Ellis, Wauconda prevail in 3rd OT
Tammy Ellis had no basketball legs. No energy.
That, mind you, was during the first quarter of Thursday night’s Class 3A Vernon Hills regional final between Wauconda and the host school.
But as the game progressed, and progressed, and progressed, Wauconda’s senior leader and captain kept playing harder, and harder, and harder.
After 44 minutes of basketball, including a bonus dozen, Ellis found the regional championship trophy in her hands. She shared it with fellow senior leader Melanie Prudhomme after Wauconda outlasted its North Suburban Prairie Division nemesis 42-37 in triple overtime.
“In overtime, I had all this energy for some reason,” Ellis said. “I felt like I was on adrenaline or something. I don’t know. It was such a good game. Back and forth. I was hoarse.”
Why?
Easy.
“The level of the game, regional championship,” Ellis said. “I’m a senior. If I lose, I’m done. That was my motivation. I did not want to end against Vernon Hills. I know our team is one of the better teams in our area and I knew we’d go to sectionals.”
Ellis did her part, finishing with 20 points, 9 steals and 6 rebounds, as Wauconda (24-3) avenged a January loss to the Cougars and earned a berth in Tuesday’s 8:10 p.m. sectional semifinal at Grayslake Central.
The Bulldogs will play the winner of today’s 7:30 p.m. regional final between Johnsburg and Richmond-Burton at Woodstock North.
For Wauconda, it was its first regional championship since 2008. The Bulldogs had lost in the regional final the last two years.
“We’ve been here before — even though we’ve never been in a triple-overtime (game),” said Bulldogs senior center Roslyn Summerville, who had 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Vernon Hills, which had won eight of its last nine games, finished 16-12.
“(Wauconda) had veteran, savvy players and we didn’t,” Cougars coach Paul Brettner said. “That’s what happens when you’re a veteran, savvy team. You make enough plays to win. When you’re a young team, you make enough (poor) plays not to win.
Vernon Hills led 36-31 in the second OT after 6-foot freshman Lauren Webb hit 2 free throws with 1:44 left.
But Ellis’ steal and layup with 13.6 seconds to go forced a third extra session, knotted at 37-37.
Vernon Hills committed 10 of its 27 turnovers in overtime.
“We had them,” Brettner said. “We had them in the second overtime. We just couldn’t finish. You know why? Because we couldn’t take care of the basketball for a minute, 10 seconds.”
Vernon Hills received 10 points apiece from sophomore Meri-Bennett Swanson (7 rebounds) and freshman Sydney Smith (8 rebounds). Webb grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and scored 8 points.
“They’re going to be tough to beat in the next couple of years,” Summerville said of the young Cougars, whose starting lineup was devoid of a senior all season. “I think it was their experience that (hurt). But they’re good.”
Exactly one week earlier, Wauconda played its first overtime game of the season, and won against Richmond-Burton.
“That helped,” Wauconda coach Jaime Dennis said.
What also helped, Dennis said, was that her team was playing in a championship game for the third time this season. Wauconda beat Richmond-Burton for the Northern Illinois Holiday Classic title and suffered a tough loss to Libertyville for the North Suburban Conference crown.
Wauconda won despite trailing 10-1 after one quarter and going just 1 of 10 from the foul line in the three OTs.
It was 29-29 at the end of regulation. In the third OT, Wauconda outscored Vernon Hills 5-0, getting a jumper and free throw from Ellis and a bucket by Summerville.
“Our execution was sketchy in the first quarter and we started gaining a little momentum,” Dennis said. “We just went back to the basics —pass the ball well, defend hard, execute. We told them, ‘Unless you execute, no offense we tell you to run is going to work.’ ”