Whitney Young, Fenwick no strangers to state finals
NORMAL - Whitney Young will try to keep its record perfect against Illinois teams when it meets Fenwick in today's 8:15 p.m. semifinal of the IHSA Class 4A girls basketball state finals.
The winner meets the winner of the Hersey-Bolingbrook semifinal for the championship at 8:15 p.m. Saturday at Illinois State. The losers meet for third place at 6:30 p.m.
Whitney Young is 21-0 against teams in this state and 27-2 overall. Its only losses are to California schools, including Breese Mater Dei (71-58), which was ranked No. 1 nationally by some publications at the time.
Coach Corey Irvin (239-40), a former Larkin player, guided Young to the Class AA state title in 2008 and also has a second (2009) and two third-place state finishes (2005 and 2006) in her nine seasons.
Junior guard Kiana Johnson (11.2 ppg) and freshman backcourt partner Linnae Harper (10.8) are the Dolphins top' scorers.
Young is making its fifth straight trip to Redbird Arena.
Fenwick (31-3) is led by 6-foot Duke-bound senior Trica Listion, who averages 28.6 points.
Hall of Fame coach Dave Power (795-205 in 33 seasons), who won a Class AA state title with Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1987, also won AA crowns with Fenwick in 2001 and 2007.
Liston scored 41 points in a 68-58 win over Wheeling for the championship of the Niles North tournament last November.
With Liston sidelined because of illness in late December, Fremd defeated the Friars 51-41 in Palatine. Fenwick's other losses are to North Central (Ind.) and Hinsdale Central.
Fenwick has made seven appearances in the state finals since 2000.