Scouting the Barrington sectional final

Scouting the Barrington sectional championship

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Who: No. 1 seed Rolling Meadows (26-4) vs. No. 2 Fremd (27-3).

How they got here: Rolling Meadows d. No. 8 Mundelein 83-29 in Rolling Meadows regional final; d. Hersey 63-56 in sectional semifinal; Fremd d. No. 10 Conant 49-40 in Lake Forest regional final; d. Buffalo Grove 47-38 in sectional semifinal.

Semifinal recap: Rolling Meadows staged its finest comeback of the season, rallying from a 16-point deficit to advance to the Sweet 16. Jenny Vliet led the Mid-Suburban East champs with 22 points in Meadows' third win over Hersey (25-5). Fremd had a tight game start to finish with Buffalo Grove (15-16), before the Vikings converted eight straight free throws in the final 2:24 to seal the decision. Haley Gorecki's 19 points led the MSL champions.

The players:

Rolling Meadows starting lineup: St. Louis recruit Jackie Kemph (5-6 senior guard), Northwestern recruit Alexis Glasgow (5-11 senior guard), St. Louis recruit Jenny Vliet (6-2 senior guard-forward), University of Indianapolis recruit Ashley Montanez (6-1 senior forward-center), Sami Kay (5-5 senior guard)

The reserves: Allie Kemph (5-6 senior guard), Katie Shewmon (5-11 senior forward), Elizabeth Vasilogambros (5-5 senior guard), Hannah Mickey (6-0 sophomore forward), Eliana Psarros (5-2 junior guard), Jamie Berry (5-5 junior guard), Nora Rasche (5-7 junior guard-forward)

Fremd starting lineup: Haley Gorecki (6-0 junior guard), Brianna Lewis (5-2 sophomore guard), Bryana Hopkins (6-2 sophomore forward), Erica Simios (6-0 senior forward), Hannah LaBarge (5-11 senior guard).

The reserves: Grace Tworek (6-2 freshman forward), Erin Lenahan (5-10 sophomore guard), Emily Bieda (5-6 junior guard), Katie Zara (5-8 junior forward), Julia Wacker (6-2 sophomore center), Carrie Happel (5-7 junior guard), Caroline Macius (5-10 junior forward) Megan Chernich 5-9 junior forward), Lauren Glaser (5-2 sophomore guard), Holly Straup (5-8 sophomore forward).

Stat leaders: Fremd's leaders Gorecki (23 ppg, 5.8 reb, 3.0 last., 3.6 still), Hopkins (10 ppg, 7.2 reb, 1.7 still), Lewis (9 ppg, 3.2 last, 1.4 still), LaBarge (5 ppg, 2.7 reb, 2.0 last, 1.4 still), Simios (4 ppg, 2.1 reb), Tworek (4 ppg, 4.6 reb, 1.8 still), Lenahan (4 ppg, 1.7 reb), Bieda (3 ppg).

Meadows' leaders are Jackie Kemph (21.9, 8-5 last, 2.3 reb, 2.2 still), Glasgow (17.4 ppg, 5.0 reb, 1.6 last, 1.4 still), Vliet (14.7, 9.2 reb, 2.2 last, 1.0 last), Montanez (5.5 ppg, 6.0 reb), Shewmon (2.6 ppg, 3.9 reb). Kay (2.6 ppg, 1.1 reb), A Kemph (1.3 last, 2.0 reb), Vasilogambros (2.2 ppg).

The matchup: The two teams are meeting for the third time. Both teams went 10-0, Meadows in the Mid-Suburban East and Fremd in the West. The Vikings then won the MSL title game on their own court, 49-42, over the Mustangs on Feb. 11.

The two teams also met in a crossover game at Fremd on Dec. 3 and the Mustangs prevailed 71-68. Meadows is the three-time defending MSL East champion and has lost only to state-ranked teams this season (Whitney Young, Montini, Marian Catholic and Fremd). Meadows won its third regional crown in school history and second straight under second-year coach Ryan Kirkorsky. The Mustangs won their only sectional a year ago when they took second in the Class 4A tourney, losing in the final second to Marian Catholic. The Mustangs feature four future collegiate players — St. Louis recruits Jackie Kemph and Jenny Vliet, Northwestern-bound Alexis Glasgow and University of Indianapolis-bound Ashley Montanez.

Fremd coach Dave Yates has the state-ranked Vikings enjoying a banner season, with MSL and regional titles in the last two weeks. Haley Gorecki, a major D-I recruit, leads the way with seniors Erica Simios and Hannah LaBarge joining sophomores Bryana Hopkins and Brianna Lewis in the starting lineup which has helped Fremd to its second regional title in four years and 17th in school history. The Vikings have a record-tying five straight MSL division titles under Yates, who is in his seventh season. The Vikes' only losses are to Rolling Meadows (71-68 in their sixth game), Montini and Loyola.

Making their points(s): Jackie Kemph (2,084), Alexis Glasgow (1,500) and Jenny Vliet (1,310) of Rolling Meadows and Haley Gorecki (1,399) of Fremd have combined for almost 6,300 points in their careers.

Coaches Corner: “We're looking forward to playing Fremd for the sectional championship. Both teams have been tested throughout the season, and we have a history of great games against each other. It should be a great atmosphere for high school girls basketball.”

— Ryan Kirkorsky, Rolling Meadows coach.

“Hopefully, it will be another great game. That's what I am looking for. We were a bit younger team the first time we played them. The second time I thought we played pretty good defense. We are expecting their best shot on Thursday. The shame of it all is that someone's season has to end when you've got two of the best teams in the state playing.”

— Dave Yates, Fremd coach