Libertyville pulls away late for 1st sectional crown since 1994
Postseason elimination games are often described as “win or go home.”
Libertyville was in a position to win and go home to play in Monday's Class 4A girls basketball supersectional.
First the Wildcats had to handle a Thursday night road trip to McHenry. And they overcame their share of obstacles to score the game's final 12 points and win their first sectional championship since 1994 with a tough 51-35 victory over Rockton Hononegah.
“We'd be going to that game either way but I'm glad we're actually playing in it this time,” senior guard Rachel Rule said after she and freshman Lily Fisher had 13 points and 4 assists apiece.
“It motivated us a lot,” said senior defensive stopper Maddy Kopala. “We weren't about to go to the super at our own school and sit in the bleachers and watch two teams play. I knew we weren't losing today.”
Libertyville (30-5) also got big contributions from senior Kate Rule and juniors Madison Sears and Elinor Lindal to set a school record for victories and win its sixth sectional crown. It will play in its familiar homecourt surroundings at 7 p.m. Monday when it hosts Loyola (35-0), which beat host Maine South 53-47 in their sectional final.
“I'm really happy and really excited,” Fisher said. “I can't wait.”
Hononegah (30-5) didn't make it easy as it jumped out to leads of 17-10 and 20-14 with 6:57 left in the first half on a drive by senior Jordan Johnston (12 points). The Wildcats allowed just 15 points the rest of the way and pitched a shutout the final 7:13.
The Indians missed 17 of their final 22 shots to finish at 32.4% from the field (12-for-37). Johnston and Kylie Simpson (8 points) were shut out in the second half and sophomore Jordan Dimke, who had 19 in Tuesday's sectional semifinal win over Lake Zurich, was held to 5 on 2-for-5 shooting by the tenacious Kopala.
“If we were going to win the game it was going to be on the defensive end,” said Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen of Hononegah's dangerous 3-point shooters that started 4-for-6 but missed 9 of its last 12.
“My job the past two years is I'm a defender and I defend the best player,” said Kopala, who also plays center-back in soccer. “I'm up all the time and they can't score if they don't touch the ball. That's my goal. We all communicated the entire game.”
Libertyville's early adversity included 13 first-half turnovers against Hononegah's 1-2-2 extended pressure and Kate Rule picking up her third foul on a charge just before the end of the first quarter. Lindal came in and scored 8 points and hit two 3s as the Wildcats scored 10 straight in a 15-2 tear to take a 29-22 lead.
“Her energy is crazy,” Kopala said.
“I was really nervous and I didn't want to screw anything up,” said Lindal, who made 3 of 4 shots. “I had a lot of energy because I really, really wanted to win this game.”
Hitting the first 3 from the left corner off Fisher's cross-court feed had a calming effect.
“Everyone (in the crowd) was screaming and my teammates are so sweet,” Lindal said. “Any time I make a mistake they come up and pat me on the back.”
Kate Rule was back to start the second half as Libertyville took a 39-32 lead into the fourth. A 3 by Allyson Niedfeldt got Hononegah within 39-35 but Fisher found Rachel Rule in the right corner for a 3 with 6:09 to play to start the final run.
A big part of that for the Wildcats had the Rules, Fisher, Kopala and Sears (7 points, 10 rebounds) playing keep-away and committing only 1 turnover in the last 10 minutes to eventually pull Hononegah out of its zone.
“We want the ball in Kate's hands,” Pedersen said. “She's a magician with the ball and she's not going to turn it over.”
And Libertyville wasn't going to turn its homecourt over to two other teams.
“It feels amazing,” Kopala said. “The love the whole team has for each other is crazy. The fight this team has is incredible.”