Breaking down this week's girls basketball sectionals

It's that time of year. Almost every team, boys and girls, no matter the sport, has some emotions to deal with when the season ends, especially among the seniors who realize they will never play high school ball again.

With that in mind, here's a quick look at this week's sectionals, when more teams will experience the letdown of season-ending defeat and the joy of season-extending victory.

All semifinals are Tuesday, either 6 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. All finals are 7 p.m. Thursday at the sectional host.

Class 3A Genoa-Kingston sectional:

Glenbard South caught a break when fellow state-ranked teams Burlington Central and Kaneland fell out of contention in regional play. But the top-seeded Raiders still need to get past Rockford Lutheran, a No. 3 seed in the opposite subsectional. The Raiders will continue to rely on their bread-and-butter, their defense, but they are strong offensively too. Ally Daca and Maggie Bair had big games in the regional final against St. Francis, with Sarah Cohen racking up the assists with her passes to the 6-footers underneath. If they defeat Rockford Lutheran, either Sycamore or Marengo will be waiting Thursday.

Class 4A Lake Park sectional:

Wheaton North's reward for winning the DeKalb regional? Defending state champion Geneva, the sectional's No. 1 seed and a strong contender for another state title. The Vikings aren't just talented at one or two spots but up and down their lineup. It's a tough matchup for the No. 4 Falcons, but they have junior Nikki Baird back from a broken wrist to join Wheaton College recruit Hannah Swider, the Falcons' all-time leading scorer. Sophie Ahlberg makes the Falcons go at point guard, and Sarah Topps stepped up in Baird's absence.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Wheaton Warrenville South gets to test its stalwart defense against perennial power Rolling Meadows. The Tigers' defense has stifled opponents all season, rarely allowing more than 40 points in a game. They are patient and smart and have a way of making very good teams look very bad. Rolling Meadows, the No. 6 seed, upset No. 3 Glenbard West to reach the sectional, but it's an upset by seeds only. The Mustangs are very talented and showed why this sectional is one of the deepest and toughest around. They are led by juniors Alexa Davis and Lily Greifenstein and sophomore Bridget Rolla.

Class 4A Proviso West sectional:

If the seeds work out, No. 1 Montini will meet No. 2 Benet in the final, with the Broncos playing for a 14th consecutive sectional championship. But first Montini must get past Kenwood and Benet must beat Whitney Young, neither of which is in the sectional by a fluke. Montini could be in trouble if point guard Sam Mitchell is not available. She's questionable due to a sprained ankle, and the Broncos missed her in the regional, where Lyons Twp. kept the score much closer than expected. Post players Aaliyah Patty (Ohio State) and Lindsey Jarosinski (Wake Forest) will be ready either way. Benet has no shortage of talent, though Denver recruit Tsimba Malonga has been battling a bad knee all season. There are plenty of other candidates to step up with scoring in her place: Brooke Schramek, Lauren Stack, Lindsey Rogers and Kendall Holmes, to name just the most likely.

Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional:

Naperville Central's reward for escaping the regional is the sectional's No. 13 seed, Lockport, which upset No. 3 Plainfield East in a regional semifinal. Having come this far, the Redhawks can't afford to take the Porters lightly. Penn recruit Mia Lakstigala, post player Lucy Schmid and freshman guard Gabi Melby will be counted on to produce as they have all season. Maiah DeShazer and Abigail Kincaide might not get the headlines, but the Redhawks wouldn't be in the sectional without them. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 seed Bolingbrook waits. A Naperville Central-Bolingbrook matchup would be a lot of fun to watch. The Raiders aren't as strong as they were in their state championship years, but they're very deserving of the top seed. The Redhawks will need to stop 6-1 Jahari Smith and 5-11 Gabriella Smith. Both seniors can score and rebound.