Belvidere North playing better than .500

By Chris Johnson

REPORTER

On Friday, Jan. 27, Belvidere North hosted Harlem and did so in an un-welcoming fashion as they outpaced their guests by 25 points, winning 68-43.

In the win over Guilford on Friday, Feb. 3, the offense stayed nearly as sharp as they pulled away to a 16-point, 60-44 decision.

Over the past week of games, the Belvidere North Lady Blue Thunder are 2-1. They have won and lost within the NIC-10, and the loss has come to a team everyone has lost to this year, Boylan. The 18-point decision in favor of the conference’s undisputed leader was much closer than many teams can claim when they played Boylan this year.

Belvidere North is showing maturity as they work through the late games on the NIC-10 schedule. There isn’t any position to make up within the conference.

Most of the attention has to be shifted to the post-season waiting just days away. The Lady Blue Thunder have played well enough to win on a consistent basis and have proven the ability to find success streaks.

Since the Jan.10 cross-county battle with Belvidere, the Lady Blue Thunder are 6-5. Belvidere North has a lot more things going for it than a lot of the other teams within the conference. It’s doubtful anyone can catch Boylan this season. Boylan entered this past weekend of games with a 13-0 conference record.

The Lady Titans were favored to win the conference match over Belvidere North and inch closer to securing the top seed in the 4A Hampshire Sectional Complex. That goal was achieved and recognized after the IHSA Selection Committee met Thursday, Feb. 2.

Two games remain on the winter sports schedule for Belvidere North beginning with a Tuesday, Feb. 7 showdown at Hononegah. The contest gives the Blue Thunder a chance at redemption from a Dec. 2, loss at home to Hononegah 74-42.

The post-season begins at Harlem High School for Belvidere North on Wednesday, Feb. 15. They are the five seed and will take on three-seed Rockford East.

The winner will move on to the Friday, Feb. 17 regional final against, presumably, the Hononegah Indians who received the two-seed in the Hampshire-Sectional Complex. Elgin Larkin hosts one half of the 4A Hampshire-Sectional Field and Harlem hosts the other half.

Squads which will be joining Belvidere North in the Class 4A Tournament include many of the NIC-10 opponents the Lady Blue Thunder deal with annually including Hononegah, East, and Harlem. Other NIC-10 squads will play in the Class 3A Tournament which also tips-off on Monday, Feb. 13.