Fremd’s comeback falls just short vs. undefeated Loyola in 4A state semifinals
NORMAL — Loyola’s Clare Weasler let her instincts lead the way late in Friday’s game.
Locked in a two-point game against Fremd in the Class 4A state semifinal, the sophomore guard missed a corner 3-pointer with 2:12 left in regulation.
Forty-five seconds later, with Loyola’s undefeated record on the line along with a trip to the state championship game, the 5-foot-6 Weasler found herself in the same exact spot.
This time, without any hesitation, Weasler rose up and swished a game-turning 3-pointer to spark Loyola to a thrilling 43-40 victory over Fremd at CEFCU Arena. The Vikings nearly forced overtime, but star guard Ella Todd’s 3-pointer clanged off the rim. The Vikings snagged the offensive rebound but couldn’t get a shot off, sending the Ramblers (37-0) to Saturday’s 7:45 p.m. state title game against Nazareth.
“I just knew my teammates trusted me,” Weasler said. “They always trust me to hit big shots and I knew I had to take it because it was a close game. I knew we needed a big shot. I have all the coaching staff behind me. They would want me to shoot it.”
Weasler’s corner 3-pointer, which was directly in front of Loyola coach Jeremy Schoenecker, will go down among the best shots in program history after playing a big role in Loyola’s quest for a third state title in program history. The Ramblers won back-to-back Class AA titles under legendary coach Tanya Johnson in 1997-98.
Loyola senior guard Paige Engels stuffed the stat sheet with a game-high 17 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. She calmly sank four key free throws in the final minute to keep the Vikings from taking a lead. Junior point guard Aubrey Galvan, who has multiple Division I offers, finished with 13 points and four steals. Weasler had eight points and four steals.
Fremd senior forward Brynn Eshoo was a load inside, ending with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Todd, a Utah recruit, tallied 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Eshoo said the battle-tested Vikings weathered most of Loyola’s runs.
“We knew they would go on several runs and we had to come back from that,” Eshoo said.
The Vikings (29-7) fell short of winning their second title in five years, but the program is considered one of the best in the state after earning a fifth trip to state since 2016 under the guidance of coach Dave Yates. The Ramblers’ pressure forced the Vikings into several empty possessions, making them play from behind nearly all game. The Ramblers collected 15 steals, while forcing 19 turnovers to help them overcome a 38-25 disadvantage in rebounds.
“Their pressure makes it so hard because you have the two girls coming at you and it’s hard to see over them because they have their hands up, so you are trying to look for your teammates,” Fremd junior guard Coco Urlacher said after tallying up nine rebounds and two assists.
Yates said his team showed tremendous resolve battling back all game.
“My opinion is we beat ourselves,” Yates said. “We had 19 turnovers. I would also say I’m really proud of our kids for battling back. They made it a game and had an opportunity to take the lead and win the game, but (Loyola) made a few more plays down the stretch.”
The Vikings trailed for all but 43 seconds of the game, but nearly pulled off a stunning comeback late in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Ellie Thompson sparked the comeback in the third quarter with two 3s to finish with seven points.
“After those threes, it brought us up and we realized we were in it and could still finish it strong,” Thompson said. “We gave it our best shot.”
Todd buried two deep 3s in a three-possession span to slice the deficit to 43-40. The Vikings forced a turnover and called timeout to set up the dramatic ending.
Todd said she was happy with her look on her final shot.
“We knew we had to get a shot up,” Todd said. “We needed a three.”
Yates said Loyola’s pressure was tough to handle, but he was happy with his team’s defense, especially on the highly recruited Galvan.
“(Loyola) does a really good job rotating and setting up the trap and getting bodies to those spots they need to rotate to,” Yates said. “That makes it tough. The first time (we played) they didn’t press as much, so that made our turnovers go way up (today) and that made it difficult to score.”