By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

The IHSA has announced its postseason assignments for girls basketball, and Mother McAuley will be the place to be in Class 4A.

The 18-team McAuley Sectional features the hosts and Class 3A defending state champion Nazareth along with fellow area programs Morton, Reavis, Curie, Kelly, Lyons, Oak Lawn, Richards, Riverside-Brookfield and Argo.

At the 18-team Joliet West Sectional, area teams that will battle are Marist, Sandburg, Shepard and Stagg.

The winners of the McAuley and Joliet West sectionals face off Feb. 26 in the Hinsdale Central Supersectional.

In Class 3A, St. Laurence, Back of the Yards, Bogan, De La Salle, Goode STEM Academy and Kennedy are at the St. Ignatius Sectional.

Evergreen Park is at the Thornton Sectional.

In Class 2A, Chicago Christian plays in the Iroquois West Sectional.

Seeds will be announced Feb. 1. The playoffs are scheduled to open Feb. 10.

 

Early Holidays
Sandburg beat Oak Lawn 47-42 to take third place in the Spartans’ eight-team holiday tournament, which wrapped up Dec. 16.

All-tournament player Zoe Trunk led the Eagles (8-6) with 19 points and twin sister Olivia Trunk added 12.

Teagan Kryzstof had 15 points for Oak Lawn — all on 3-pointers.

The Spartans’ Danielle Dempsey was named to the all-tournament team.

Oak Lawn wasn’t the only tournament to get a jump on the holiday tournament season. Marian Catholic held an eight-team tournament in Chicago Heights, where Rich Township beat St. Laurence, 51-39, for fifth place on Dec. 15.

Vikings freshman Aaliyah Flores won her second all-tournament honor. She also was the MVP at the Beecher Fall Classic in November.

 

Macs Mighty v. Marist
The annual heated rivalry between Marist and Mother McAuley took place Dec. 13 at Marist. The Mighty Macs McAuley left with a convincing 51-38 victory.

Quinn Arundel finished up with 15 points for the Macs (8-4, 3-0 Girls Catholic Red) and Maeve Egan added eight.

Marist has won just three of its first 11 games.

RedHawks freshman Grace Harmon led the RedHawks against McAuley with 12 points. Caroline Flynn is another freshman gaining valuable experience for Marist.

 

Heading south
Nazareth will participate in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invite scheduled to be held Dec. 27-30 over winter break.

The defending Class 3A state champs, who are in Class 4A this year, will take on Miami Country Day in the first round.

Bolingbrook and Young are other Illinois schools in the eight-team tournament.