Girls basketball: McMillan’s defense makes the difference in Fremd’s OT win over Hersey
Sophia McMillan briefly discussed soccer after a basketball game Tuesday night.
“It’s my main sport,” admitted the Fremd senior, who will boot for Illinois’ soccer team beginning this fall. “But my main thing in basketball is defense.”
Is. It. Ever.
McMillan scored zero points but came up huge in third-seeded Fremd’s 41-35 overtime defeat of second-seeded Hersey in the second Class 4A Schaumburg girls basketball sectional semifinal.
The 5-foot-6 guard limited Hersey’s outstanding 5-7 senior guard, Kate Donovan, to 7 points and hit the floor hard with Donovan — at the 1:28 mark of OT — as both battled to secure a loose ball.
The ref called a jump ball.
Possession: Fremd.
The victorious Vikings (26-6) scored the only 6 points in the extra session, all via free throws, and avenged a pair of losses to the Huskies (21-8) to advance to Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. sectional final against fifth-seeded Rolling Meadows (20-10), which stunned top-seeded Prospect 55-41 in Tuesday’s first semifinal.
Fremd, last year’s Class 4A state runner-up, defeated RM twice during the regular season.
“Soph,” Fremd coach Jim Weaver said, “does all the little things, in addition to playing great defense for us. To do what she did against Donovan, a fantastic player, gave us such a lift tonight — on a night when we didn’t play very well.”
Donovan scored 28 points in Hersey’s first win over Fremd, a 66-56 decision on Dec. 11.
The Vikings’ scoring Tuesday night was balanced: Senior forward Greta Thompson scored 11 points to go with her game-high 11 rebounds; senior guard Lucy Kim and senior forward Bella Del Mar tallied 10 points apiece; and junior guard Gracie Todd finished with 9.
The game was mostly a frenetic one, especially during the last 48 seconds of the first half, when the teams combined for 8 points. Hersey led 19-18 at the break.
The game was tied 26-26 after three quarters.
Kim opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer in the first minute and then proceeded to jump and clap at the same time.
But she said the game came down to Fremd’s A-one ‘D’.
“Coach Weaver makes us run and run and run in practice, but he does that because he loves us and knows how important defense can be,” said Kim.
Fremd led 35-32 with 1:08 left in regulation. Huskies junior guard Emily Hany (6 points) hit a clutch 3 off a slick assist from Donovan with 58 seconds left.
It remained a stalemate after 32 minutes.
In OT, Todd, Thompson and Kim each hit two freebies. All five on the floor played tireless defense to extend the Vikes' season.
Junior forward Sadie Marks paced the Huskies with 13 points, including her squad’s 6 in the first quarter.
“This was my favorite team,” said Hersey coach Courtney Ludois. “They came to battle every day. They had heart and they loved competing together.
“Tough pill to swallow,” she added. “Fremd made shots when it mattered.”