Elgin Academy looks to take next step by winning regional
The Elgin Academy girls basketball program had never won a regional tournament game until last season.
Now the Hilltoppers are ready to take the next step.
"Last year was our first win and now we're ready for the second one," said Hilltoppers second-year coach Vicente Pena. "Our team chemistry is real good and the girls have caught a groove of where they're supposed to be, they've adapted to my coaching style and we've used our size and our speed to our advantage."
Elgin Academy (11-9) comes into the Class 1A North Shore Country Day regional as the top seed and on a five-game winning streak. The Hilltoppers will play Chicagoland Jewish Academy in the 6 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday, with No. 2 seed North Shore Country Day taking on No. 3 seed Christian Liberty Academy of Schaumburg in the 8 p.m. semi. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday with the winner advancing to the Mooseheart sectional next week.
Elgin Academy defeated Chicagoland Jewish 33-23 last week but has not faced any of the other teams in the regional.
The Hilltoppers have been led this season by the senior tandem of Alysa Pena, the coach's cousin, and Lauren Steimle. Each have recorded several double-digit scoring games this season.
"Lauren is the true leader on the team but those two play well together," said coach Pena. "They've been together since the eighth grade so having them out there is like an extension of having a coach on the floor."
Class 1A at Indian Creek: Westminster Christian (11-15) took the next step Monday night with a 42-36 play-in win over Mooseheart. Sarah Rodgers scored 15 points and Rachel Doby 14 for the Warriors. Westminster's reward for the win is a semifinal game tonight (weather permitting) against top seed Hinckley-Big Rock, the defending state 1A champ and the No. 2 ranked team in the state this season. Doby added 17 rebounds and Rodgers had 4 steals in Monday's win. Indian Creek faces Amboy in the other semifinal.
Class 2A at Immaculate Conception: St. Edward is hoping to put a five-game losing streak in the rear view mirror when it opens postseason play against Luther North at the IC regional at 8 p.m. tonight. St. Edward (10-14) is the No. 2 seed and Luther North (15-10) is seeded No. 3. Top seed IC (26-3) faces No. 4 Timothy Christian in the 6 p.m. semi and the finals are slated for 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
While St. Edward is on a five-game skid and has lost 7 of 8, the Green Wave have played a grueling schedule. Their five straight losses have come to Wheaton Academy, Nazareth Academy, Montini, Crystal Lake South and IC. They've lost to IC twice this season, 46-42 and 58-52.
"The last five games have been pretty tough for us," said St. Edward coach Michelle Dawson, whose team advanced to a sectional final last year. "We've played tough teams and we've really worked to improve on the fundamental skills that have been off and on all season.
"We've had so many close misses. We're ready to get back on track and make a run. Luther North's a nice team. We're not looking past them at all."
The young Green Wave have been led all season by a trio of sophomores. Maddie Kerr leads the team with a 12.1 scoring average, while Callie Johnson averages 8.7 per game and Alex Lee 6.6 Junior point guard Enza Ranallo scores 6.7 per game.
If the Wave can get past Luther North, Dawson says her team will be excited for a third shot at IC.
"We'll have to play them on their floor but we've played them twice tough," she said. "You have to beat the best to be the best. There's no pressure on us. We just have to go out and play hard."