Samantha Trimberger chose to focus on the positive potential of an outcome, rather than the pressure of the situation.

Rilee Hasegawa knows the tough hurdle in front of Geneva.

In the end, Caroline Madden ultimately had one assignment.

Amid the fracas of celebratory photos and clutching a sectional title plaque, a handful of Geneva’s basketball players found a moment to sing in unison to words that encapsulates the effort and grit they’ve embraced from the beginning this season.

Leah Palmer gets a full-view picture of the floor while directing traffic in Geneva’s defensive press from the back row.

Caroline Madden doesn’t ask for any other task.

Leah Palmer drained a 3-pointer with 26.8 seconds left in overtime, part of a 23-point performance that also saw the Geneva defense force turnovers on two late Sycamore possessions in a Vikings win.

Having already clinched the DuKane Conference championship, Geneva had its sights on a second straight undefeated league campaign.

As a high school player, Katie Claussner excelled at the point guard position for St. Charles East, helping lead the Saints to a Class 4A regional championship during her senior season in 2014-2015.

Geneva struggled to score 10 points in the first quarter of Saturday’s DuKane Conference game against Batavia.

After a missed St. Charles North 3-pointer in the final seconds, Geneva senior forward Lauren Slagle fittingly was the one to corral the ball at the end of the Vikings’ 54-46 victory over the North Stars on Thursday.

Call her crafty or a determined driver, Montini junior guard Victoria Matulevicius has the uncanny ability to score around the rim in the tightest windows.

Lake Park’s 24-point third quarter made things interesting for a while, but couldn’t stop the Geneva from winning 70-51 for their 11th straight win and seventh in as many DuKane games.

Geneva’s Leah Palmer admitted there was a little different feeling prior to her team’s girls basketball game against St. Charles East Tuesday night.

Playing against several college-bound players, Geneva senior point guard Rilee Hasegawa was an unlikely hero on Friday night.

Geneva junior guard Caroline Madden’s impact in Thursday’s game against Naperville North can’t be accurately measured by points.Madden scored just two points, though it did come in a key segment of the game with 8.7 seconds left in regulation.

Cassidy Arni made a point to make a memorable moment even more memorable on Wednesday night.

With the killer schedule Geneva plays, it’s going to take more than a slow start at rival Batavia for the Vikings to worry.

Lauren Slagle’s maturation as a basketball player is unfolding for all to see.

Improvement cannot simply be judged by wins and losses. Despite its 0-7 record, Bartlett’s girls basketball team showed marked signs of improvement during last week’s Upstate Eight Conference action. After dropping a 45-41 decision to Glenbard East (3-3, 2-0) on Nov. 29, the Hawks (0-2 in UEC play) suffered a 42-41 loss to West Chicago last Friday. Junior Amadea Montijo paced the Hawks with a game-high 24 points, while seniors Johnyea Wyatt and Sam Blanchard added 6 points apiece. Defensively, sophomore guard Ceci Desarden was credited with taking a pair of charges. “We have been getting better every day,” said Bartlett coach Tanner Gardon. “We now have had two close games with chances to win at the end. “Those games didn’t turn out the way we wanted but we are doing some really good things and the girls are stepping up.” Considering the Hawks went 0-5 and suffered double-digit defeats in every game at the season-opening Schaumburg Thanksgiving Classic, the narrow conference losses are something to build upon. “It’s all about whether this group can come together and fully trust each other,” said Gardon, whose team begins a 4 games in 6 days stretch Thursday against East Aurora. “If we do that, these close games will start ending with Ws.” Defending Upstate Eight Conference champion South Elgin began its title defense with a 73-45 victory over Elgin on Nov. 29. However, South Elgin’s 20-game conference winning streak – dating back 2 years – came to an end following last Friday’s 53-45 loss to Glenbard South (6-0, 2-0) in Glen Ellyn. Senior point guard Raina Yang scored a team-high 18 points against the Raiders. Yang, a 4-year starter, is the captain and “quarterback” of the team, according to Storm head coach Dan Mandernack. “Raina has kept us afloat,” said Mandernack. “She is so skilled and smart on the floor and her effort to begin the season has been unbelievable.” Playing without injured senior forward Zoie Lewis (expected back in January) and sophomore Lexi Lopez, South Elgin has struggled at times against taller competition. “We are getting beat on the offensive glass a ton and giving up many second-chance points,” said Mandernack. “Glenbard South outrebounded us on the offensive end, 28-4.” South Elgin takes to the road for back-to-back games against Glenbard East and Schaumburg Friday and Saturday. “The kids’ heart and hustle is amazing, and I’m very proud of the effort and desire,” said the coach. “Better days will come. Our schedule has been extremely tough which will help us in the long run.” Geneva earned a split last weekend, defeating Glenbard North 55-28 in its DuKane Conference opener last Friday before suffering a 61-57 loss to Barrington in Saturday’s Chicagoland Classic at Fremd. Lauren Slagle led the Vikings with 12 points against Glenbard North, while Cassidy Arni and Leah Palmer chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Against Barrington, the Vikings (5-2, 1-0) received an 18-point performance from Palmer but it wasn’t enough to offset the Fillies’ sizzling 18-for-20 free-throw shooting. Arni added 11 points for Geneva. “We had two good looks that just didn’t go down,” said Geneva coach Sarah Meadows. “Barrington shot a lot of foul shots in the second half (12 of 13). We must be better from the line (7 of 15). “These games are helping us so much. They’re exactly the type of games we want to be a part of.”

The final 3-point attempt from Abby Drendel clanked off the rim and safely into the waiting arms of Leah Palmer to cap off Geneva’s comeback win.

Huntley’s girls basketball team capped off Thanksgiving week by capturing the Dundee-Crown Tournament with a 55-38 victory over Palatine behind a career-high 25 points from Jessie Ozzauto.

Here’s a look at what to expect this winter for the DuKane Conference girls basketball teams.

During a pivotal second-quarter run, Geneva made Sycamore pay almost every time the Spartans turned the ball over.