Rolling Meadows eager for Young rematch
Rolling Meadows will not be getting a rematch of last year's Class 4A girls basketball championship game, when it fell by 1 point in the final second to Marian Catholic.
Instead, the Mustangs will have a rematch of their Dec. 7 nonconference game against No. 1 Whitney Young.
The Dolphins defeated No. 2 Marian Catholic 60-20 in Friday's second state semifinal on Friday night at Illinois State's Redbird Arena to set up today's second meeting against Meadows with much more at stake.
That first contest between the Mustangs and Whitney Young was held as part of the Mac Irvin Diabetes Classic at Elgin Larkin High School.
Whitney Young coach Corry Irvin returned to her alma mater that day as her Dolphins opened their season with a 54-40 victory over Meadows, which went into the game 7-0.
Texas A &M recruit Khaalia Hillsman, Whitney Young's 6-foot-5 forward, had 8 points and 13 rebounds in that game.
“She (Corry Irvin) wanted us to make sure we represented her well at her high school and start our the season out right,” Hillsman told the Daily Herald after that game. “She didn't want to lose in her hometown where she was a Hall of Fame player.”
After Friday's win, Hillsman told the IHSA network she is excited to play for the title.
“Rolling Meadows is a good team,” she said. “I hope we can pull it out.”
Irvin is trying to win a third state title in six years (2008 and 2012). Her Dolphins were also second in 2009 and 2010 and fourth in 2011.
“I expect Jackie Kemph (all-state guard for Meadows) to go hard,” Irwin told the IHSA network. “I expect all their players to go hard.
“I don't think we are the same team as when we played them before so we would like to show how far we have come.”
Meadows' Ryan Kirkorsky has become the first Mid-Suburban League coach to direct a team in back-to-back state title games.
Rebounding was the story of the first meeting between the Mustangs and Dolphins, especially on the offensive end where Whitney Young grabbed 20 boards in the first half and led 28-16 at the break.
The Dolphins, who missed 12 of their first 13 shots, got a rebound layup from Hillsman for its first points with 4:32 left in the period.
Young sophomore Kiara Lewis (game-high 17 points, 14 rebounds), who did not play as a freshman because of a torn ACL, hit a 3-pointer to give the Dolphins their first lead at 7-6.
Northwestern-bound Alexis Glasgow paced Meadows with 12 points.
The Dolphins' biggest lead was 36-16 which with 5:30 left in the third quarter.
Like Irvin, Kirkorsky also had a homecoming that day.
He had his first full-time teaching job in 1999 and 2000 at Larkin as an English teacher.
Senior Jenny Vliet had 7 points and a team-high 10 rebounds against Whitney Young while classmate Ashley Montanez had 8.
Jackie Kemph added 11 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds while Glasgow had 5 rebounds and 2 steals.