Evanston’s seniors are determined to leave a winning legacy by the time the girls 2023-24 basketball season is over.
And the Wildkits came this close to taking down three-time defending conference champion Maine South Friday night in Park Ridge before faltering in the final two minutes of regulation play.
South star Megan Fahy tossed in a game-tying 3-point basket at the buzzer, and the Hawks went on to score a 64-53 overtime triumph over the Kits.
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Evanston, now 7-2 on the season, had a seven-point cushion to start the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth contest in which four players fouled out, two on each side. But the Kits couldn’t hang on without help for the 1-2 punch of Zuri Ransom (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Kailey Starks (16 points, 7 rebounds).
Fahy paced unbeaten Maine South, ranked No. 7 in the Class 4A Associated Press state poll this week, with 25 points.
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“It was a tough loss,” said ETHS head coach Brittanny Johnson, whose only other loss came against No. 1 ranked Bolingbrook. “We got tired, turned the ball over and missed some shots at the end. We didn’t handle the last two minutes (of the fourth quarter) very well.
“Their bench outplayed our bench. They got production out of their bench and we really didn’t. Maine South is a good, solid team and we got no production from anyone besides Zuri and Kailey. I’m hoping this experience will help them understand that it takes everyone to get the job done.”
The Hawks scored the victory in front of a raucous home crowd that Johnson called “one of the largest I’ve ever seen in a regular season game.” And, according to assignments released this week by the Illinois High School Association, Maine South will host the local Class 4A sectional tournament, so the Kits will be aiming for a postseason trip with a different end result.
“Our goal is to get back there and be excited about sitting in those seats in the lockerroom after a win,” Johnson proclaimed.
The Wildkit girls wind up the 2023 portion of the season with a Monday trip to Stevenson, and then a home date next Thursday versus arch-rival New Trier.
Johnson’s squad will be matched against Lincoln-Way Central in the first round of the Morton Holiday Tournament set for Morton College. The Kits open tourney play on Dec. 27th at 3:30 p.m.
Also in the tournament field are Hersey, Geneva, Marist, Fremd, Lincoln-Way West, Mother McAuley, Lyons, Batavia, Sycamore, Butler Prep, Lake Zurich, Peoria Notre Dame, Trinity and Alton.
