Fremd is MSL West champ
With the Mid-Suburban League West championship at stake Friday night, defending champion Fremd knew it was going to get a top-notch challenge from visiting Barrington.
“We knew we’d get their best shot,” said Fremd coach Dave Yates, whose team fell behind 11-4 late in the first quarter. “There were a lot of nerves and emotions early. It was a big crowd.”
But the Vikings had a big heart.
Senior Megan Gray’s 3-pointer with three minutes left in the first quarter started the home team’s comeback.
By half, the game was tied at 19-19 and the Vikes put together yet another strong third quarter to pull away to a 48-38 triumph for their second straight West crown.
The Vikings (22-6, 10-0) will travel to Hersey’s Ken Carter Gymnasium to face the Huskies (22-6, 9-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday to decide the MSL crown.
Barrington (18-10, 8-2) finished second in the West with its only losses to Fremd.
“It was just all nerves at the start,” said Gray, a three-year starter who led the Vikes with 13 points. “We knew what was at stake. Once we got into a rhythm, things fell into place.”
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Gray and senior Sarah Power (8 points) gave the hosts a 19-15 lead with 3:17 left in second quarter.
Barrington senior guard Abby Kirchoff hit two free throws with 1:07 left in the half and a driving layup with nine seconds to tie the game at 19-19.
But as they’ve done so often this season, Fremd took control with a decisive third-quarter run.
A 16-footer to start the third quarter by senior Kiersten Tinkoff gave the Fillies their last lead at 21-19.
The Vikes then went on a 17-3 run, kicked off by senior Jaimie Groot’s reverse layup after she rebounded a missed 16-footer on the baseline.
“It was just a matter of relaxing, settling down and playing our game,” Groot said. “We’ve been a third-quarter team all the way.”
After Gray hit 2 free throws for a 25-22 lead, sophomore Ashley McConnell scored the Vikes’ next 4 points for a 31-24 advantage.
Gray followed with a layup and Power hit her second 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Vikes were on their way, leading 36-24 after three quarters.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better ending here,” McConnell said. “It was out senior’s last home game.”
The seniors go out winning 19 of their last 20 MSL West game and 15 in row.
“It says a lot about these kids,” Yates said. “They put in lot of the time and effort required to be champions.”
Kirchoff ended with 12 points for Barrington while senior Brooke Chandor, playing with a deep thigh bruise, added 8 points with 8 rebounds. Senior guard Sarah Mass handed out 4 assists.
Barrington played without four-year starter Shelby Whigham, who suffered an ankle injury late in the first half against Hoffman Estates Thursday night.
“That was gutsy performance by Brooke (with thigh bruise injury),” said Barrington coach Babbi Barreiro. “I thought she worked awfully hard. Without Shelby, sure we might lose some offensive rhythm but that is not to take anything away from Kiersten Tinkoff. I thought she did a great job.”
Tinkoff and teammate Nicole Collins each scored 6 points.
“Fremd did an excellent job stopping, in my opinion, the best player in the division (Kirchoff),” Barreiro added.
The Fillies coach felt her team’s 19 turnovers were the biggest obstacle to overcome.
“Too many,” she said. “That’s the bottom line. I thought we played good defense in the first half, limiting them to 19 points. But in the second half, we didn’t do the same things.”
Junior Jessi Wiedemann added 9 points and 5 rebounds for the Vikes while Bridget Kubis had 4 points and 2 assists.
“I thought Bridget and Ashley McConnell did a nice job limiting the touches of Abby Kirchoff,” Yates said. “Our defense was able to control the second half.”
Gray finished her biggest scoring game of the last five weeks by making a pair of free throws with 56 seconds left for an 11-point lead.
“Megan has been incredibly steady,” Yates said. “I can’t begin to tell you how much of a leader she has been for us. I think our kids feed off her competitiveness.”