Girls basketball notes: Upstate Eight, DuKane just a couple of the close conference races heading into stretch run
From a weather standpoint, the month of January comes to a merciful halt around these parts this weekend.
From a high school sports standpoint, it means that conference girls basketball races are heating up around the area.
In the Upstate Eight West, Larkin (16-9, 8-1), South Elgin (14-13, 8-1), and Streamwood (15-9, 8-2) are battling for conference supremacy.
Led by senior UIC commit Mia Carter, Larkin looks to finish at the top of the conference standings. Last weekend’s pivotal clash with co-leader South Elgin went on hold due to extreme cold — the teams will meet for a second time Feb. 4 in South Elgin.
What will it take to win a conference title?
“In order to win the championship, we will need to play great defense, rebound at a high level, and take care of the basketball,” said Royals coach Deryn Carter. “If we can do those three things, I like our chances.
“It’s a tight race with three teams who have separated themselves from the pack. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night, so the top three teams need to play well every night to win.”
Liv Miller and Janessa Pace have contributed to South Elgin’s conference success.
“Our keys have been staying together as a team despite the obstacles we’ve faced this season,” said Storm coach Emily Driessen. “We’ve adopted a “next person up” mentality, and the constant change has kept our athletes prepared and connected.
“We need to stay healthy, as we have faced many injuries this season. It is a close and fun conference race. It truly can be anyone’s title so hoping to prepare our team to put ourselves in the best position to win the conference.”
While Larkin and South Elgin have 3 UEC West games remaining, Streamwood has 2 left, including Thursday’s road game against South Elgin.
In the UEC East, defending champion Glenbard South (20-4, 10-0) sits atop the conference with 2 games remaining, including a Feb. 6 clash with second-place Glenbard East (15-6, 8-1).
The Raiders won the first meeting, 54-23, on Jan. 9.
“We have a team with seven seniors, four of whom have been on varsity all four years,” said Raiders coach Eric Daca. “Their leadership and understanding of what we are trying to accomplish as a team has helped guide us throughout the season.
“As seniors, they appreciate that their high school careers are winding down and that recognition has driven them the first three months. I am confident to drive them and this team the remainder of the season. In addition to the seniors, we have three other great players (junior Kaitlin Erickson, sophomore Julia Alcala, and freshman Jordan Bailey) that play significant roles on the team and will help in our final push this year.”
The Rams, led by junior Teagan Murphy (18.3 ppg) and sophomore Olivia Nee (16 ppg), will see the Raiders for a second time next month.
“We will have an opportunity to beat Glenbard South on Feb. 6 to tie for conference,” said Rams coach Nicole Miller. “We are a young team with six sophomores on varsity.”
Third-place West Chicago (15-11, 7-4) suffered all 4 of its UEC East losses against Glenbard South and Glenbard East.
“They have been dominant all season,” said Wildcats coach Mark Fitzgerald.
“This has been a challenging season for us. Before the season started, we lost two starters to year-long injuries they sustained in AAU and summer ball, and we lost two strong returning players (twins) to relocation. Top that off with losing our school’s all-time leading scorer in Jasmyn Trigueros (2,152 points), we were faced with a major case of ‘next person up.’
“With all that adversity, our kids have stepped up and played with heart and passion.”
In the West Suburban Silver, Downers Grove North (22-2, 9-1) needs victories over Proviso West (Feb. 3) and Hinsdale Central (Feb. 6) to clinch the title over second-place Glenbard West (22-3, 8-2).
“The conference race has been exactly what we expected — physical, well-coached teams, tough environments with little margin for error on most nights,” said Trojans coach Stephan Bolt, whose team is led by junior guard Campbell Thulin, seniors Adysen Fanta and Elizabeth Murphy, and sophomore Caitlin Sandridge. “As soon as you let your guard down, you can get beat.
“The keys to success in conference play have been our defensive effort, sharing the basketball, and having multiple players step up in different moments.”
The Trojans have won 11 consecutive home games.
Led by junior Ellie Noble, Glenbard West split its games with Downers Grove North. The deciding factor may be the Hilltoppers’ 48-40 loss to York on Jan. 10.
“Every year, the West Suburban Silver is one of the very best in the state,” said Hilltoppers coach Kristi Faulkner. “Every night, our conference games are tough and competitive.”
With two games remaining, the WSC Gold race includes Downers Grove South (12-12, 9-1) and Hinsdale South (13-7, 8-2).
Led by seniors Jakaylah Thomas, Megan Ganschow, and junior Ionna Griffin, the Mustangs will clinch the conference crown with wins over Morton (Jan. 30) and Leyden (Feb. 6).
Hinsdale South, featuring seniors Maeve Savage and Hailey Goins, handed Downers Grove South its first conference loss, 48-40, last weekend.
One game separates first-place Lake Park (20-4, 8-1) from St. Charles North (16-5, 7-2) and defending champion St. Charles East (14-8, 7-2) with four contests remaining.
“I know every team in the conference puts a lot of value on winning it,” said Lancers coach Bobby Reibel. “It will go up right up to the end of the season, and there will be some hard-fought games. The DuKane is one of the top girls basketball conferences in the area.”
