Nazareth's Gracie Carstensen, left, is guarded closely by St. Laurence freshman Sara Burzycki in Thursday's Class 3A regional final game in Burbank. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Hoops Wrap | Four area girls teams take regional titles
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
Four area girls basketball teams won regional championships to advance to sectional action, which was scheduled to start Feb. 21.
Two of those teams will play each other right away.
In Class 3A, Nazareth won the St. Laurence Regional and De La Salle won its own regional, setting up a showdown in the Goode STEM Academy Sectional semifinals.
Nazareth, which finished second in the state in 3A last year, opened the regional with a 2-0 forfeit win over Noble/Comer. The Roadrunners then beat the host Vikings, 73-27, in Burbank on Feb. 16 for the title. Sophomore Olivia Austin led Nazareth with 18 points and senior Gracie Carstensen added 16.
It is Nazareth’s 13th regional title, and fourth since 2018.
De La Salle topped Noble/Johnson 61-41 on Feb. 13 and soundly beat Englewood STEM, 56-18, Feb. 16 to win its fifth title, and third since 2019.
In Class 4A, Lyons Township and Mother McAuley are champs in the regional portion of the Proviso East Sectional.
Lyons opened with a 67-31 victory over Proviso West in the Riverside-Brookfield Regional on Feb. 13 and posted a 56-33 triumph over Hinsdale Central to claim its second regional title in a row and 17th overall. Nora Ezike scored 18 points and Ally Cesarini added 14 in the title game for the Lions.
McAuley beat Proviso East, 58-35, on Feb. 14 and knocked out Argo, 50-34, two days later to win its 30th regional crown. Maeve Egan had 18 points.
SXU coach Robert Ford has a discussion with an official in a victory over Roosevelt on Feb. 15. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Second place for SXU men
Saint Xavier University pulled off a huge Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Roosevelt, 75-65, on Feb. 15 to set up a three-way tie as SXU, Roosevelt and Olivet Nazarene each had 16-3 records in the conference with one game remaining for each.
But the Cougars were derailed from winning the title as they dropped an 85-79 decision to Olivet on Feb. 18 in Bourbonnais. SXU (22-6 overall) entered this week’s CCAC tournament as the second seed, as Roosevelt was upset by Governors State.
Jack Halverson and TJ Babikir each had 16 points for SXU against Roosevelt. Roosevelt’s Maurice Commander, who played at Marist for three years, had 23 points. The Lakers are coached by first-year head coach Dee Brown, who played at Illinois.
Big finish for Lyons
Because preliminary rounds of the IHSA boys basketball regionals were Feb. 18, many teams took the next night off and the schedule was abbreviated.
But Lyons held its blackout game and the Lions beat Lake Park, 52-46, in front of a packed house in LaGrange.
Niklas Polonowski had 17 points for the winners.
Local News
Red Stars fall to Spirit for third loss in past four matches
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent After enjoying one of their best starts in franchise history, the Chicago Red Stars have slid to the middle of the NWSL standings, with the latest setback being a 4-2 loss to Washington at SeatGeek Stadium. The Stars (3-3-1) entered this week having dropped three of their past four…
Red Stars take aim at NWSL attendance record with Wrigley game
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars are thinking big when it comes to their upcoming game at Wrigley Field. The team is taking aim at the NWSL record for single-game attendance when it hosts Bay FC at the historic home of the Chicago Cubs on June 8. The record is held…
IHSA announces boys volleyball postseason assignments
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Last year, the area sent a pair of boys volleyball teams to state as Lyons finished runner-up to champion Glenbard South and Brother Rice lost in the quarterfinals. This year, both could face each other in the sectional finals. The Lions picked up the second seed and the Crusaders…
Badminton players from Reavis and Lyons going to state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Reavis singles player Dania Amjad finished third in the Bolingbrook Sectional on May 2 to qualify for the IHSA state tournament. The Lyons doubles team of Simone Brown and Mia Graziano finished fourth in the York Sectional to qualify for state. The state finals are May 10-11 at DeKalb…
Brother Rice, Sandburg sending boats to bass fishing state tourney
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Brother Rice is sending two boats to the IHSA state bass fishing tournament. The Crusaders had first- and third-place finishes at the Des Plaines River Big Basin Marina Sectional on May 2. Sandwiched in between the Brother Rice boats was a group from Sandburg in second place. The Crusaders’…
Pritzker eyes service tax as transit fix
Spread the love. By Rich Miller . Governor JB Pritzker unexpectedly moved away last week from his long-standing opposition to taxing services, saying he didn’t want to start taking ideas off the table as lawmakers search for ways to fund and reform the Chicago region’s mass transit system. A major business group predictably pushed back.…
Lions Club District 1A Helen Keller race draws big field
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The damp weather from overnight rain did not deter more than 100 people on Sunday morning from getting some exercise. The 14th annual District 1A Helen Keller 5k Fun Run/Walk proudly took place along at Harold L. Richard’s High School, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn. “This is a really great…
Summer outdoor music scene heating up in southwest suburbs
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Summer is fast approaching and the southwest suburbs are getting ready to welcome a host of national musical acts. While the old standbys, such as SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview and Credit 1 Union Amphitheater in Tinley Park will continue to bring in the big names, places like Orland Park and…
EPCHS students collect shoes for Christmas Without Cancer Sneaker Drive
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Students in Evergreen Park Community High School’s junior physical education leadership class teamed up with the non-profit organization Christmas Without Cancer to help local families battling the devastation of cancer. The class – taught by EPCHS physical education teacher Ree McDonald – helped gather donations for Christmas Without Cancer’s second…
Swallow Cliff Chapter, NSDAR, honors JROTC cadets
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Swallow Cliff Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, participated in recent JROTC awards ceremonies held at Shepard High School in Palos Heights and Richards High School in Oak Lawn. The DAR JROTC award, consisting of a medal and certificate, was presented to Navy Cadet Emily Schrode at Richards…
Neighbors
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Remembering Lee Milner
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A group of lawmakers and influential environmental advocates are calling for broad changes to the state’s energy industry and a massive increase in state oversight of Chicagoland’s transit system – which faces a projected $730 million budget shortfall. Advocates for the policy platform, which is broken up into…
Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With about three weeks to go before the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring legislative session, supermajority Democrats showed their strength this week as fiscal forecasters noted state revenues remain on track. April is typically a make-or-break month for state coffers, as income…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…