By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
The field has been finalized for the third Sandburg Holiday Classic, which is the only girls basketball holiday tournament in the area to feature 16 teams.
The host Eagles will be joined in the event, to be held Dec. 27-29, by area teams Oak Lawn, Richards, Argo and Riverside-Brookfield.
Also in the field will be Andrew, Lincoln-Way East, Romeoville, Providence, Hinsdale South, Downers Grove South, Plainfield East, Hammond, Glenbard East, Yorkville and Minooka.
The champions of the first two Holidays Classics have come from the Lincoln-Way area, as Lincoln-Way Central won the inaugural event in 2021 and Lincoln-Way East won in 2022.
As always, the Oak Lawn Holiday Tournament will get a jump on the rest of the tournaments as it opens play Dec. 9, and continues Dec. 13 and Dec. 16. Sandburg will play in that tournament, as will Riverside-Brookfield, Romeoville, Lockport, Lindbloom, Thornwood and Thornton Fractional South.
Naz streak snapped
Nazareth’s 34-game winning streak was snapped on Dec. 2 with a 38-28 setback to Downers Grove North in the Chicagoland Invitational Showcase at Fremd
Roadrunner star Amalia Dray, who also plays soccer and is a Boston College recruit in that sport, missed the game. Sophia Towne, a freshman, led Nazareth with eight points.
Last season, the Roadrunners finished 33-1 and won the IHSA Class 3A championship. Their last loss came Dec. 3, 2022 against Notre Dame (Green Bay, Wis.), 64-38. Their last loss to an Illinois program was March 5, 2022, when they were beaten 43-39 by Carmel in the state Class 3A championship game.
Harmon-y at Marist
A player to watch at Marist is freshman Grace Harmon.
Last season, Harmon was a grade-school star for Most Holy Redeemer. She picked up some time with the RedHawks varsity team last summer.
Harmon has had some impressive defensive performances early in the regular season, but busted loose with 22 points in a 55-38 victory over Joliet Catholic on Nov. 30 to open the East Suburban Catholic Conference season.
Block party
Shannon Earley, a 6-foot-2 junior at Stagg, was a strong presence in a 57-32 win over Reavis on Nov. 29, as she blocked a school-record eight shots.