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Finally, it's Fremd's time to shine

This time, it was indeed Fremd's moment.

After losses to state runner-up Rolling Meadows in back-to-back girls basketball sectional title games, the Vikings were finally able to celebrate a Sweet 16 victory.

With 'One Shining Moment' playing on the gymnasium speakers, the top-seeded Vikings cut down the east basket nets in the Palatine High School gymnasium after a start-to-finish 50-29 triumph over No. 3 Hersey.

With its first sectional crown since 2001, Fremd (27-4) will face Huntley (28-4) in Monday's Class 4A Hoffman Estates supersectional at 7:30 p.m.

The winner advances to the final four at Illinois State.

"Oh my God, this is amazing," said Duke recruit Haley Gorecki of her deepest advancement in four state tourney runs. "Last year, to get so far and lose in this game was devastating. But this is awesome."

Gorecki was awesome as usual, scoring 8 of the Vikes' first 10 points en route a game-high 21 along with 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

The Vikings led 14-3 with less than four minutes to go in the second quarter, limiting Hersey (24-7) to a 3-pointer by sophomore Claire Gritt.

"We have been focusing on our starts to games and defense," Gorecki said. "I thought our defense was the key. And getting a 10-0 lead (with 2:28 left in the first quarter) that really helped us momentum-wise."

Sophomore Grace Tworek, who had 10 rebounds and 2 assists, twisted around a defender for a layup that made it 14-3 with 3:52 left.

Hersey got its first 2-point field goal when Annie Korff drove to the basket for a layup to make it 14-5 with 3:40 left in the half.

The Huskies struggled from the field in the first half against the Vikes' defense, converting on 3-of-25 shots but they only trailed 20-8.

"We usually shoot about 44 percent," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley. "It just wasn't our night shooting.

"I thought 50 points was the magic number. I thought if we could hold them to that, we might be OK. But I didn't think we'd struggle on offense. Even at the free throw line we were 1 of 7."

Both coaches went to their benches with some key players in foul trouble in the first half.

"With Brianna (Lewis) and Erin (Lenahan) sitting a lot on the bench in the first half I thought it was key that we were still able to control the game," said Fremd coach Dave Yates. "You go up and down the lineup, and I thought we got good defense.

"Erin Lenahan (3 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) and Bryana Hopkins (4 rebounds, 5 points) did a great job shutting down their players.

"Our defense has been very good all of January and February. We've got a lot of length, and we don't give up a lot of good looks."

Lewis looked to drive in the second half and scored all 10 of her points.

"We just wanted to go out and give it our all," Lewis said. "We tried to pressure them whole game."

The Vikes kept the pressure on, never allowing Hersey closer than 10 points in the second half.

Senior Juliette Vainisi's driving layup made it 35-25 with 5:45 left but Fremd answered with a 6-0 run including 2 free throws apiece from Gorecki and Lenahan, and a big steal and layup by Gorecki.

Vainisi scored 7 of her team-high 13 points in the third quarter.

"Juliette had a nice third quarter and that kept us within striking distance," Fendley said. "We were always hanging around and played them even (13-13) in the third quarter but the wheels kind of fell off in the fourth."

Gorecki made 5 of 6 free throws in the final quarter while Lenahan was 4 of 4 and Lewis 2 of 2. The Vikes made 23 of 32 for the game

Korff chipped in 7 points for Hersey while Gritt had 5 and Kelly Weyhrich 4.

"Fremd is obviously a great team and we knew we had to play a great game and we did not," Fendley said.

"What a good group of seniors (Korff, Vainisi, Kristen Jackson, Emma Slosar and Halle Lyon) we had. They got 49 wins the last two years and all our losses this year were to regional champions and eight of our wins were over regional champions. We were pretty tough."

The Huskies are also one of only two teams (Benet is the other) from Illinois who defeated Fremd.

Yates said that 47-43 loss in Arlington Heights on Dec. 2 helped turned the tide for his club.

"If you go back to that game, it was huge," he said. "There are two or three things we do every game that we learned from that loss. It opened our eyes a little bit to the fact that we had to get better. Since that game, I think you'll see we improved and that's what it's all about."

The Fremd student body was about business as several fans wore sports coats and ties.

The Vikings obliged with a workman-like victory.

"We've been knocking on the door two straight years," said Yates, who also got points off the bench from Julia Wacker (2 rebounds), Lauren Glaser and Amanda McCartney. "Obviously we talked about that."

Thursday, the Vikes spoke up with their biggest postseason win since in 14 seasons.

Images: Fremd vs. Hersey, girls basketball

  Fremd's Emily Bieda and the rest of her teammates hold up their sectional championship trophy after beating Hersey in the Class 4A title game at Palatine on Thursday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Haley Gorecki knifes past Hersey defender Maggie Berigan in the first half of the Class 4A sectional championship game at Palatine on Thursday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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