It’s the best time of the year for high school basketball. The regular season has wrapped up for most teams, and conference tournaments and the CPS playoffs are set to begin.
Maine South is a battle-tested team when it comes to postseason basketball. The Hawks lost to Prospect but rebounded to beat Glenbrook North and York.
I covered Maine South’s loss to Prospect and came away impressed with the Hawks’ resilience. Though it scored only four points in the third quarter, Maine South battled back and made a game of it. Sophomore guard Hayden Fahy scored 17 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks are prone to scoring droughts because they lack creators on offense. But if Fahy can continue to develop and remain consistent, she gives them a dynamic ballhandler to pair with forward Ally Pape, one of the best scorers in the area.
Maine South still has a couple of major tests left in the regular season. They play Benet on Monday and Libertyville on Saturday.
2,000-point milestone
Young guard Destiny Jackson surpassed the 2,000-point milestone in an 83-26 victory against Morgan Park.
Jackson, an Illinois commit, also was impressive in the Dolphins’ loss to Kenwood. She scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out four assists. Her ability to get to a pull-up jumper is vital to Young’s offense.
The Dolphins’ offense runs primarily through Jackson out of ball screens. Her ability to create for herself and others is one of Young’s strengths.
Sophomore Gaby Domercant showcased her shooting ability in the loss to Kenwood, scoring 19 points. It’ll be interesting to see how the Dolphins rebound from that defeat. Keep an eye out for how Young adjusts to teams loading up to stop Jackson in the CPS playoffs.
Notes
Nazareth picked up a huge victory Wednesday against Benet, stopping the Redwings’ 22-game winning streak. Sophomore Sophia Towne had 12 points and five assists in the victory. Her ability to shoot, combined with her growing confidence in distributing, adds another dimension to the Roadrunners’ offense.
Nazareth is in the midst of an impressive stretch of high-quality play, winning 15 consecutive games. Forward Stella Sakalas remains a player to watch, and she’ll be one of the driving forces for the Roadrunners when the state playoffs start.
• Libertyville came back from a 12-point deficit to beat Lake Zurich 50-45 on Wednesday and clinch a share of the North Suburban Conference title. Forward Lily Fisher scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Wildcats are on a four-game winning streak,
including statement victories against Glenbrook South, Stevenson and Lake Zurich.
• Naperville North guard Natalie Frempong surpassed 1,000 points in the team’s victory against DeKalb. She’s the fourth player in program history to reach that milestone.
Super 25 high school girls basketball rankings for Feb. 2, 2025
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Kenwood (25-2) 1
Won the Red Shield
2. Lyons (26-1) 3
Plays Fremd on Saturday
3. St. Ignatius (22-3) 4
On nine-game winning streak
4. Nazareth (23-2) 9
Beat Benet
5. Loyola (25-2) 5
Plays Prospect on Wednesday
6. Benet (23-2) 2
Loss to Nazareth
7. Fremd (21-5) 7
Plays Schaumburg on Tuesday
8. Waubonsie Valley (23-1) 8
Plays Neuqua Valley on Tuesday
9. Young (18-8) 6
Lost to Kenwood
10. Huntley (25-0) 10
Host Crystal Lake Central
11. Prospect (21-6) 11
Beat Maine South
12. Libertyville (21-5) 14
Beat Glenbrook South
13. St. Charles North (20-6) 15
Hosts Batavia on Tuesday
14. Glenbrook South (19-9) 12
Hosts Evanston on Thursday
15. Maine South (20-7) 13
Hosts Benet on Monday.
16. Lake Zurich (19-7) 16
Hosts Zion-Benton on Tuesday
17. St. Charles East (21-6) 17
At Batavia on Thursday.
18. Marist (21-7) 18
At Saint Viator on Wednesday
19. Lockport (23-4) 20
Beat Homewood-Flossmoor
20. Hinsdale Central (19-7) 21
At Oak Park-River Forest on Tuesday
21. Downers Grove North (18-8) 19
Play Proviso West on Tuesday
22. Batavia (18-8) 22
At St. Charles North on Tuesday
23. Marian Catholic (22-6) 23
At Nazareth on Monday
24. Montini (18-8) 24
Host De La Salle on Monday
25. Glenbrook North (18-6) 25
Hosts Maine West on Tuesday