Eidle's 32 sends Hersey past Libertyville in sectional semifinals

  • Hersey's Katy Eidle scores against Libertyville's Rachel Rule in a girls Class 4A sectional semifinal game in Highland Park.

      Hersey's Katy Eidle scores against Libertyville's Rachel Rule in a girls Class 4A sectional semifinal game in Highland Park. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Libertyville's Talya Tillman stops a shot by Hersey's Kelsey Neary in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Libertyville's Talya Tillman stops a shot by Hersey's Kelsey Neary in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Natalie Alesia loses the ball as she is fouled by Libertyville's Emily Fisher, out of pictures at right, in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Natalie Alesia loses the ball as she is fouled by Libertyville's Emily Fisher, out of pictures at right, in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Annika Manthy has her shot blocked by Libertyville's Madison Sears in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Annika Manthy has her shot blocked by Libertyville's Madison Sears in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Meghan Mrowicki scores against Libertyville's Emily Fisher in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Meghan Mrowicki scores against Libertyville's Emily Fisher in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Annika Manthy is guarded by Libertyville's Rachel Rule in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Annika Manthy is guarded by Libertyville's Rachel Rule in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Libertyville's Rachel Rule knocks the ball away from Hersey's Meghan Mrowicki and takes an elbow to the chin in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Libertyville's Rachel Rule knocks the ball away from Hersey's Meghan Mrowicki and takes an elbow to the chin in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Libertyville's Emily Fisher drives to the basket as Hersey's Sabrina Divito defends in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Libertyville's Emily Fisher drives to the basket as Hersey's Sabrina Divito defends in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Libertyville's Kate Rule and Hersey's Natalie Alesia chase a loose ball in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Libertyville's Kate Rule and Hersey's Natalie Alesia chase a loose ball in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's KiKi Craft and Libertyville's Talya Tillman battle for a rebound in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's KiKi Craft and Libertyville's Talya Tillman battle for a rebound in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Libertyville's Kate Rule goes up against Hersey's Kelsey Neary in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Libertyville's Kate Rule goes up against Hersey's Kelsey Neary in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Natalie Alesia and Libertyville's Emily Fisher collide as they chase the ball in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Natalie Alesia and Libertyville's Emily Fisher collide as they chase the ball in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

  • Hersey's Natalie Alesia scores as Libertyville's Talya Tillman and Kate Rule collide in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

      Hersey's Natalie Alesia scores as Libertyville's Talya Tillman and Kate Rule collide in a girls Class 3A sectional semifinal basketball game in Highland Park on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. John Starks | Staff Photographer

 
By Bill McLean
Daily Herald Correspondent
Updated 2/21/2023 10:25 PM

Hersey girls basketball coach Mary Fendley won her 535th career game in a playoff contest Tuesday night.

Her splendiferous guard, 6-foot senior Katy Eidle, practically scored via that many ways in the Huskies' 70-55 defeat of Libertyville's Wildcats in a Class 4A Highland Park sectional semifinal.

 

Or so it seemed.

"She's something, isn't she?" a beaming Fendley, in her 25th and final season at the Arlington Heights school, said.

Something else.

The Michigan-bound (lucky Wolverines), all-business hoopster poured in 32 points to go with 10 rebounds, 7 steals (5 in the first quarter) and 2 blocks.

Three-point buckets, buckets off drives, a falling-down-put-back bucket, smooth 2-point buckets, buckets on fast breaks ... name your flavor of scoring.

Eidle provided it.

Ms. Eidle doubled as Ms. Variety in a highly entertaining, physical battle between the sectional's No. 2 seed (Libertyville) and No. 3 seed.

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Hersey (29-5) will face top-seeded Fremd (30-2) for a sectional championship Thursday at 7 p.m. Fremd used a 22-0 run, bridging the second and third quarters, in its 48-23 defeat of fourth-seeded Lake Zurich (25-8) in Tuesday night's first sectional semifinal.

Fremd's Vikings topped Hersey 58-39 in the Mid-Suburban League title game on Feb. 8.

On Tuesday night Hersey raced out to an 18-6 lead after one quarter but led only 20-17 at the 4:39 mark of the second frame. Wildcats senior guard Emily Fisher (23 points, 7 rebounds) and Kate Rule (16 points) combined for 11 points in the we're-not-going-to-fold run.

"Libertyville is so good, and I loved the matchups out there," said Fendley, whose talent-packed and gritty crew defeated Libertyville 58-32 in a Buffalo Grove Bison Classic opener way back on Nov. 17.

"We were not about to think this game would play out like that one did. Tonight I never felt comfortable."

Hersey entered intermission with a 30-22 advantage, thanks to a putback by Eidle with 1 tick left in the second quarter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 

She then recorded her sixth steal -- near midcourt -- in the first minute of the second half, turning that into an easy layup. Hersey junior Annika Manthy (7 boards) hit a freebie, and senior Natalie Alesia (12 points, including 8 in the second quarter, and 8 rebounds) struck for a putback, expanding the Huskies' lead to 35-23.

Libertyville (29-5), indefatigable and resilient, responded resoundingly from there, trailing only 47-42 on a trey from Maryland commit Fisher with 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

But Eidle nailed a trey 15 seconds later.

The contest remained back-and-forth taut in the early stages of the fourth quarter, with Libertyville tallying the first 5 points and Hersey answering with a 7-0 stretch.

Eidle -- yep, her again -- netted a field goal at 3:47 to give her club a 61-49 lead.

"Resolve -- we showed that tonight," proud Wildcats coach Greg Pedersen said. "I liked how we competed after that first quarter. We produced a run after changing to a zone and using our defense to generate offense.

"That was a bumping, bruising game," he added.

"Playoff basketball," Eidle noted. "The aim is to move on.

"We're moving on."

Hersey received 15 points from senior Megan Mrowicki and 6 points and 6 rebounds from sophomore Keaton Craft.

Wildcats guard Rachel Rule chipped in 7 points. Teammates Talya Tillman and Maddy Kopala came down with 5 boards apiece.

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