With regional blowouts out of the way, the IHSA sectional semifinals and finals commence this week. There are a bevy of matchups that will have high school basketball fans salivating.
Marist vs. Sandburg, Tuesday, Rich Township
To start, Marist won its first regional championship since 2022 last week. They’re playing a Sandburg team with an impressive 25-8 record. Sophomore Lily Porter is an emerging young player who’s made an indelible mark on the varsity team. She scored 21 points in Marist’s win over TF South. Porter has a strong handle that allows her to attack the basket. If Marist wins on Tuesday, it’ll set up a matchup against Lockport for the sectional championship.
Maine South vs. Glenbrook South, Tuesday Glenbrook North
This game could go either way; that’s how closely matched these two teams are. Maine South is prone to stretches where it can’t manufacture points. In the state tournament, extended scoring droughts could come back to hurt them. But the Hawks sport a talent-laden team that — when they’re clicking — is difficult to stop. Senior Ally Pape is a consistent force for Maine South, showing the ability to drive or knock down threes. Junior forward Asia Kobylarcyk is a deterrent in the paint, using her long arms to challenge and block shots.
However, Glenbrook South is one of the most underrated teams in the area. Led by DePaul commit Gina Davorija, the Titans can compete with most teams. In fact, the Titans knocked off Maine South in a Dec. 6 game between the two teams — but Glenbrook South lost 54-35 in a January rematch. The Titans have impressive wins against Montini, Lane, Hinsdale Central and St. Charles East. But the Titans have also been blown out to Lake Zurich and Loyola and have losses to Libertyville and Waubonsie Valley. Inconsistency has plagued both teams this season, adding some intrigue to the matchup.
Young vs. Lyons, Tuesday, Lyons
Lyons, the No. 1 seed, has the home-field advantage in its semifinal game against Young. This matchup is enticing because of the two team’s contrasting styles. Lyons thrives with its versatile bigs (Stanford commit Nora Ezike and junior Emma O’Brien), while guard Destiny Jackson powers Young.
Notes
• Loyola guard Aubrey Galvan crossed the 2,000-point milestone last week. It’s not surprising, given how lethal of a scorer Galvan is. Galvan can heat up in an instance and score at all three levels. She’s one of the most difficult guards to guard in the area,
• St. Ignatius won its most games in program history after Friday’s regional championship win over Chicago University. At 24-6, the Wolfpack are clicking as the state playoffs start to ramp up.
• Young senior guard Alana Shields committed to Langston University. Shields is one of the keys to the Dolphins’ success. Shields is quick with the ball in her hands and a terror on defense. She rebounds very well for her position despite her height.
Super 25 high school girls basketball rankings for Feb. 23 ,2025
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Loyola (31-2) 1
Plays Glenbrook North on Tuesday
2. Nazareth (31-2) 2
Plays Kenwood on Tuesday
3. Fremd (26-5) 3
Plays Rolling Meadows on Tuesday
4. Kenwood (30-3) 4
Plays Nazareth on Tuesday
5. Benet (28-2) 5
Plays Downers Grove North on Tuesday
6. Lyons (31-2) 6
Plays Young on Tuesday
7. Young (24-8) 7
Beat Mother McAuley
8. St. Ignatius (24-6) 8
Plays Jones on Wednesday
9. Waubonsie Valley (29-1) 9
Plays Bolingbrook on Tuesday
10. Libertyville (27-5) 10
Beat Carmel
11. Prospect (26-7) 11
Beat Palatine
12. Huntley (33-0) 12
Plays Lake Zurich on Tuesday
13. St. Charles East (26-6) 13
Plays Glenbard West on Tuesday
14. Glenbrook South (24-9) 14
Plays Maine South on Tuesday
15. Lake Zurich (24-7) 15
On seven-game winning streak
16. Maine South (24-9) 16
On three-game winning streak
17. St. Charles North (23-8) 17
Beat Proviso West
18. Marist (24-8) 20
Won first regional since 2022
19. Lockport (28-4) 19
Beat Andrew
20. Providence (22-11) 21
On four-game winning streak
21. Glenbrook North (24-6) 25
Beat Lane
22. Batavia (23-9) 23
Plays Wheaton North Tuesday
23. Marian Catholic (23-8) 24
Plays Butler on Tuesday
24. Hinsdale Central (23-8) 18
Lost to Nazareth
25. Rolling Meadows (22-8) NR
Won a regional championship