Predictions for suburban teams headed to the girls basketball state tournament
Four teams enter, one team wins.
Sorry for the “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” twist, but we’re down to the dramatic championship weekend for the girls basketball season. In addition to the semifinals and final for Class 1A and 2A, four local teams are represented in 3A and 4A.
Continuing a Daily Herald tradition, here are predictions for this weekend’s action at CEFCU Arena in Normal.
Take none of them to the bank as I finish watching “Fury Road.”
Class 3A
There are 17 losses represented in the first semifinal between Glenwood (27-7) and Hinsdale South (26-10). Somehow, both teams navigated paths to reach CEFCU Arena, formerly Redbird Arena.
A run like this wasn’t expected for either team. Glenwood is making its first state appearance, while Hinsdale South is a qualifier for the first time since 1977.
Youth will dictate the outcome. Glenwood starts two of its four freshmen, a quartet who combined for 34 of 45 supersectional points on Monday. The Hornets have a freshman and seven sophomores, but seniors Amerie Flowers and Amelia Lavorato lead the group with a combined 27.5 points a game.
On paper, the second semifinal between Lincoln (36-0) and Montini (29-7) features the favorites. Lincoln is attempting to become the first girls team since 2019 to run the table and the Broncos seek their fifth state title.
No one’s been able to slow Lincoln senior guard and Colorado State commit Kloe Froebe, who’s scored more than 3,000 points for the Railers and is averaging 28.6 points a game. Victoria Matulevicius leads Montini in scoring, but the Broncos have received a huge boost from Nikki Kerstein, who transferred from Deerfield in the off-season.
Prediction:
Hinsdale South over Glenwood
Lincoln over Montini
The pressure to finish unbeaten is immense, but Lincoln and Froebe are hungry after settling for second last year.
Lincoln over Hinsdale South
Class 4A
Of Waubonsie Valley’s three losses, two came to teams vying for a title this weekend. One is semifinal opponent and defending 4A champion Nazareth Academy (31-3).
The Warriors (32-3) boast a human highlight film in sophomore Danyella Mporokoso, who averages 18.6 points and holds offers from Northwestern, DePaul and others.
After edging Benet in the sectional final, Waubonsie Valley beat Alton in overtime in Monday’s supersectional. Can the Warriors maintain the magic?
It won’t be easy.
The Roadrunners, with four key seniors returning from last year, have won 21 straight games. Amalia Dray, Olivia Austin and Stella Sakalas each average between 11 and 13 points.
The second semifinal includes Fremd (29-6), the 4A champion in 2020, that’s also on a roll with 16 wins in 17 games. The lone loss was to an out-of-state team. The Vikings have their own triumvirate of Ella Todd, Brynn Eshoo and Coco Urlacher combining for nearly 40 points a game.
Like Lincoln, Loyola Academy (36-0) is attempting to finish unbeaten. The Ramblers are aiming for their first state title since winning back-to-back crowns in 1997 and 1998.
Prediction:
Nazareth over Waubonsie Valley
Loyola over Fremd
If it happens, Nazareth against Loyola would be an epic title game. Can the defending champions knock off the team seeking unbeaten history?
Loyola over Nazareth