Girls Basketball: Evanston will have to wait another year for postseason titles
BY MATT HARNESS mharness@pioneerlocal.com February 17, 2012 9:36PM
Evanston, 02/17/12 Evanston's Nikki Gill looks to drive past Loyola's Colleen McShane during their regional final at Evanston Feb. 17. | Curtis Lehmkuhl~Sun-Times Media
STANDINGS
CSL South
*Niles West 8-2 22-8
Maine South 7-3 25-6
New Trier 6-4 20-10
Glenbrook S. 5-5 22-7
Evanston 4-6 15-13
Waukegan 0-10 2-23
CSL North
*Maine West 9-1 13-17
Niles North 8-2 17-13
Glenbrook N. 5-5 18-9
Highland Park 5-5 13-12
Deerfield 2-8 6-23
Maine East 1-9 6-19
* — conference champions
(Records through Sunday
Article Extras
Updated: March 24, 2012 8:09AM
Loyola’s seniors fingerprints were all over Friday’s win.
From Lauren Kriz to K.C. Stralka to Colleen McShane to Michelle Ricolcol, all of them played their part in the Ramblers’ 46-31 win over Evanston. The victory at Evanston gave fourth-seeded Loyola its first regional championship since 2009.
“It feels really, really good,” said Ricolcol, who scored seven of her 13 points in the decisive fourth quarter, including a clutch three-point play followed by a steal and basket.
Alecia Cooley’s basket in the first minute of the fourth quarter left Evanston down one, 27-26. That’s when the Ramblers took off.
Kriz scored the first four points of a 9-0 run that sent Loyola on its way to the win. The Ramblers (23-7) outscored the sixth-seeded Wildkits (16-13) 19-7 in the final eight minutes.
“In the first half, we were a little jittery,” Ricolcol said. “In the second half, we were back to our normal, and we settled down. We had to keep our foot on their throat.”
One of the biggest shots of the fourth came from the team’s only freshman. Sarah Elston’s three-pointer from the corner extended Loyola’s advantage to 34-26.
“The coaches kept telling me to focus on my shot, and I kept that in the back of my mind,” the 6-foot Elston said. “It worked out well.”
Elston was happy to win a regional title for the seniors.
“That’s who we have played for all season,” she said. “We don’t want the season to end. Everything we do is for them.”
Kriz kept Loyola in the game during the first half. The senior scored seven points as the Ramblers went into the half down 17-16. Stralka’s defense also quieted Cooley’s presence in the post.
The back-and-forth third quarter eventually went to the Ramblers, who led 27-24 going into the fourth.
Evanston’s Sierra Clayborn scored 11 of her team-best 12 points in the first half. Loyola held the sophomore scoreless in the fourth. The 6-2 junior Cooley finished with 10 points as the Wildkits still are without a regional title since 2008.
Kriz finished with a game-high 14 points.
“All the seniors contributed to this game in many different ways,” Schoenecker said.
Loyola plays top-seeded Maine South on Tuesday at the New Trier Sectional.
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