The numbers prove Nolan, Geneva are on a remarkable run

Covering sports events as a journalist often requires one to be good with numbers.

In football, you keep track of pass attempts, pass completions, receptions, receiving yards, rushing attempts, rushing yards, first downs, turnovers and penalties.

Baseball is filled with key statistical categories, including batting average, fielding percentage, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, pitches, balls, strikes, strikeouts, walks, wins, losses, saves and ERA.

In basketball, there are attempted shots, made shots, 3-pointers, total points, rebounds, assists, turnovers, assist-to-turnover ratios and blocked shots, just to name a few.

For the past few weeks, I've noticed that Geneva's girls basketball team is on another serious roll this season.

After finishing 27-0 in regular-season action a year ago on the way to their fourth-place Class 4A state showing (32-2 overall record), the Vikings are one victory away from a rare repeat in 2009-2010.

Geneva brings a 26-0 record into Friday night's regular-season finale at home against Batavia.

Add it up and it's 53 consecutive regular-season victories with an amazing two-year record of 58-2 (.967 winning percentage).

Critics might argue that the Vikings' schedule isn't the toughest around but I disagree - and I don't really care.

The numbers tell the real story - Geneva head coach Gina Nolan has built one of the best girls basketball programs in the state over the past five years.

Since the Vikings finished 13-14 during Nolan's head coaching debut at Geneva in 2004-05, they've compiled an astonishing 5-year record of 130-16 (.890 winning percentage). Nolan's career mark of 143-30 at Geneva isn't too shabby, either.

Her teams have gone 104-12 (.896) over the past four seasons and own a three-year mark of 79-9 (.898).

Three-year varsity starters Kelsey Augustine and Lauren Wicinski, two of six players who will be honored during the Vikings' Senior Night festivities prior to Friday's 7 p.m. tip-off, have experienced losing just 9 times in 88 games.

They've walked off their home floor just one time with a defeat - in three years. The Vikings have suffered just one homecourt loss over the last four seasons - that coming the last time they didn't earn a Western Sun Conference title (21-7 mark in 2007-08).

But don't get fooled into thinking the veteran players or their coach are caught up with any numbers game.

"I had no clue," Wicinski said after her team's 50th straight regular-season victory.

"We don't talk about it," Nolan said of the winning streak. "I don't like to talk about it. I try to focus on each game as it comes.

"I'm sure it will be a nice thing to reflect on 10 years from now but what we've done over the last four or five years doesn't matter when we step on the court."

It's no coincidence that the Vikings' winning ways began with the arrival of guard Taylor Whitley (now at Indiana State), who went on to top the 2,000-point mark during her illustrious four-year varsity career.

During Whitley's freshman campaign, the Vikings compiled a 26-4 record and claimed their first regional title since 1984 (first one at the Class AA level) before losing to Montini (47-40) in the sectional finals.

Seniors Bailey Hansen, Kelsey Ruitenberg, Ashley Ward, and Taylor's older sister Caty Whitley also were major contributors on the 2005-06 squad that captured the Suburban Prairie North crown.

"It was a cohesive group of girls who started a great trend," said Nolan. "That team surprised anyone's wildest expectations.

"Four games ended on last-second shots. We beat Oswego early in the season on a last-second shot by Bailey Hansen. Then we beat Kaneland for the first time in a few years on another Bailey shot at the buzzer."

Another huge victory that season came on the road against St. Charles North..

"We trailed by 19 at halftime and were down 21 early in the second half," Nolan recalled. "We tied it with five seconds left before Taylor stole the inbounds pass, took one dribble and made a layup at the buzzer for the win."

There have been a few memorable losses along the way as well.

In 2006-07, Geneva captured the inaugural Western Sun title and earned the No. 1 sectional seed before being upset by eighth-seeded Rosary (47-43) on the Royals' home court.

"That loss was incredibly disappointing," said Nolan.

In 2007-08, Geneva suffered 3 regular-season losses to Batavia before beating the Bulldogs when it mattered most - in the regional semifinals.

Schaumburg may have ousted Geneva (74-63) in the regional finals, but the Vikings' future looked brighter than ever.

"I remember (then-Saxons coach) Bill Murmann telling me after the game that he'd sure hate to play us next year (in 2008-09)," said Nolan. "I have to admit it was cool to hear him say that. We started two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman, and I think the kids saw that, too.

"They certainly came back wanting more."

Despite all the success, Nolan works harder than ever.

"I still scout as much now as I did five years ago," she said. "Success breeds success, and I've been fortunate to have a lot of talented kids.

"But it gets harder because as each group has come through, the standards of excellence get higher and higher. We're wearing a target on our backs. It's easy for teams to get up to play us."

"I think the main reason for our success is our competitiveness," said Wicinski. "We don't want to lose."

This year's team may be the best one yet.

"I think we're tougher to defend because we've got so many weapons," said Wicinski.

When postseason play begins next week, the magic number will become 7 - the number of games needed to win the Class 4A state championship.

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