Oswego ends Neuqua Valley's season

Jenelle Rogers' future is in high jump, a Division I scholarship already secured with Ball State.

Basketball's loss.

Rogers, Oswego's 6-foot senior, frequently shows flashes of her untapped ceiling on the basketball court. Such was the case Thursday, when Rogers soared over two defenders to catch a lengthy inbounds pass from the sideline, spun and scored a layup in an awesome display of athleticism.

"She's a Division I athlete," Oswego coach John Carlson said. "I think track is her love, but she's great at everything. She's just a great athlete."

Rogers showcased her spectacular athletic ability, and most importantly for Oswego, remained on the court. Her 18 points and 12 rebounds powered the fifth-seeded Panthers past 14th-seeded Neuqua Valley 46-32 in the Class 4A Oswego regional final.

Oswego (21-10), which won its second straight regional title, advances to face top-seeded Benet in Monday's sectional semifinal at Benet. It's a rematch of last year's supersectional won by Benet.

"It's amazing to be able to do it two years in a row," said Rogers, one of four senior starters.

Jennah Rogers added 6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Julia Henrikson had 9 points and Mia Moore 8 points for Oswego, which led 11-5 after a quarter and 26-17 by halftime, then pulled away with a 6-0 run out of the break.

"They came to play tonight," Carlson said. "They played hard, they played physical and they got the ball inside, things we needed to do to win this basketball game. We knew Neuqua was going to come at us and we came right back at them."

Jenelle Rogers was a driving force in last year's run to Oswego's first sectional title since 2010. The two-time state high jump medalist is the Panthers' leading scorer and rebounder, but she's been prone to foul trouble throughout the season.

Oswego is clearly a different team with her on the court.

Rogers scored 15 of her 18 points in the first half, primarily on offensive rebounds and scores at the rim. She altered several shots and made life difficult for 6-foot-2 Neuqua junior Claudia Gallegos. Gallegos finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds but had just 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half.

"Just tried to stay aggressive, get in front of her, try to not let her get the ball," Rogers said. "It's been a struggle (with foul trouble) during the season, but I've tried not to worry about it. Just trying to keep moving my feet and if someone beats me rely on my teammates."

Neuqua (11-21) snapped a 10-game losing streak with Tuesday's 64-61 upset of Naperville Central. The Wildcats were seeking their first regional title since 2016 - and, unlike senior-laden Oswego, with a roster with just one senior.

But Oswego's fullcourt pressure defense had the Wildcats out of sorts throughout. Neuqua went nearly 12 minutes between field goals in a span bridging the first and second quarters, and shot just 4 of 21 in the first half with 13 turnovers in a frenetic pace.

"They're physical, athletic, quick and they can run with those big girls (the Rogers twins)," Neuqua coach Mike Williams said of Oswego. "We played to their tempo instead of slowing it down and that's what good teams do. They got us out of our normal routine."

It wasn't necessarily by design for this particular game, but Oswego seemed to pressure more than usual. It helps to have athletic posts like the Rogers twins who can chase the perimeter.

"Mostly we like to do it to wear teams out in the second half, but it kept working for us," Carlson said. "They didn't beat it a lot."

Junior Ellie Wisner scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers for Neuqua, which trailed 40-23 after Rogers' spinning third-quarter score but never quit.

"Big game, most of our girls haven't been in a game like this," Williams said. "We're OK, it's a great experience for the kids. They showed a lot of character. They could have thrown in the towel."

Oswego, meanwhile, looks forward to one more experience with Benet. The Panthers lost 55-22 in last year's supersectional, but played Benet to a 66-62 loss Jan. 25 at Benet.

"They're one of the best two teams in the state, but you're going to have to face that eventually," Carlson said. "If we play like we did last time, we can play with them."