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30 | January 3, 2019 | The Mokena Messenger sports mokenamessenger.com Girls basketball Griffins take own tourney title for 4th straight year RANDY WHALEN, Freelance Reporter Savage. There are times when Katchie Savic has her last name accidentally said that way. Well, the Lincoln- Way East senior guard doesn’t mind it at all. “It can happen a lot I guess,” Savic said. “But I kind of like it when they say it.” Savic liked her performance last week because it was pretty savage. Especially the last day as she scored a career-high 31 points in helping to spark the host Griffins to a 65-50 victory over Glenbard West in the title game of their own Medieval Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 29, in Frankfort. It was the fourth straight season that East has won the title. With its fifth win in a row, East (12-4) hopes to propel itself for another nice run in the second half of this season. “Katchie is really just getting better all the time,” East coach Jim Nair said. “She’s shooting about 50 percent on 3-pointers and over 80 percent from the free throw line. “But while Katchie finished with the most points, there were so many girls who set a screen for her or hit big shots when she gave it to them. They were very concerned with Kaley [Sheehan] and that gave us a lot of gaps. I think the biggest key to the game was our defensive pressure kind of wore them down and that all started with Sydney Nekola, who was really able to slow down Katelyn Heller, since their offense goes through her. We kind of wore them down in the second half. Andie Perch stepped up and our rebounding in the second half was much better than in the first half.” The Griffins trailed 35-31 at halftime and 38-34 just over a minute into the second half. But at that point, they embarked on a 21-0 blitz. Savic put them ahead for good at 39-38 on an old-fashioned three-point play with 4:30 left in The Lincoln-Way East girls basketball team pose with the Medieval Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament plaque on Saturday, Dec. 29. It was the fourth year in a row the host Griffins captured the title. Randy Whalen/22nd Century Media the third quarter. From there both Savic and junior guard Olivia Molnar (10 points) scored four points apiece as East opened a 47-38 lead after three. In the third quarter, Glenbard West was 1-of-17 from the floor while committing seven turnovers. Savic, who had nine points total in the 21-0 run, had another driving layup to open the fourth quarter. Junior forward Andie Perch (8 points, 6 rebounds) and junior guard Lilly Genis (6 points) added 3-pointers as the lead grew to 55- 38 with 6:05 to play in the game. The Hilltoppers never got closer than 13 points after that. “We were all in it together and played hard as a team and we never gave up and kept fighting until the end,” Savic said. “When it was down low with their two bigs, we just helped and Andie [Perch] was on fire getting rebounds for us. I wanted to win this so I contributed in any way and I felt good. Our defense plays really well and we were able to pressure them, and I also liked how we ran our fast breaks.” Senior guard Kaley Sheehan (7 points) performed well throughout the four-day tournament and joined Savic on the all-tournament team. “It was fun and we work really hard in practice and couldn’t do anything that we’ve been able to accomplish without our amazing coaching staff,” Sheehan said. “We work really hard and we couldn’t do it without everyone on the team. We don’t have just five or six strong players, our whole team is filled with strong players. We all know what we’re capable of and have faith in each other and our coaches put confidence in everyone. It’s a positive vibe all the way around.” Based on the first half it looked like the game would go down to the wire as there were two ties and seven lead changes. East led 19-18 after the first quarter, but the Hilltoppers rallied for a 27-21 lead midway through the second quarter, and later scored the final five points of the first half for the 35-31 lead at intermission. Glenbard West was led by a pair of all-tournament selections. They were sophomore guard Maggie Stutelberg (20 points, including six 3-pointers) and senior forward Katelyn Heller, who was limited to five points against East. Post players junior Taylor Huff (12 points) and senior Nicholette Adamski (11 points) were other scoring leaders for the Hilltoppers in the title game. In other games on the final day of the tournament, Providence defeated Hinsdale South 68-44 for seventh, Lincoln-Way Central defeated Hinsdale South 47-38 for fifth, and Minooka toppled Andrew 59-48 for third. The tourney opened on Wednesday, Dec. 26, and East defeated Andrew 53-41 in pool play. Sheehan led the Griffins with 17 points while junior forward Isis Finch led Andrew with 20 points in the loss. The next day, the Griffins toppled Hinsdale South 49-38 behind 16 points from Sheehan. Then on Friday, Dec. 28, East defeated Providence 65-48. Savic led the Griffins, who raced out to a 15-0 lead to start the game, with 22 points. For the 17th straight season, the tournament named an honorary chairperson. This year’s recipient was former East girls basketball coach Jim Martin, who compiled a 341-153 record in 17 seasons as coach at the school. His teams won four conference and nine regional titles, and set a school record with 28 wins in advancing to the Sweet 16 in Class 4A last season. The Griffins are back in action with a pair of SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division games to open the new year. First at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, when Lockport Township comes to Frankfort. Then at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, they travel to Orland Park for game against Sandburg.
