Girls basketball: Down 7 points late, Urlacher spearheads stunning Fremd comeback over Loyola in 4A state semifinals

NORMAL — Fremd found a way.

Motivated by so many things, especially the memory of former coach Dave Yates, the Vikings pulled off a comeback for the ages in the second Class 4A state semifinal game on Friday afternoon at CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Led by 32 points and 17 rebounds from senior guard Coco Urlacher, Fremd toppled defending Class 4A state champion Loyola 80-74 in double overtime.

After rallying for their 13th straight win, the Vikings (30-5) will face Kenwood, a 61-55 winner over Alton, for the state championship at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Senior guard Aubrey Galvan poured in a game-high 37 points to go along with five steals and four assists. But it wasn't enough to put the Ramblers (34-3) back in the title game.

It's Fremd's fourth title game appearance and first since winning in 2020. It's also the most unlikely, as the Vikings trailed by seven points with 42.3 seconds left in the first overtime and by six with under 20 seconds left before rallying to win.

"I just feel pride," first-year coach James Han said. "We had Ella Todd foul out in the first overtime and most teams would have crumbled but this group didn't. I'm privileged to coach them.

"I was Dave's assistant for 14 years. As much as I want to say the team did it for themselves, we know they wanted to do it for him."

Yates, who coached at Fremd from 2006 through 2024, died last June from an aggressive form of brain cancer diagnosed a little more than a year earlier.

No doubt he was looking down as the Vikings pulled off one of the more memorable comebacks in state finals history.

A pair of free throws by Marycait Mackle (9 points) gave Loyola a 67-60 lead with 42.3 seconds left in the opening overtime. It was still 68-62 after fellow junior guard Clare Weasler (9 points, 6 rebounds) made a free throw with 23.2 seconds to go.

Urlacher then got the ball, raced down, and pulled up to hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left. Galvan was then fouled but missed a pair of free throws at the 11.9-second mark, giving the Vikings hope. That hope came to fruition as Urlacher got the ball at the top of the key, took a step inside, moved back behind the arc, and launched a trey. It found nothing but net at the three-second mark, tying the game at 68-68 and sending it to a second overtime.

"When I made the first one, I was like, 'Oh, I made it,'" Urlacher said. "But the second one, I knew it was going in as soon as it left my hand.

"I told the girls throughout 'We're not losing this game. No matter what, we're not losing it.'’"

The game was also a redemption one for Urlacher, who was 0-of-8 from the field and finished with one point when the same two teams matched up in a state semifinal last year. Loyola won 43-40.

"Last year I was very nervous and very tense," Urlacher said. "I was inside my head. So I spent so much time in the offseason working on my shot."

The Ramblers had a brief 70-69 lead in the second OT. Then it was all Fremd. Sophomore guard Gracie Todd gave the Vikings the lead for good on two free throws with 2:51 left. Urlacher scored the next four points, including a rebound basket at the 2:00 mark for a 75-70 lead. Todd hit five more free throws and finished with seven points, going 7-of-8 from the line off the bench in the second extra session.

The game was close throughout with 13 lead changes and nine ties. Galvan scored the game's first seven points. But Fremd, which had a 42-24 rebound advantage, led 15-11 after the first quarter and 24-20 at halftime.

The pace picked up in the second half. The Vikings still led 39-38 after three but Galvan scored all seven points in a 7-2 burst to start the fourth quarter. Urlacher responded with two straight layups to start an 8-0 run and Fremd led 49-45 with 3:09 to play in regulation.

There were two ties and a lead change in the final 1:44 of regulation. A layup by Vikings junior guard Greta Thompson (9 points, 8 rebounds) tied it at 53-53 with 40 seconds left in regulation. When the Ramblers air-balled a shot in the waning seconds, the game went into overtime.

Loyola had a 10-4 spurt to open the initial overtime. Sophomore forward Emily Naraky came off the bench to add 13 points and four rebounds for the Ramblers.

Senior guards Ellie Thompson (7 points) and Todd (13 points, 4 rebounds) also had big moments for the Vikings.

"It was hard being on the bench, there's so much to play for on this team," said Todd, who fouled out with 1:37 left in the first overtime. "But we all love playing for each other and there's no one I'd rather be out there with.

"We also have coach Yates on our side."

With the ever-present motivation from Yates, junior forward Isabella Del Mar added 8 points and 4 rebounds for the Vikings, who lost 66-41 to Loyola on Jan. 20 and haven't lost since.

"Loyola is an extremely talented team," Del Mar said. "But we wanted it more."