It's time to turn it up a notch for Geneva

Kat Yelle and Sammy Scofield, Geneva's starting backcourt, have a message for Vikings fans - the best is yet to come.

That should be downright giddy news considering just how good things have been so far for the undefeated Vikings.

But both guards said after Monday night's Class 4A Huntley sectional semifinal win over Cary-Grove there's better basketball yet to be played.

"These past two games we haven't played like ourselves fully," Yelle said. "We're just waiting for that game to come to peak. I'm sure it will come soon. All of us are really hungry to win and make it back down to state."

Geneva will try to win the second sectional title in school history - and second in as many years - when the Vikings play Rockford Boylan at Huntley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a matchup of two top 10 state-ranked Class 4A teams.

The Vikings enter 30-0 and ranked No. 4; Boylan is 27-3 and ranked eighth. The winner advances to the Class 4A Streamwood supersectional Monday night against either Hersey (25-7) with its dynamic scorer Megan Rogowski or upstart Barrington (19-12), the No. 8 seed that upset top-seed Wheeling.

Boylan reached the sectional championship with a 62-46 win over Rockton Hononegah Monday night. Devin Mack led the Titans with 17 points.

Mack is one of three players who average in double figures at 10.9 points per game to go with 7 rebounds a game. Suzie Broski averages 11.5 ppg while all-state candidate Brea Edwards is the player who makes Boylan go at 21 points and 8 rebounds a game.

St. Charles East coach Lori Drumtra knows something about both teams. Her Saints lost 62-56 to Boylan back at the Schaumburg Thanksgiving tournament.

"The key player for them will be Brea Edwards ­- can Geneva contain her," Drumtra said. "She scored 24 against us. She can drive, shoot the 3 and gets a lot of boards."

Drumtra said her team played well in their 6-point loss to Boylan. She'll be on hand Thursday to watch her players Lexi Baltes and Danielle Jordan compete in the 3-point contest before the game and is looking forward to seeing how Geneva and Boylan match up.

"They (Boylan) have some very athletic perimeter players that will match up well Geneva's perimeter players," Drumtra said. "They are monsters on the offensive boards - Devin Mack and Brea Edwards in particular. Geneva has to be a little more consistent. I don't think they can have the lulls they have had against (St. Charles) North and Cary-Grove against a team like Boylan. Boylan is explosive. But Geneva is balanced and executes well when it counts. It should be a good game."

Geneva has its own terror on the offensive boards, Lauren Wicinski. The senior is averaging 14.7 points and 16.7 rebounds so far in the postseason.

Along with fellow 6-footer Kelsey Augustine, Wicinski gives Geneva a size advantage against Boylan. The Titans start 5-4 Maloree Johnson, 5-8 Kierra Valentine, 5-9 Edwards, 5-9 Mack and 5-10 Broski.

Boylan coach Paul Perrone is impressed with Geneva's ability to score inside and outside. Yelle leads Geneva with a 14-point scoring average.

"We need to be able to counter their match zone defense and handle their press," Perrone said. "They have good inside-outside balance which we will need to contend with on Thursday."

A look at the stats through Geneva's three postseason wins shows the Vikings struggling a bit with their shot. The 3-pointer hasn't been a focus for the team all year, and they are 6 of 28 so far in the postseason. But they also aren't shooting well from the line (23 of 40, 57 percent) and are at 42.3 percent from the field.

The players are ready to push all those numbers up tonight and see the team move one step closer to their goal of getting back to state.

"We've had a few ugly wins I'd say," Scofield said. "I hope we can pick it up down the line. I still think our best basketball is yet to come."