Who had the area’s top prep basketball performances last week?
What started as a super busy week of prep basketball fizzled over the weekend due to the weather, but teams still managed to get in a chunk of games.
Starting with Martin Luther King Jr. Day events and ending with the When Sides Collide showcase, greatness abounded.
This edition of the High Five again honors the area’s top prep basketball performances.
5. Savannah Lynch, St. Edward
The Green Wave notched a trio of wins behind their 5-foot-10 junior guard while improving to 17-6 on the season.
Lynch scored a total of 60 points while helping St. Edward beat Marian Central Catholic, Hope Academy and Bishop McNamara. Her top game was a 27-point outing against Hope.
The Green Wave entered the week on a seven-game winning streak.
4. Ernesto Sanchez, Leyden
The senior guard was a model of consistency while leading the Eagles to three victories as they improved to 15-3 since losing their first three games of the season.
Sanchez scored 26 points in a 57-53 win over Argo, then tallied 19 in a 70-44 victory over Addison Trail. In a 48-45 win over Fenton, he scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
In the three games, Sanchez averaged 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2 assists.
3. Emma Briggs, Benet
The Furman commit shined on the final day of the prestigious Coach Kipp Hoopfest.
The 6-foot senior scored a career-high 27 points in a 58-41 win over Young as the Redwings notched their 19th straight victory. Briggs knocked down a pair 3-pointers, hit 10 of 16 shots from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds.
After Young pulled within three points in the third quarter, Briggs responded by scoring seven of Benet’s next nine points to boost the lead back to double digits.
2. Erin Hackett, Naperville Central
Hackett scored 27 points to start the week with a 58-48 overtime victory over St. Charles North, scoring six points in the extra period. But that was just the beginning.
The 5-7 senior, who is committed to Carthage College, scored 29 points in a 63-54 loss to Neuqua Valley and then had 16 points in a 57-42 win over Yorkville.
In the three games, Hackett pulled down 19 rebounds, dished 10 assists and nabbed 7 steals.
1. Cole Kelly, Neuqua Valley
What a week for the talented sophomore.
On the heels of garnering a scholarship offer from Northwestern, the 6-7 forward added to the stack with an offer from Creighton. He then topped the 1,000-point mark for his brief high school career in a win over Naperville Central.
Capping it all, Neuqua Valley scored a huge 75-69 victory over Bolingbrook at the When Sides Collide showcase for its 18th straight win. The Wildcats trailed by double digits in the first half, but Kelly scored 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half to spark the comeback.
Kelly had plenty of help from junior teammate and Illinois commit Mason Martin, who scored 28 points.