Timothy Christian advances to regional final

The last time Timothy Christian met Immaculate Conception, the Knights won by 14.

This time the Trojans turned that result around, and then some.

Timothy Christian got out to an early double-digit lead and kept it to win Tuesday’s Class 2A Wheaton Academy regional semifinal 44-27 in West Chicago. The Trojans meet Walther Lutheran on Thursday night in the regional championship game.

“We were jacked up and ready to go right from the get-go,” Trojans senior Jessica Dirkse said. “We were excited to play them and get some revenge from last time.”

A pair of Dirkse 3-pointers helped the Trojans (19-7) build a 16-6 lead after the first quarter. IC never challenged again.

“We just wanted it,” Dirkse said. “From the start of the week we were just focused. We were focused in practice yesterday, even today, and we wanted to get it.”

“These girls are pumped up,” Timothy Christian coach Ryan DeKoekkoek said of his Metro Suburban Conference champions. “They see the big picture, and they’re very focused on the present.”

Senior Cassidy Block led Timothy Christian by scoring 13 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, dishing 4 assists, stealing the basketball 4 times from the Knights and deflecting countless passes to disrupt the IC offense.

“She had at least double-digit deflections tonight,” DeKoekkoek said.

It was a disappointing outcome for the Knights (17-11).

“We never really executed the plan from the very beginning,” IC coach Aubree Lawrence said. “We beat that team before Christmas by (14) points, and we just couldn’t get into an offense. We were unclear. I don’t know. The plan was simple and it was very similar to every other plan we’ve executed, and it just didn’t happen.”