South Elgin likes to shoot the 3-pointer, and Burlington Central made sure not to give up many open looks in a 44-34 victory.

Prairie Ridge was beaming with confidence after a thrilling 47-39 Fox Valley Conference win over Huntley on Friday.

Cary-Grove came out firing in the second half, scoring on four of its first five offensive possessions and looking to grab momentum against Prairie Ridge after both teams struggled to find the basket in the game’s first 16 minutes. The Trojans cut the lead to 2 in the fourth, but Prairie Ridge made its free throws down the stretch and pulled away for a 37-29 victory in the teams’ Fox Valley Conference girls basketball game on Wednesday.

Burlington Central’s Taylor Charles has the capability to dominate a game at both ends of the floor. Posting a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, Charles was a main cog in Burlington Central’s 48-28 win over Crystal Lake South in Fox Valley Conference girls basketball action in Burlington.

To Evyn Carrier, Sycamore’s ongoing undefeated season – and the reward that has come along with it – goes beyond basketball itself.“I wouldn’t even say it’s about the title or the winning or the undefeated [season], it’s more about the bond that we have on this team,” Carrier said Monday following Sycamore’s convincing 56-24 victory over Hampshire on as part of the Batavia MLK tournament.

Taylor Charles envisioned a different ending to her final game in Montini’s venerable gymnasium.After playing two seasons for the a pair of elite Montini teams, including helping lead the Broncos to a third-place trophy in Class 3A in her sophomore season, Charles transferred to Burlington Central before her junior season. With long-time coach Jason Nichols also leaving to accept the head women’s basketball coaching job at Morton College, the Broncos lost several talented players due to a transfer exodus.As Charles walked off Montini’s court with 74 seconds left in regulation following Saturday’s 49-24 defeat to Class 4A powerhouse Young in the 32nd Annual Coach Derril Kipp Hoopfest, she admitted it was a strange feeling.

For two-and-a-half quarters, not much was clicking for Hampshire on Friday night against Crystal Lake South.The defense was a little bit passive on the inside while the offense was stagnant, a combination that might derail a team playing on the road and struggling to find its rhythm in a strange season.Then, almost all at once, the light bulb went on and the Whip-Purs understood what it would take to break through and produce a 41-32 Fox Valley Conference victory.

McHenry jumped out to a 16-point lead against Crystal Lake South after the first quarter and, after being outscored by 14 over the next eight minutes, the Warriors could have went into a second-half slumber.But that didn’t happen.

Burlington Central girls basketball coach Collin Kalamatas has noticed another level of play from 6-foot-2 forward Taylor Charles in recent games.“She’s made some big-time steps in the last few weeks,” Kalamatas said. “She is just a special player. Her impact on the defensive end is one thing, but she’s starting to get things going offensively, too. When the ball is in her hands, she looks sure of herself and everyone feeds off that.”

Mike Miazga takes a look at some of the highlights for girls basketball teams over the Christmas break, including stops at Batavia, South Elgin and Huntley, among others.