Kemph surpasses 2,000 as Meadows gets big win in Quincy

Many miles from home, Rolling Meadows senior guard Jackie Kemph reached quite a milestone on Saturday night.

Becoming one of the few girls basketball players in the Mid-Suburban League to reach 2,000 points, Kemph led the Mustangs’ big second-half rally in Quincy, where the Mustangs topped Quincy Notre Dame 63-56 at the KHQA/Subway Superfan Shootout.

Kemph picked up her 2,000th point with a fastbreak layup early in the second quarter as she finished with 8 points after one half with the game tied at 28.

But the St. Louis recruit exploded for 14 points in third quarter, helping the Mustangs (23-3) pull away to a lead as big as 60-42 before the Raiders (also 23-3) made a valiant comeback in the final minutes to get to within 5 points.

“It’s awesome (the 2,000 points) but I’m just happy we got the win,” said Kemph, the 2013 Illinois Gatorade Payer of the Year as a junior. “It’s really cool to get it but I still looking forward to the rest of the season and everything that comes along.”

“It’s an amazing individual accomplishment,” said Rolling Meadows coach Ryan Kirkorsky of the four-year starter. “And she’s done it in the midst of consistently winning.”

Saturday’s game was a classic matchup featuring two teams that played in respective state title games last season.

Meadows lost in the Class 4A title game while Notre Dame won the Class 3A crown, its third straight title after win 2A crowns in 2011 and 2012.

Northwestern recruit Alexis Glasgow added 17 points (6-of-6 free throws and three 3-pointers) for the three-time defending Mid-Suburban East champs while Jenny Vliet added 10.

Meadows took its biggest lead in the first half when a fastbreak basket put the Mustangs on top 24-18. Katie Shewmon also had a big layup toward the end of the half.

“I thought our kids did a great job persevering throughout the game,” Kirkorsky said. “Our kids trusted each other when things got tough.”

Senior Ashley Montanez scored two big baskets early in the third quarter as the Mustangs came out aggressively.

“I think our team played very well (in the second half),” Jackie Kemph added. “We got a lot of stops and fastbreaks. Our game plan was to attack and keep going the whole game. We wanted to keep pushing.”

The Mustangs were nursing a 38-36 lead when Jackie Kemph hit a 3-pointer and then scored on two fastbreak layups for 7 unanswered points that pushed the lead to 45-38.

Meadows, which posted a 73-47 win over Hersey just one night earlier, gradually kept inching away.

Glasgow’s third 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter made it 54-40.

Fenwick 56, St. Viator 53: The Lions (14-14, 1-8) were led by Maddie McAteer (13 points), Erin Fabbri (12) and Kayne Stanley (8) in the East Suburban Catholic Conference game in Arlington Heights.s

McAteer and Fabbri had a pair of 3-pointers while McNamara had one.

Lyons 54, Maine West 39: Senior Brittany Collins scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Maine West (15-9) in the nonconference game in Des Plaines.

Erin Ross chipped in 6 points, one 3-pointer and 3 assists for the Warriors while Abbey Herling had 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.