Girls basketball: Huntley rallies to beat Maine South in Komaromy championship game, remain unbeaten

Huntley (14-0) remained undefeated but it wasn’t easy Monday night in the championship game of Dundee-Crown’s 41st annual Komaromy Classic.

The Red Raiders defeated 2-time defending champion Maine South, 49-48, dropping the Hawks to 13-4 on the season.

Huntey’s Anna Campanelli, who scored 19 points, sealed the deal for the Red Raiders by making 1-of-2 free throws with 1.3 seconds left.

"This was a very physical game," said the Kent State recruit. “This was a great win against a great Maine South team who is state ranked. It is a great feeling to win this tournament.”

Paula Strzelecki added 18 points with 13 rebounds for the winners.

"I was able to get inside and get position," said the Huntley center. “The girls did a great job of getting the ball to me inside. We just kept fighting."

Maine South led 42-36 after three quarters.

With the Hawks leading 46-38, the Raiders tied the game at 46 with a 8-0 run propelled by 7 points from Campanelli.

“It was a great effort by our girls for 32 minutes," said Huntley coach Steve Raethz, who lost his voice during the game. ”I am very proud of our players. We kept fighting the entire game even when we were down. Anna and Paula were outstanding. It was a team effort. We made them make really tough shots. It was a great feeling to win this great tournament and beat a state-ranked team like Maine South.“

The Hawks were led by Katie Barker with 16 points and Cornell recruit Ally Pape scored 12.

"Give Huntley all the credit," said Maine South coach Jeff Hamann. “They executed down the stretch and we didn't. Hopefully we can learn from this and be better in February."

In the third-place game, St. Charles North (15-3) pulled out a 45-39 win over Stevenson (9-7) behind Sydney Johnson’s 21 points that included four 3-pointers.