MARCH 5,
2010
CLASS 3A GIRLS BASKETBALL SEMI-FINALS
NORMAL, Ill. — After the game team captain,
Uniquah Hampton, made a very profound statement that “I can’t be a ball
hog!” This statement proved to be so true as the Lady Hawks advance to
the state finals for the first team in school history as they defeated
Oswego 54-45 in the Class 3A semifinals.
In this contest, it was junior center Yolanda De La Torre that had the
hot hands as she finished with a season high of 18 points, including a
key short jumper that led to an offensive run for the Lady Hawks.
"I felt like I was on fire, so I had to take it," said De La Torre after
the game. "They (the fans) just care. We couldn't let them down. They
didn't come all the way here for nothing."
She also grabbed 8 boards and blocked 2 shots.
"She had a big game," said Hillcrest senior Kristin Marshall. "She
finished. She knew they had some great post players, so she had to step
up. She's only a junior, so just imagine what she's going to be like
next year."
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers had lots of turnovers, 17 of
their 27 in the first half, which resulted in the offensive explosion
for the Lady Hawks. They went on a 20-4 run with a lead of 27-14 at
halftime.
For the Panthers, they were led by Brittany Collier who knocked down 23
points.
What seems to be a post-season problem for Hillcrest is the charity
stripe. In this contest, they went 2-for-11 in the fourth quarter, where
they could have extended their lead and sealed the contest much earlier.
“It (free-throws) has a lot to do with nerves,” said Hillcrest coach John
Maniatis. “This is a new experience for them.”
Hillcrest will face either Springfield or Montini Saturday afternoon in
their first state championship.
*****************
NORMAL — The Bronco's rode their way to the state finals on the back of
junior point guard Whitney Holloway winning 57-40. Holloway scored a
game-high 19 points in the victory.
“I thought we played hard and we really wanted to get to the state title
game,” Holloway said. “That’s what we’ve been thinking about all season,
and now that we’re here it’s just really coming to life and we’re really
glad we got this one down.”
After ending the first half with a 10-point lead,
Springfield rallied twice in the contest. The first time, in the third
quarter, they were able to into Montini's lead to 3 but the Broncos
responded with a 9-1 run of their own. The next time rally by the
Senators was in the fourth, as they scored six unanswered points, but
once more, the Broncos responded with Whitney Adams knocking down a shot
from long-distance.
“A lot of it starts with Whitney,” Montini coach Jason Nichols said.
Springfield’s offensive spark come by way of sophomore guard Zahna
Medley, who leads the Senators in scoring with a 19 points per game
average. In this contest, Montini’s defense held Medley below her season
high and she only scored 12 points.
So, the table is set for the Class 3A finals... Hillcrest vs. Montini -
Saturday, March 6 at 2:00pm (Redbird arena). See you guys at the
baseline.
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