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Dundee-Crown makes it 3 straight over Huntley

When Dundee-Crown's Alyssa Crenshaw, the team's top scorer and rebounder, went to the bench in third quarter in foul trouble, Huntley had a golden opportunity to make a big move.

It never came.

A 7-0 run by the Red Raiders earlier in the quarter cut D-C's lead to three, but the Chargers answered with a six-point stretch of their own with Crenshaw watching.

D-C carried that momentum into the fourth and came away with a 49-42 win in the Class 4A Huntley sectional semifinal, giving the No. 1-seeded Chargers their first sectional win since 2003.

D-C (28-6) advances to play No. 2-seeded Barrington, which beat top-seeded Rockford Auburn, 54-52, in first semifinal, at 7 p.m. for the sectional championship. Huntley ended its season at 20-14 and the program's first regional title since 2004. The 28 wins for D-C are a program record.

"It was an opportunity for us that we let slip away," Huntley coach Steve Raethz said. "They capitalized on it and that's why they're a great team. They had a lot of kids in that juncture rally when Alyssa went out."

Katelyn Skibinski had five of the team's eight points in the third. On one play Huntley guard Raquel Radermacher stuffed Skibinski's first shot attempt, but she gathered herself and the ball for a putback.

D-C led 35-28 entering the fourth.

"When that happened, we're switching matchups and making sure that we're going to be sound defensively because obviously Huntley covers up a lot of low space," D-C coach Sarah Miller said. "I thought we did a phenomenal job guarding without one of our bigs, and then offensively, playing with poise and still able to get some good looks during that stretch."

Crenshaw still led the Chargers with 15 points and 8 rebounds. She made 9 of 12 free throws and surpassed 1,000 career points with a bucket in the second quarter.

"I thought everyone really stepped up," Crenshaw said. "We don't have one person on the team who is our go-to. Everyone just steps up at different times in different moments. It helps with everyone's confidence."

Miller pointed out stretches of clutch play from almost everyone on D-C's roster, including solid guard play from Skibinski and Payton Schmidt against the Raiders pressure, timely rebounds and putback from Makayla Gotter, and a big swing bucket from Cassidy Randl.

After Gotter scored on a putback to give the Chargers a 41-34 lead with 4:10 left Randl took the ball at the top of the key, squared her shoulders and flew past four Raiders defenders to the basket for an easy layup.

"She's stepped up in some key moments in other games where she makes a huge bucket when things are a little light," Miller said. "The last few games, she's been a difference maker."

Schmidt (3 assists) and Randl both scored nine points for D-C, Skibinski added 7 points and 2 assists, and Gotter had 7 points and 6 rebounds. Five of Gotter's points came in the fourth.

Huntley will return most of its roster next year, but will lose seniors Sydney Novak, Anna Seng, Ali Galante and Hadley Giovacchini. The Raiders won just eight games two seasons ago.

Radermacher led the Raiders with 14 points, Kamsi Nwogu has 12 points and 6 rebounds, freshman Carley Faulkner had 9 points, and Novak added 7 points.

"I'm proud of our kids," Raethz said. "There were a lot of tears in that locker room, but at the same time I think when they take a step back and reflect on the season, they're that bridge and that group that got us back to this spot as a program. The was the group the broke through."

Dundee-Crown's Katelyn Skibinski drives to the basket against Huntley's Carley Faulkner in the first quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Huntley's Sydney Novak and her teammate, Huntley's Kamsi Nwogu close in on Dundee-Crown's Alyssa Crenshaw as she drives to the basket in the first quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Huntley's Kamsi Nwogu drives to the basket against Dundee-Crown's Alyssa Crenshaw in the third quarter. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Dundee-Crown's Alyssa Crenshaw drives to the basket against Huntley's Jessica Ozzauto in the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Dundee-Crown's Makayla Gotter grabs a rebound over Huntley's Ashley Guazzo in the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Dundee-Crown's Cassidy Randl drives to the basket against Huntley's Kamsi Nwogu in the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Dundee-Crown's Erica Sanchez pretends to bench press weights on top of her teammate, Alaina Azar, as they celebrate a score in the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Huntley's Sydney Novak fouls Dundee-Crown's Alyssa Crenshaw in the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
Huntley's Raquel Radermacher reacts to a Dundee-Crown score in the final minute of the fourth quarter of a the IHSA Class 4A Sectional semifinal girls basketball game between Dundee-Crown and Huntley Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020, at Huntley High School. Gregory Shaver/For Shaw Media Illinois
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