Basketball: Week 4 MVPs
Senior guards Quantice Hunter of Larkin and Ashley McConnell of Fremd have earned MVP honors from the Daily Herald for their recent basketball performances.
Hunter led Larkin with 32 points in double overtime victory over Elgin and also helped the Royals win two shootout games in Missouri. McConnell led Fremd to three Sterling Shootout wins and had a season-best 27 points in a victory over Sterling.
BOYS MVP
Quantice Hunter, Larkin: This 6-foot senior guard helped the Royals snap an 8-game losing streak against rival Elgin by scoring 32 points in a 76-73 double-overtime victory, highlighted by 6 straight points in the first overtime. Hunter then scored 22 points in 2 victories last weekend at the Route 66 Shootout in Waynesville, Mo., including a 15-point performance in a win over Hazelwood Central (Mo.) that extended Larkin’s winning streak to 6.
BOYS RUNNERS-UP
Austin Amann, Elk Grove: The 6-foot-1 senior guard helped Elk Grove remain perfect in Mid-Suburban East play by scoring a season-high 32 points at Hersey. Amann made seven 3s as the Grens kept a share of the division lead by claiming victory in a gym that’s been especially difficult for them in recent years.
Sean Davis, Metea Valley: The three-year starting forward and post player led the Mustangs to wins over two Daily Herald Top 20 teams. The 6-foot-2 senior notched 24 points, 7 rebounds in a 69-64 win over St. Charles East. He followed with 16 points and 4 rebounds in a 49-48 UEC Valley win over rival Waubonsie Valley.
Sean O’Brien, Mundelein: Mundelein tripled its fun in a 99-63 win over rival Libertyville. O’Brien posted his second career triple-double in helping the Mustangs capture their third victory in a row. The 6-foot-7 Southern Illinois recruit finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
Quinten Payne, St. Charles North: The Loyola-bound senior guard scored 63 points in three games last week. After scoring 21 in a 51-50 nonconference loss to Waukegan the 6-foot-4 Payne scored 19 points in a 44-37 UEC River win at Batavia, and 23 in a 67-36 home victory over Elgin. Payne also contributed 18 rebounds and 10 assists.
GIRLS MVP
Ashley McConnell, Fremd: The 5-foot-9 senior guard helped Fremd go undefeated in its first three games of the Sterling Shootout. She started with a season-high 27 points in a 57-45 victory over Sterling. Less than 17 hours later, she collected a game-high 22 points (4 3-pointers in the third quarter and 5 for the game) in a 61-53 triumph over state-ranked Peoria Richwoods 61-53. Five hours later, McConnell scored 15 points in a 55-40 triumph over Moline.
GIRLS RUNNERS-UP
Meri Bennett-Swanson, Vernon Hills: The DePaul-bound 6-foot-2 center can certainly rebound the basketball. She can also score it. She exhibited a deft touch around the basket in a 45-28 win over Antioch, scoring a game-high 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting. She followed up with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks against Lakes, as the Cougars won 56-41.
Amanda Hilton, St. Charles East: The Saints continued their fine play against the best in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division, beating No. 12 Streamwood 61-50 behind a career-high 23 points from Hilton. The junior point guard again led St. Charles East in scoring with 17 points in a 65-59 loss to No. 15 Metea Valley.
Olivia Jakubicek, Cary-Grove: The Trojans’ 5-foot-10 senior had a memorable game against Buffalo Grove last week when she scored 23 points, had 6 rebounds, 7 steals and 5 assists in a 56-44 win. The 23 points allowed Jakubicek to eclipse the 1,000 point mark for her Cary-Grove career.
Kateri Stone, Montini: The hot-shooting Broncos junior spurred Montini to three wins at the Sterling Shootout. Stone poured in 22 points in a 68-42 win over Moline, and scored 15 points with 10 rebounds as the Broncos beat Hononegah 63-41. Stone hit 10 3-pointers and had 13 assists over three wins at Sterling.