Lake Park keeps going to final

As the calendar creeps toward March, Samantha Arnold knows her illustrious career could end any day now.

The way Lake Park's playing, probably not.

Arnold had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the Lancers' 53-35 win over Schaumburg in Tuesday's Class 4A Lake Park regional semifinal in Roselle.

No. 3 sectional seed Lake Park (24-5), winner of 10 straight games, will play Glenbard East on Thursday for the regional title.

"I just want to keep going," Arnold said. "I know that any game can be my last. I practice as hard as I can, because I know the next game can be my last."

Lake Park started slow in both halves, going scoreless the first 3:31 of the game and managing just 2 points the first 4:03 out of the halftime break.

Not that it mattered.

Arnold swished back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the first quarter to get the Lancers going, and she scored 15 of Lake Park's first 17 points. Several of Arnold's baskets near the rim came on crisp passes from teammates Tori Clark, Chelsea Gieseke, Jenna Aloia and Carly Willert.

Arnold went to the bench with two fouls and Lake Park up 17-12 with 3:31 left in the first half after a Taylor Kosla 3-pointer for Schaumburg (8-21). Lake Park didn't miss a beat without Arnold, pushing the lead to 25-12 at halftime on baskets by Clark, Alexis Hahn, Willert and a Clark follow shot as time expired.

"They have a lot of weapons," Schaumburg coach Jay Colloton said. "They have Sam Arnold of course, but she has a nice cast around her. They're going to be hard to beat."

Lake Park's defense was stingy throughout, holding its second straight opponent to 35 points. Schaumburg made just 7 of 31 shots over the first three quarters.

"They came out with a lot of energy," Lake Park coach Chris Fruehling said, "and then we really settled into our defense in the second and third quarters. That opened up our transition game a little bit more."

Sarah Kellermeyer had 9 points and 8 rebounds, Siobhan Cerney 8 points and Kosla 8 points for Schaumburg. Clark and Kristen Danek scored 6 points for Lake Park.