mokenamessenger.com sports the Mokena Messenger | January 3, 2019 | 31 fastbreak Girls basketball Knights place 5th at Medieval Classic tourney 22nd Century Media file photo 1st-and-3 LW girls basketball 1. Griffins lock it up Lincoln-Way East’s girls basketball team claimed its fourth consecutive Medieval Classic Tournament title, rolling past Andrew, Hinsdale South, Providence and Glenbard West. 2. Back to even The Knights girls basketball team took care of Hinsdale South to take fifth at the tourney and even their record at 7-7 on the season. 3. Up next The Knights host Thornton on Thursday, Jan. 3, while the Griffins host Lockport Township on Friday, Jan. 4. RANDY WHALEN, Freelance Reporter Mountains and valleys. That’s a good metaphor for the Lincoln-Way Central girls’ basketball highs and lows team so far this season, including their most recent game, too. That was a 47-38 victory over Hinsdale South on Saturday, Dec. 29, in the fifth-place game on the final day of the Medieval Classic at Lincoln-Way East in Frankfort. The victory left Central (7-7) at the .500 mark at the midpoint of the season. “We have been an ebb and flow team,” Central coach Dave Campanille said. “Our highs are so high and our lows are in the valley. But we also have great heart and toughness and that drive has helped us.” Early on against Hinsdale South (5-10), which lost for the sixth time in seven games, it was all Knights as they raced out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter. Junior guard Regan LoConte, who was named to the All- Tournament team, led the charge in the first quarter by scoring 13 of her 16 points in the first quarter. “In the first quarter, I felt I could do anything,” said LoConte, who added four rebounds and three assists in the game. “Then they really clamped down on defense and were face-guarding me.” The Hornet defense, coupled with some foul trouble from Central, allowed them to cut the lead to 31-23 at halftime. “A couple of us got into foul trouble and then we got mixed up on some matchups,” Central senior forward Abi Baumgartner said. “We had some mental lapses. We kept our composure, we knew we were Lincoln-Way Central sophomore guard Megan Hutchinson goes for a floater in the lane. Hutchinson had eight points Saturday, Dec. 29 in the fifth-place game against Hinsdale South. 22nd Century Media file photo the better team, we just had to finish strong. “We have a good culture going here. We just need to play a solid four quarters.” Baumgartner (13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), sophomore guard Megan Hutchinson (8 points), and senior center Lily Zopf (6 points) also contributed for the Knights. Hinsdale South cut the Knight lead to 35-32 with a minute left in the third quarter. But the Knights scored a quick five points to gain a 40-32 lead after three. LoConte scored her only three second-half points on an old-fashioned three-point play with 9.7 seconds left in the quarter to cap it off. The Hornets closed within 42-38 on a three-point play by junior forward Erin Adams with 5:03 remaining in the game. But they wouldn’t score again as Hutchinson and Baumgartner scored key points down the stretch. “We just have a good connection and a strong bond,” LoConte said of the Knights. “In the second half of the season, I expect a lot more wins and us not to let teams back in the game.” In other games on the final day of the tournament, Providence defeated Hinsdale South 68-44 for seventh, Minooka toppled Andrew 59-48 for third, and Lincoln-Way East won its fourth consecutive tournament title with a 65-50 victory over Glenbard West behind 31 points from tournament MVP Katchie Savic. The day before, on Friday, Dec. 28, Central fell to eventual tournament runner-up Glenbard West 65-37 in the final day of pool play. LoConte (13 points) led the way. On Thursday, Dec. 27, the Knights were edged 44-41 by Minooka. LoConte (12 points, 4 assists) and Baumgartner (11 points, 8 rebounds) paced Central. On the opening day of the tourney, which was Wednesday, Dec. 26, the Knights defeated Bloom Township, 53-35. Hutchinson (14 points, 3 rebounds) and Baumgartner (11 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks) were the leaders. The Knights have a pair of South- West Suburban Conference Red Division games to kick off the new year. First is a 6 p.m. home game on Thursday, Jan. 3, against Thornton. Then at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, they travel to South Holland for a game against host Thornwood. Listen Up “We were all in it together and played hard as a team and never gave up and kept fighting until the end.” Katchie Savic – Lincoln-Way East girls basketball senior guard, on winning the school’s Medieval Classic Tournament. TUNE IN Wrestling 9 a.m. Jan. 5 • Lincoln-Way Central hosts the Lincoln-Way Central Mega Duals. Index 27 – Athlete of the Month 28 – Athletic Year in Review FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor T.J. Kremer III, tj@ mokenamessenger.com.
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