girls championship Saturday
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Bolingbrook completes their three-peat!
| Junior, UConn recruit Morgan Tuck led everyone with 36 as
the Raiders knock off Zion-Benton 71-42. “It wasn’t hard to get up for this game at all," said Tuck who has won three state championship in as many years in high school. "This is what we worked for and it feels great. Hopefully we can come back and win it again next year. I knew I could get the ball in the post and my teammates got me the ball and I finished.” For the most part, the basket just seemed larger for the Raiders that the ZeeBees. Raiders stretched out early with a 9-0 run, then a 15-0 to take a commending lead. |
 Tuck powers the ball to the hoop |
Even thought Morgan led the way in scoring, other players added baskets when needed including Keiera Ray, who hit a momentum building three, Southern Illinois recruit Falon Edwards knocked down a shot and Kennedy Cattenhead.
 Massengale walks the ball up the court |
If this game was made into a movie, Ariel Massengale who
have been the director. The Tennessee-recruit always has the
ability to keep everyone focused and in control. In this
contest, she provided 11 assist to her team in the big win.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Massengale said. “After all the hard work, we made history.” |
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| I guess using the same analogy, Morgan Tuck who be the
leading actress. She made 11-of-16 from the floor, 2-of-3
from behind the arc and 12-of-14 from the line. Ray and
Edwards would be supporting actresses with both scoring
eight. “This group usually doesn’t have two bad games in a row,” Bolingbrook coach Tony Smith said. “Morgan Tuck had a real off night for her on Friday and she knew that after that, the championship was going to be a different day. Every one of the kids was focused at practice this morning and I knew they would be ready.” Senior and Illinois signee, Taylor Tuck didn't play her normal minutes due to a sprained ankle on possibly the last play of the Raiders’ 50-49 semifinal overtime win over Young. Tuck did get in the game in the fourth quarter but mainly to shot a free-throw in which she missed. Sister Morgan said of Taylor after the game “We’ve been playing together ever since I could remember. And with her not being out there, I had to go even harder. This was still the last time we’d be on the court together.” Juanita Robinson led Zion-Benton (27-7) with 14 points. |
 Morgan Tuck carries the trophy off the court |
“I’m just so proud of these kids,” Z-B coach Tanya Johnson said. “They’ve come from so far because they put in so much hard work.”
 Class 4A CHAMPIONSHIP - BOLINGBROOK |
 Class 4A runner-up - ZION-BENTON |
Be sure to visit the FINAL Girls Class 4A bracket by click here
CLASS 4A CONSOLATION GAME
In the third-place Class 4A game, not sure how to classify this as an upset or a break-down, but nonetheless, Maine South came away with one of their biggest victories in school history as they knocked of Young 54-53.
| To obtain this victory, the Hawks came back from being down 18 late in the third quarter behind the hot play of Michelle Maher, who knocked down 18 followed by Jacqui Grant who added 12. But sophomore Mackenzie Duffy knocked down three HUGE three-pointers down the stretch. The Dolphins came rattled late when coach Corry Irvin was issued a technical for arguing calls. So the Maine South Hawks benefited tremendously. |
 Duric hits 3-of-4 freethrows |
| Duffy finished with 11. “Their pressure was pretty intense,” Maher said. “But it came down to the last eight minutes of the season and we were not going to quit. We just have so many unsung heroes on this team.” Chanise Jenkins, DePaul recruit, led the Dolphins with 21 including five three-pointers. |
 Maine South Hawks celebrate the victory |
 Class 4A consolations - MAINE SOUTH |
 Class 4A consolations - WHITNEY YOUNG |
Be sure to visit the FINAL Girls Class 4A bracket by click here
2011 QUEEN OF THE HILL
Congratulations to Erinn Behn (Illiana Christian) for winning the 2011 Queen of the Hill contest.
 |
CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP
Montini defends their Class 3A title with a 67-45 victory
over Hillcrest. De ja vu? Well the Broncos were able to use
a similar game plan as they did last year with the long
against the Hawks. Five different Broncos combined to hit 11
in all.
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On the other side of the ball, the Hawks missed lots of easy put back and layups. Not to mention free throws. The Hawks didn’t score until 2:34 remained in the first period. They missed their first nine field-goal attempts. “We were too hyper, too excited, too … everything,” junior Shannise Heady said. “I wanted this so bad. I wanted it too much, and I kept overshooting.” During one stretch the Hawks missed 10 consecutive free throws. The Hawks never gave up. In fact down 11-0 in the first period, they put on a 6-0 run of their own with easy scores by Heady and back-to-back jumpers by Karlisa Harris. Senior guard Whitney Holloway of Montini was an offense powerhouse leading all players with 19 points. |
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On the other side of the ball, junior guard Samirah Ali led the Lady Hawks with 15.
After the game, coach John Maniatis said "we will have to re-group. This was a tough one. We do have 4 starters (Heady, Ali, Sanders, Phillips) returning plus several sophomores (Gettis, Little) who now have experience under their belts. We will be okay."
His lone senior Yolanda De La Torre (Robert Morris) just couldn't get her game going today. She finished her career with the most wins in Hillcrest high school history 107-17. "She's a winner on the field as well as off," coach Maniatis shared his thoughts about De La Torre. "She's going to be great in life."
Overall, this was one of the few blemishes for the Hawks on a season which they were able to win two tournaments, a conference title, make two exciting postseason comebacks and runner-up recognition in the State.
“I believe we will be back next year,” said Heady. “And I believe we will take it next year.”
 Class 3A champions - MONTINI |
 Class 3A runner-up - HILLCREST |
Be sure to visit the FINAL Girls Class 3A bracket by click here
CLASS 3A CONSOLATION
GAME
Officially, it took all of three
seconds for Springfield High to score more points in the
first quarter of Saturday’s Class 3A third-place game than
the Senators did in the opening eight minutes of Friday’s
semifinal.
Zahna Medley grabbed the opening tip, took a few steps and
calmly drilled a 3-pointer. And then 21 seconds later, she
drained another.
From this, they never looked back in a 53-43 victory over
Chicago Marshall. This is their second consecutive
third-place finish in state girls basketball.
“We just had to get over that big hump of losing, and that’s
what we did,’’ said Medley, who wrapped up her junior season
with a game-high 24 points. “We had the mentality that we
knew we were going to win, and having that mentality got us
rolling and making our baskets.
Be sure to visit the FINAL Girls Class 3A bracket by click here
Amateur Sports Challenge... All you need is a Yahoo account! Click here to play |
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