After rallying from 16 points down in the fourth quarter of a regional semifinal, Sandburg’s girls basketball players believed they could do that again.
The only thing was this time it was against the top seed in the sectional.
There was no rally this time. The Eagles fell behind early and could never catch up, losing 68-31 to Marist in the Class 4A Rich Sectional semifinals on Feb. 25.
While Sandburg’s ending was disappointing, the season was not. The Eagles (25-9) had their most wins since going 32-4 and advancing to the state quarterfinals in 2004-05. They also won back-to-back regional championships for the first time in 19 years.
“I just got back on the team this season after two years,” said senior post player Monique Nkwogu, who was out with a medical condition. “So senior year, I had something to prove.
“We started the season slow (with a 3-5 record) and we questioned a little. But we learned how each other worked and to get 25 wins is really good.”
It was, but an early deficit against Marsit proved too much. The RedHawks raced out to a 14-0 lead before Nkwogu scored five straight points to trim the lead to 14-5 with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
After overcoming a 50-34 deficit with seven minutes to play and rallying for a 58-57 win over Rich in a Joliet West Regional semifinal, Sandburg felt it could erase a big deficit again.
“It was very motivating and reassuring that we could come back,” Nkwogu said of the rally against the Raptors. “I felt the whole time we could come back. It’s not over until it’s over.”
But it didn’t happen this time. Nine points was as close as the Eagles could get. It was 21-6 after the first quarter. Marist opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run and extended to a 39-10 lead at halftime. It was 56-25 after three.
Lucy Cosme led Marist with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. and had six rebounds. Her fellow junior and cousin Olivia Cosme hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored all 13 of her points in the first half, and sophomore Grace Harmon had seven of her 12 points in the first quarter.
Junior Olivia Trunk led Sandburg with nine points on a trio of 3-pointers. Nkwogu had eight points and seven rebounds, while junior Ellie Driscoll added six points for the Eagles. Sandburg went 5-of-15 from the free throw line and committed 26 turnovers.
“All season long we didn’t feel like we were out of any game,” Sandburg coach Nick Fotopoulos said. “But we missed a lot of shots and turned the ball over. Marist is the No. 1 seed for a reason. They’re a good team, a solid team.”
Fotopoulos was happy for his team to defeat Homewood-Flossmoor 62-50 on Feb. 20 to win the regional title.
“We wanted H-F, we felt like we matched up well with them,” he said of the Vikings.
The Eagles and Vikings split during the SouthWest Suburban season, with Sandburg winning 46-44 and losing 77-28.
“The last time we played (on Jan. 23) they tried to embarrass us,” Fotopoulos said. “So we had a chip on our shoulder and a 61-point turnaround.
“Our 25 wins is the most we’ve had in 20 years, So I’m proud of the girls for that and for winning another regional championship. There were a lot of special moments throughout the season and a lot to be proud of. The journey was a fun one.”
Abby Janociak and Olivia Prodehl, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds for the victory over Rich, are the only other seniors for Sandburg.
“Just the teammates, for sure,” Nkwogu said when asked what she will remember the most. “They were all very supportive.”