WW South keeps Schaumburg at a distance
Wheaton Warrenville South lost its first seven girls basketball games of the regular season, but that didn't matter Wednesday night.
The Tigers will play in Friday's Class 4A Lake Park regional final after defeating Schaumburg 51-39 in the semifinal.
"It's a great win," WW South coach Rob Kroehnke said. "You think about where we were in November and what we're doing now. It's good to see the girls get that done. They've worked really hard. They've lost some tough ones, but this is a good opportunity."
Seventh-seeded Schaumburg (13-14) scored the first basket, but the No. 10 Tigers (14-16) went on an 8-point run to take the lead for good, and they didn't stop there. After one quarter they led 18-7. Schaumburg never pulled wihtin single digits again.
"We dug ourselves a hole," Schaumburg coach Curtis Goodwin said. "But they came out and played very aggressive, and they played well. But our kids, they fought hard all the way back. I'm really proud of the heart they showed after that big start from Wheaton Warrenville. They showed a lot of toughness, and they've shown it all year."
Senior Olivia Linebarger was a big reason the Tigers built that big lead. The four-year varsity player scored 11 points in the first quarter, finishing with a personal-best 25 in the game.
"My teammates really were just getting me the ball in good spots tonight," said Linebarger, who will play at New York University next season. "I've been feeling it lately, so I put it up."
The Saxons worked furiously in the fourth quarter to catch the Tigers, and they cut the lead to 49-39 with 63 seconds to go. The Tigers' defense made the stops it needed to secure the win, however.
"That's kind of been our thing this year that makes me uneasy," Linebarger said. "We let them get going. We've got to remember to stay offensive-minded while we're up. We always say trust the defense, but we always have to remember offense. That lead can shrink, as we've seen a lot. But I'm glad everybody kept their composure and we got it done."
Sophomore Mallory Gerber led the Saxons with 20 points.
"She was just aggressive," Goodwin said. "She was aggressive, she made plays. She made plays getting to the basket. She hit some shots. She got her teammates involved. She did what we've been asking her to do all season and showed confidence for 32 minutes."
The Tigers will meet No. 2 seed Geneva at 7 p.m. Friday in the regional final. Geneva defeated the Tigers 55-54 in the sectional semifinal last year.
"It's awesome," Linebarger said. "It honestly is awesome to be able to play in that kind of atmosphere. Obviously, conference was our first goal. Now we've reassessed and we want that regional championship. We're pumped for it. We're ready to go."
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