Girls basketball: Scouting the Class 1A/2A postseason in the Fox Valley
Class 1A Harvest Christian regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) Mooseheart vs. Elgin Academy, 7 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 2) Harvest Christian vs. Winner Game 1, 6 p.m.; Game 3) Hinckley-Big Rock vs. Kirkland Hiawatha, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Top-seeded Harvest Christian (21-6) has already set a school record for wins in a season and now the Lions, under first-year coach Rich DeTamble, hope to add the program's first regional title to their list of accomplishments. Harvest played a beefed up schedule this season and the Northeastern Athletic Conference champions lost to only one Class 1A school - Newark, 53-52.
Harvest has been led all season by the scoring of junior guard Paulina Castro (20.3 ppg), the area's leading 3-point shooter with close to 100. Senior guard Kylee Knox averages 16 points per game and is a 3-point threat as well. Junior Rachel Oostdyk and senior Morgan Lockwood give the Lions and inside presence and freshman Alyssa Iverson has provided some scoring as well.
The Lions figure to see Hinckley-Big Rock (10-14) in the final, if seeds hold. H-BR, which won Class 1A state championships in 2009 and 2010, lost to Newark two weeks ago 46-40.
Kirkland Hiawatha is coached by Jenna (Real) Araujo, the former Burlington Central standout and that program's all-time leading scorer who was the Daily Herald's Fox Valley all-area girls basketball co-captain in 2002-03 before going on to play at Loyola University.
Advancement: The Harvest Christian regional winner advances to the Harvest Christian sectional to play the Christian Liberty regional winner at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17. Alden-Hebron is the No. 1 seed at Christian Liberty.
Class 2A Walther Christian regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) Westminster Christian vs. Willows Academy, 6 p.m.; Game 2) Chicago Douglass vs. Chicago Academy, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 3) IC Catholic vs. Winner Game 1, 6 p.m.; Game 4) Walther Christian vs. Winner Game 2, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 5) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Westminster Christian (10-16) drew the No. 4 seed and opens against No. 5 Willows, a team the Warriors beat 45-38 on Nov. 25.
Westminster has been carried all season by the prolific scoring of 5-10 junior Maddie Versluys, who not only scored her 1,000th point this season but has also become the program's all-time leading scorer. Versluys, who missed four games midseason due to illness, averages 22.2 points per game and well over 10 rebounds.
The Warriors have also gotten steady play from senior Emma Kovachevich and freshman Elise VanNoord as well as sophomore Emily Lamp.
If Westminster gets past Willows, the Warriors will face top seed IC Catholic (15-11), which has held its own this season in the Metro Suburban West.
Advancement: The Walther Christian regional winner advances to the IC Catholic sectional to play the St. Benedict regional winner at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16. Chicago Ogden International is the top seed at St. Benedict.