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Geneva stymies Wheaton Warrenville South

There are 3 words that most basketball teams don't want to hear come postseason tournament time - you're going home.

In the case of Geneva's girls basketball team, however, going home can be a very positive thing.

The second-seeded Vikings (21-6) earned a spot in their own Class 4A sectional next week thanks to a convincing 69-35 victory over 10th-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South (14-17) during Friday night's Lake Park regional championship clash in Roselle.

Winners of their last 11 games, the Vikings will face No. 6 Bartlett (20-9) in Tuesday's sectional semifinals at Geneva.

"Honestly, we have not even talked about next week," said Vikings coach Sarah Meadows, whose team has now captured 7 consecutive regional titles. "I'm sure they know that we're hosting a sectional but we had to focus on our game tonight."

From the outset, the Vikings certainly appeared focused.

Geneva raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first 4-plus minutes before the Tigers narrowed the gap to 9-6 on a 3-pointer by senior forward Olivia Linebarger.

The Vikings led 15-10 after 1 quarter.

"They made a run to start the game and we chipped away pretty nicely by the end of the first quarter," said Tigers coach Rob Kroehnke. "We were around."

However, the Vikings had a few more runs left in them.

Freshman guard Margaret Whitley and sophomore center Grace Loberg combined for 13 second-quarter points - 9 of them coming during an 11-0 surge that helped Geneva extend its halftime lead to 34-16.

The Vikings' other freshman guard, Stephanie Hart, scored 8 of her 10 points during a 12-2 tear at the start of the third quarter that put the game out of reach at 46-18.

"They're freshmen," Meadows said of her starting backcourt. "It's fun for them because this is their first (postseason) experience. The seniors and juniors told them to enjoy the moment. They're competitors."

Whitley enjoyed an excellent floor game, pouring in a game-high 17 points with three 3-pointers and 4 steals in 21 minutes.

"It was awesome," said Whitley. "I just tried to play my game to the best of my ability."

Whitley and Hart combined for 27 points - more than 39 percent of the Vikings' totals.

"They've improved so much," said senior Janie McCloughan, who added 9 points and 3 steals while battling early foul trouble. "They're fabulous players and they handle pressure well. I definitely don't think I would have had that composure as a freshman."

Loberg chipped in with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots as the Vikings shot 50 percent from the field (21 of 42) and sank 21 of 27 free throws.

"I thought everything was clicking," said Meadows. "We hit shots from the outside and we were getting touches on the inside and finishing."

The Vikings certainly left a lasting impression on Kroehnke, whose team suffered a 55-54 sectional semifinal loss to Geneva last season.

"They're really good," said Kroehnke. "I thought they were good last year but I think they're better this year.

"We had to do things a certain way to compete tonight and when you don't do those things against a good team, it's going to be a long night."

Marissa Lessick led the Tigers with 12 points while 4-year varsity veteran Linebarger finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out with 3:12 remaining.

"She learned from some great kids as she was coming up her freshman and sophomore years," said Kroehnke. "Hopefully she passed a little bit on to these younger kids that we have."

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