Led by seniors Allie Gogola and Maggie Frank, the Lancers won their first 8 conference games.
“We will need to continue to play with energy and focus (to win it),” said Reibel. “Our defense has been our base, so maintaining that will be crucial.”
Batavia (8-16, 5-4) snapped the Lancers’ DuKane streak with a 41-29 victory last Saturday in Roselle, thanks in part to Ali Thomas (14 points, 16 rebounds) and Eva Holzl (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists).
The North Stars hope their regular season-ending game against Lake Park holds extra meaning.
“Every team in this conference is capable of putting a run together,” said North Stars coach Grant Oler. “We have put ourselves in a good position after one trip through the conference, but we’re not overlooking anyone.”
North’s conference losses are to Lake Park (35-30) and St. Charles East (38-33).
“We have tried to make sure that our defense is what separates us,” said Oler, whose team features guards Lelanie Posada, Sydney Johnson, senior Riley Barber, and 6-2 sophomore Bronwyn How. “If we play defense the way we’re capable, we give ourselves a good chance to play with anybody in the conference.”
St. Charles East, led by senior Addie Schilb, and sophomores Brooklyn Schilb, and Kathlyn Bainbridge, visits St. Charles North (Friday) and hosts Lake Park (Feb. 5).
Despite Bainbridge’s late game-tying 3-pointer in regulation, the Saints suffered a blow with last week’s 63-57 overtime loss to Wheaton Warrenville South.
“We have to win out if we want a chance at winning the conference title,” said Saints coach Katie Claussner. “It is going to require focus, consistency, and mental toughness if we want a shot at being back-to-back conference champions.”
Kaneland (17-6, 6-0) holds a half-game lead over Sycamore (6-1) in the Interstate 8.
The Knights, led by senior Kyra Lilly and junior Amani Meeks, look to defend their conference title with a key matchup looming on Feb. 4 against Sycamore. Kaneland won the first meeting, 56-51, on Dec. 12.
“Our conference is tough because we have so many good coaches,” said Knights coach Brian Claesson. “Our number one focus lately has been playing a complete four quarters. We have stretches where we look good and then stretches that we don’t.”
The Knights stress team defense.
“We pride ourselves on our defense and the girls have completely bought in,” said the coach. “We have allowed 61 fewer points in our conference games than anyone else. We know if we aren’t shooting that well, our defense can still carry us.”
Huntley (15-8, 9-1) hopes to capture its fifth straight FVC title.
“The final few weeks of the regular season are shaping up to be a competitive conference race,” said Red Raiders coach Steve Raethz, who has guided the program to a 79-3 FVC record since 2021-2022. “I think our players understand that every game matters, and it is going to take a collective effort of everyone pulling in the same direction and fulfilling their roles in order to win a conference title.”
With 8 games left, Crystal Lake South (16-4, 8-2), Burlington Central (14-8, 8-2), and Cary-Grove (15-6, 7-3) are within striking distance.
Neuqua Valley (10-14, 4-2) threw a wrench into the DuPage Valley race with last weekend’s 63-54 upset of shorthanded Naperville Central (20-4, 5-1) behind Nalia Clifford’s 24 points. The Wildcats are a game behind Waubonsie Valley (23-1, 6-1) in the loss column and the Redhawks.
Danyella Mporokoso, who scored her 2,500th career point against Carmel earlier this month, tallied 37 points in the Warriors’ 65-53 road win at DeKalb Tuesday. Waubonsie’s remaining 3 DVC games include Neuqua Valley (Feb. 3), at Naperville North (Feb. 5), and Naperville Central (Feb. 10).
Westmont (12-10, 7-0) holds a game lead over Ida Crown (6-1) in the Chicago Prep.
Seniors Kaitlynn Hoover (9.7 ppg) and Sadie Scales (8 ppg, 8 rpg) lead the Sentinels into their final two conference games.
In the Illinois Central 8, Lisle (20-4, 9-1) sits in second place, a half-game behind Manteno (21-3, 9-0). The teams meet for a second time on Jan. 29.
It appears likely there will be a 3-way tie for first place in the Chicagoland Christian with Hope Academy (19-6, 6-1), Timothy Christian (15-3, 5-1), and St. Edward (17-6, 4-1).
The Trojans, led by junior center Elisabeth Van Den Berg and freshman guard Lyla Plaisier, defeated St. Edward, 60-55, in December, while losing to Hope (46-31).
St. Edward, which extended its winning streak to 7 with last weekend’s 51-29 win over Bishop McNamara, earned a 59-47 victory over Hope last week behind junior guard Savannah Lynch’s game-high 27 points. The Green Wave also welcomed the return of junior Layne Dawson (from an injury), the twin sister of Taylor, as they head toward the home stretch.
Aurora Central Catholic (17-7), which downed Kaneland, 54-42, on Monday, finished second in the GCAC White with a 5-1 mark. The Chargers’ lone league loss came against champion St. Laurence (54-44) in December.
In the ESCC, Benet Academy (20-1, 8-0) carried a game lead over Nazareth into this week’s play. The Redwings, winners of 20 consecutive games, close out the ESCC season against Marian Catholic (Saturday), Joliet Catholic (Feb. 4), and Carmel (Feb. 7).