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Glenbard South stymies Burlington Central

After taking third at last year's Class 3A state tournament, Glenbard South knows it has a lot to live up to.

"There definitely is pressure and we all believe we can do it again," sophomore point guard Lauren Cohen said. "We just have to make other people believe in us. We have to show everyone what we have."

The Raiders made believers of a few more people Thursday night, turning in a stifling defensive effort over the final 13 minutes for a 36-27 victory over Burlington Central to win the Class 3A Plano regional.

Cohen was at the forefront of that defense with her physical play on Burlington Central's standout point guard Elana Wells.

"She's a tough kid," Glenbard South coach Morgan Eufrasio said. "She shut 3 (Wells) down and 3 is a really nice player. "

Glenbard South (20-7) will play Sterling at 7 p.m. Monday in the Class 3A Rochelle sectional semifinals. It's the 12th regional crown for the Raiders and their eighth straight.

Drake-bound senior Maggie Bair led both teams with 17 points, 16 rebounds and 5 steals. The Raiders rallied from 10 points down thanks to a defense that held the Rockets - who had just scored 67 points the night before - to 21.6 percent shooting (8 for 37) from the field.

Burlington Central made just 2 field goals the entire second half.

"We're not going to give up, we're not going to quit," said Bair, who guarded Burlington's leading scorer Kathryn Schmidt. "Everybody has the same mentality. Everybody played hard. The defense continued to play hard."

Burlington Central (22-8) didn't trail in the first three quarters. The Rockets led 21-13 after Reili Gardner's spin move in the lane with five minutes left in the third quarter.

But the Rockets didn't make another field goal until a 3 from Wells in the final minute - just after Eufrasio had taken Cohen out. Burlington Central went over 12 minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters with just 3 free throws from Schmidt while getting outscored 23-3.

"Lauren and Maggie, we put them on their two best players. We work all season to play defensively in games like this," Eufrasio said. "Burlington Central is a tough team and they have good players who can shoot well but we got in their face."

It was the Rockets' defense that was the story of the first half, holding the Raiders to 16.7 percent shooting (4 for 24). Up 13-5 after one quarter, Burlington built its biggest lead at 17-7 on a drive from Wells.

Bair's 3-pointer, and then her putback after a missed free throw in the final seconds, kept the Raiders within 17-13 at halftime.

"Those are momentum shifts," Eufrasio said of Bair's last-second basket.

Down 21-13, Bair started the comeback with a score inside. Reserve Cat Karr sank a 3-pointer to trim the Rockets' lead to 22-18 heading to the fourth quarter.

Rocky LaPonte banked in a 3-pointer, and after Schmidt's 2 free throws, Cohen made the second of her three 3s to tie the game at 24. Glenbard South took its first lead of the game at 26-24 with 5:40 remaining on Bair's free throws. She scored on a putback and Cohen buried another 3 for a 31-24 lead.

Burlington Central had no answers as nothing dropped on its end.

"We couldn't handle their defense," Rockets coach Mark Smith said. "Sometimes we have a tendency to take a quick shot and you see that their style of play is not to take a quick shot. That hurt us a little too."

Schmidt led Burlington Central with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Wells added 8 points.

All five starters return next year for the Rockets who were trying for their first regional crown since 2016.

"Forty-two (Bair) played like an all-state player," Smith said. "She really hurt us. Their kid hits a 3 off the backboard, that's what happens when you win a regional. They were physical and I don't think we matched it. We were trying but they beat us. That's all you can say really. They defended us really well."

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