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New Trier stops Maine West's playoff run

Sophomore Jeanne Boehm said she was nervous at the start of Monday's Class 4A Maine East girls basketball sectional semifinal.

By game's end, it was the 6-foot-3 New Trier standout who helped calm the anxiety any Trevian fans had going into the game with No. 4 Maine West.

Boehm scored a game-high 22 points with 3 blocked shots as top-seeded New Trier rolled past the Warriors 57-34 in Park Ridge.

New Trier (26-4) will face Evanston (22-7) at 7 p.m. Thursday for the championship.

"I was definitely really nervous," Boehm said. "She (Maine West 6-foot senior Brittany Collins) is such a great player and I was honored to go up against her. I was shaking but after the first couple of blocked shots I kind of got the nerves out of the way."

And New Trier was on its way to a 17-4 lead, with Boehm scoring 6 of those points.

The Warriors clawed back to within 23-18 on a driving layup by Collins with 1:15 left in the second quarter.

But New Trier increased the lead 27-19 at intermission and then turned up the defensive heat in the second half.

The first thing New Trier coach Teri Rodgers told her players at halftime was to get back to how they started the game.

"I felt our defensive pressure wasn't quite there when we came into the locker room," said Rodgers, whose team raced ahead 8-0. "I told the girls to get back to the pressure we had to start the game, and they did."

A driving layup by Kathryn Pedi, followed by a Maine West turnover and 6-foot bucket by Boehm in the first two minutes of the third quarter had the top-seeded Trevians rolling again.

They led 31-21 after a driving bank shot by sophomore Monica Liwag (4 points, 3 assists) with 6:30 left in the third quarter.

But Maine West's next basket didn't come for until the fourth quarter when Erin Ross hit a 3-pointer to make the score 48-28.

"They were the best team," said Maine West coach Derril Kipp. "Physically, they wore us down with their depth."

Rodgers got 9 points from Pedi and eight other Trevians scored.

"We knew it would be tough," Kipp said. "They have the depth, size and everything you need to get to a supersectional."

Kipp got everything he could from his team in the past week.

"I'm real proud of the kids coming back from a disappointing end of conference (lost at Maine East to settle for second place) to win a regional. We had a good season."

Collins finished her record-setting career with 7 points, giving her 2,053 for her career.

"They physically beat us up," said the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. "We really don't match up well to that. Maybe were a little intimidated.

"I thought for a while we did well with our outside shooting. But it was hard to push the ball out there when you were in the post because they would be draped all over you."

St. Francis (Joliet) recruit Julia Huinker (9 rebounds, 3 assists) led the Warriors with 8 points, including 3 big field goals in the second quarter which helped the Warriors get back into the game.

Ross and Kati Roycroft each hit a pair of 3-pointers for 6 points.

Kipp says goodbye to six seniors - Collins, Huinker, Ross, Paulina Kulikowska, Kelly Adamek and Abbey Herling - from a 17-12 team.

"It went by so fast," said Collins, who pulled down 10 rebounds in her final game before moving on to St. Xavier.

"Probably winning the regional championship over Maine South was the highlight this season. Cutting down the nets was the best. It was so special to share with this team."

Images: Maine West vs. New Trier girls basketball

  Maine West guard Abbey Herling, left, battles New Trier guard Megan Neuhaus for a loose ball during Monday's Class 4A sectional semifinal at Maine East. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  New Trier players celebrate after Megan Neuhaus (12) hit a shot from midcourt at the end of the third quarter during Monday's Class 4A sectional semifinal at Maine East. There was controversy because the clock never started and was still at 2.8 seconds from the time she got the inbounds pass till she made the shot. Referees declared the basket good, upsetting Maine West caoch Derril Kipp and charging him with a technical foul. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Maine West caoch Derril Kipp is given a technical foul by referees after he argued a decision by referees when New Trier guard Megan Neuhaus hit a shot from midcourt at the end of the third quarter during Monday's Class 4A sectional semifinal at Maine East. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Maine West forward Brittany Collins is fouled by New Trier defenders Megan Neuhaus, left, and Jeanne Boehm during Monday's Class 4A sectional semifinal at Maine East. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
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