Shepard is having its best season in 20 years. Photo courtesy of Shepard High School
Girls Hoops Wrap | Nazareth gets top seed at Class 4A Mother McAuley sectional
By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
How about a dream Nazareth vs. Homewood-Flossmoor matchup, with the winner going to state and the loser staying home?
If the girls basketball coaches’ seedings come true, that’s exactly what will happen in Class 4A.
But there is a lot of basketball to be played — and a lot of upsets to avoid — before that happens.
The seedings were released Feb. 1 and the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional is loaded with area talent.
Nazareth, which won the Class 3A title in 2023 and has brought home top-three trophies three other times since 2018, has been bumped up to Class 4A and picked up the top seed over Chicago Public League powers Whitney Young and Kenwood.
Mother McAuley is seeded fourth, Lyons fifth, Riverside-Brookfield sixth, Oak Lawn seventh, Morton ninth, Reavis 11th, Richards 13th, Curie 15th, Kelly 17th and Argo 18th.
The winner would take on the Joliet West Sectional champion on Feb. 26 in the Hinsdale Central Supersectional.
Homewood-Flossmoor earned the top seed in the Joliet sectional. Stagg is seeded fifth, Sandburg sixth, Marist 13th and Shepard 14th.
In Class 3A, St. Laurence is the fourth seed at the St. Ignatius Sectional. De La Salle is fifth, Evergreen Park seventh, Kennedy ninth and Bogan 15th. Hyde Park grabbed the top seed.
In Class 2A, Catalyst Maria is seeded fourth in the sub-sectional of the Julian Sectional. Chicago Christian is seeded eighth in the Iroquois West Sectional.
The postseason begins with preliminary regional matchups on Feb. 10.
The state finals for all four classes are Feb. 29-March 2 at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.
Astounding Astros
Shepard may be a 14th seed, but it is having one of its best seasons in decades.
The Astros (16-9, 9-2 South Suburban Red) knocked off Bloom, 70-56, in a nonconference matchup Jan. 29. They were on fire from the outside, hitting nine 3-pointers. Jessica Manley had 25 points, Emma Greene scored 17, Bri Spain finished with 13 and Mia Stokes added 10.
The Astros followed that up with wins over Eisenhower and Lemont in SSC Red and crossover games, respectively. Their 16 victories are the program’s most since reaching that same total in the 2003-2004 season.
Milestone for Ameli
Stagg senior Ameli Sanchez became the sixth player in Chargers’ history to surpass 1,000 points when she hit the mark at Lincoln-Way West on Feb. 1.
Sanchez has committed to North Central College, where she will join former Nazareth and Morton College standout Jovanna Martinucci on the roster.
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