Scouting the Class 3A Elgin supersectional
Class 3A Elgin supersectional
Vernon Hills (25-5) vs. Belvidere North (23-9)
When: 6 p.m. Monday
Where: Elgin High School
Head coaches: Vernon Hills: Paul Brettner (12th season, 161-195); Belvidere North: Mike Bradford (fifth season)
Probable starting lineups: Vernon Hills: So. F Sydney Smith (5-10), So. F Lauren Webb (6-0), Jr. C Meri Bennett-Swanson (6-2), Sr. G Julie Pecht (5-7), Sr. G Abby Springer (5-7); Belvidere North: Jr. F Kirsten Larson (5-10), Jr. F Anna Martensen (5-10), Sr. C Katie Dovenmuehle (5-11), Sr. G Autumn Neuhring (5-7), So. G Haley Grana (5-2).
Skinny on Vernon Hills: The Cougars are having their best season in their 12-year history, having already surpassed their previous school record of 20 wins as well as having captured their first outright North Suburban Conference Prairie Division championship. They had never won a regional crown before this season. They overcome an 8-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge Grayslake Central 40-39 in last Thursday's sectional final at St. Viator, as four-year varsity guard Julie Pecht scored on an offensive rebound to just beat the buzzer and set off a wild celebration on the court. It was the 19th time in 30 games this season that Vernon Hills held its opponent to fewer than 40 points. For the season, the Cougars average 55.6 points per game and yield an average of just 36.2. "We spend the majority of our practice working on defense," Pecht said. Offensively, the Cougars are led by their all-conference trio of three-year varsity center Meri Bennett-Swanson (12 ppg) and sophomore forwards Sydney Smith (13.2 ppg) and Lauren Webb (9.3 ppg). Senior point guard Abby Springer (honorable mention all-NSC) had a strong sectional at both ends of the court and scored 19 points in the two games. "We have some of the best shooters in the conference, I believe," Pecht said. "Everybody has a role."
Skinny on Belvidere North: Belvidere North High School is even younger than Vernon Hills, having started varsity sports in 2007. Like the Cougars, the Blue Thunder is playing in its first supersectional. Belvidere North lost in the sectional final last year and then graduated seven players. The Blue Thunder averages nearly 51 points per game and is led offensively by 5-foot-10 junior Kirsten Larson, who averages 12.4 points per game. In the team's sectional final win over Kaneland at Sycamore, 5-10 senior Katie Dovenmuehle scored 12 points and grabbed 0 rebounds, while Larson added 11 points. Belvidere North, which has not lost in February, has won seven games in a row.
Road to the sectional final: Vernon Hills def. Sullivan (63-15) and Antioch (40-33) to win the Vernon Hills regional, and def. Carmel (46-33) and Grayslake Central (40-39) to win the St. Viator sectional; Belvidere North def. Freeport (60-38) and Marengo (55-36) to win the Rockford East regional, and def. Sterling (41-40) and Kaneland (43-31) to win the Sycamore sectional.
Advancement: winner plays in the state semifinals at noon Friday at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena in Normal against the winner of Monday's 7:30 p.m. Springfield UIS supersectional between Salem and Springfield.
Joe Aguilar