutheran and Timothy Christian.

The 6-foot-1 Cibulskis said soccer is her main sport, but she's slowly starting to realize that basketball might be a bigger part of her future.

"I think I'm better at soccer (than basketball)," Cibulskis said. "My (basketball) coach thinks I'm better at basketball, but I play soccer primarily. I've improved so much from last year in basketball just by constant practice and getting minutes in. I'm really excited for this year and next year."

Cibulskis, still a raw player with her post moves, displayed her potential with a fluid and agile game running the court. She scored four straight points late in the second quarter to give the Royals a 22-12 lead.

"It all started with defense for me," Cibulskis said. "On offense we passed the ball well and we hit the open girls with passes."

Cibulskis affected the game with her length and athleticism on the both ends of the floor, scoring on a basket and blocking a shot in a two-possession sequence in the third.

"Megan has a lot of potential," Rosary coach John Rutter said. "She's so long and had a really good game defensively adjusting their shots. I thought by far she was the best player of the game."

The Royals led 28-18 late in the third quarter but struggled against the Blazers' full-court pressure defense in the final eight minutes. They committed 11 fourth-quarter turnovers and attempted just one shot in the final 15 possessions. Lauren Hawkins hit two free throws with 10.7 left to seal the win.

"We're progressing slowly but surely, for this is something new for most of us," Rutter said. "We won six games last year. We've not been in these (tight) situations. It's a process. We're inexperienced, but we're getting better."

Addison Trail nearly pulled off a comeback win, but after Quiana Birmingham hit a 3-pointer to cut the gap to 35-29 with 1:48 left, the Blazers (9-6) missed their final five shots and committed two key turnovers. Mary Velez paced the Blazers with 10 points.

"We did a good job forcing turnovers, but that's a good basketball team," Addison Trail coach Cory Little said. "We struggled from the free-throw line and our shots weren't falling. We won't shoot that bad every night. We'll be better prepared the next time."