Geneva's Blackmore picks up MVP accolades

Lindsay Blackmore of Geneva has been selected the Daily Herald girls basketball MVP for her performance last week at the Burlington Central Thanksgiving tournament.

Lindsay Blackmore, Geneva: The 6-foot junior led the two-time defending Class 4A state champions to the championship at the Burlington Central Thanksgiving tournament with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the title game victory over the Rockets. Blackmore, who scored a career-high 31 points earlier in the tournament, averaged 22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocked shots and 2 steals a game.

Nikki Baird, Wheaton North: The 6-foot-2 senior, a Belmont University recruit, averaged 23.0 points a game to lead the Falcons to four wins without a loss and the Lyons Twp. Thanksgiving Tournament championship. Named to the all-tournament team, Baird made 50 percent of her 3-point shots.

Simone Sawyer, Stevenson: The Patriots graduated a trio of four-year varsity players, but they have had a terrific start to the new season thanks in large part to the play of their freshman guard. Sawyer popped for 22 points in wins over Plainfield Central and Willowbrook in the Willowbrook Thanksgiving tournament. She averaged 15.2 points in five games, helping the Patriots go undefeated.

Emily Klaczek, Fremd: Klaczek helped lead the Vikings to a 5-0 record and their first title in the Turkey Thriller since 2015. The 5-foot-10 junior guard scored in double figures in four of the Vikings' five wins, including back-to-back 18-point efforts to close out the tourney against Rolling Meadows and Lake Zurich. She averaged 13.8 points per game.