Girls basketball: Maine South rallies from 10 down, advances to sectional championship game

With the 4A sectional semifinal between Lane Tech and Maine South hanging in the balance Tuesday, Gianna LaVecchia stepped to the free-throw line for the Hawks.

Headed to the locker room at halftime, Maine South trailed the visiting Champions 27-20. In the second half, the visitors’ advantage ballooned to as much as 10.

Now, with 30.6 seconds to play in regulation, LaVecchia and the Hawks led by a pair. A jittery crowd watched as the junior guard buried the first foul shot for a 51-48 lead.

Tensions in the crowd eased, ever so slightly, however, as the all-important second shot was yet to be taken. LaVecchia calmly eyed the front of the rim. Swish.

The home crowd erupted in pandemonium, as their Hawks (25-8, 8-2) clinched a 55-48 comeback victory over Lane Tech (17-16, 6-1), earning a spot in Thursday night’s 4A sectional final against Loyola, a 41-24 winner over Evanston.

“Just to settle down,” said LaVecchia on her mindset before the crucial free throws. “Act like it’s a regular moment, and just lock in.”

Despite a far from ideal start to the contest for the No. 2 seeded Hawks, a steady belief permeated from the home bench throughout the second half.

Early in the third, LaVecchia found fellow junior Hayden Fahy at the top of the key. Fahy faked as if she were about to attack the rim, stepped back to create separation, and buried a three-pointer to pull South within one.

In the fourth, Fahy utilized help from the bank with a pair of triples off the glass. The second, fresh off a swing pass from senior Amelia Fernandez, gave the Hawks a 49-46 lead they would not relinquish.

“We were all so frazzled,” said Fahy, who finished with a game-high 17 points, all in the second half. “I think resetting really helped us.”

Junior guard Phoebe O’Shea provided a spark off the bench for the Hawks, drilling a pair of three-pointers to lead the team with 8 first-half points. She finished with 13 points, while LaVecchia added 8 of her own and a couple of steals.

“We just needed to have fun,” said Maine South coach Jeff Hamann. “Credit to Lane Tech, they were fantastic all night long. We were a little bit tight in the first half, kind of uncharacteristically. We just weren’t playing the game that we are capable of playing. And then in the second half, we pulled through.”

Next up for the Hawks, a shot at a 4A sectional championship, on their home floor against top-seeded Loyola Academy.

“I’m so excited,” Fahy said. “I can’t wait for Thursday.”