Lady Bucs post-season settled

By Chris Johnson

REPORTER

This Friday’s match for the Belvidere Lady Bucs on the road at Guilford helps bring to an end the regular-season portion of the winter sports schedule.

The playoffs start on Monday, Feb. 13. On Wednesday Feb. 7, the Lady Bucs battle in Freeport as their journey west to close things down continues.

On Friday, Feb. 3, Belvidere’s season-closing three-game road swing began in defeat at the hands of the Harlem Lady Huskies 49-41. The match played evenly through the first eight-minutes but then shifted significantly the home team’s way in the second.

At the half, the Lady Bucs had fallen down, 27-16. Harlem used inside strength and capitalized on second chance opportunities to stretch the advantage.

The fortunes continued for the home team in the third period as a more than two-to-one scoring advantage was secured. Belvidere’s six-points fell short of the 14 allowed. The lead jumped to nearly 20 points for Harlem, 41-22 heading into the fourth.

The Lady Bucs stood strong in the final frame and chipped away at their impressive deficit.

With an offensive push, they scored 19 points in the game’s final minutes. Harlem was held to eight. The Lady Huskies halftime scramble and subsequent third-period showing had earlier secured the 49-41 win. There wasn’t enough game time left to complete the comeback for Belvidere.

The post-season is now just days away, and Belvidere can start prepping for the path in front of them. They entered the final week of regular-season game play with a record of 3-11 in the NIC-10 and an overall 7-17 mark.

Statistically, the numbers will indicate a below -.500 finish for the season. As history supports, a statistical sub -.500 season can be forgotten, following a mini-streak to start the post-season. With a win here and there, great things could occur.

The Lady Bucs are a mini-streak away from a regional title. In the IHSA Class 3A State Tournament a lot of different things can happen. A lot of upsets have paved the way to sectional shots for a lot of teams whose records shouldn’t have allowed it.

Belvidere has been classified as a 3A participant. The shift-down to the smaller, large-school class, could prove to be beneficial. The Lady Bucs face Marengo in the “play-in” round on Monday, Feb. 13.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, the IHSA Selection Committee met to determine which teams would play where and at what level, when the state playoffs begin the week of Monday, Feb. 13.

Belvidere picked up the eight seed in the Kaneland 3A Sectional Complex. With that ranking, they aren’t favored to win the opening round match. They tip-off against a higher seed.

The Marengo Lady Indians were issued the seven seed as they entered the last week of a play with a 9-14 mark.

In the recently-forged Kishwaukee River Conference, they stood in fifth place with a 4-6 record as of this past week’s games.

For Belvidere, a win in the opening round over Marengo gives them the shot at another upset and a more significant one as top-seed Rockford Lutheran stands waiting for the opening-night survivor. A slip past Rockford Lutheran puts the Belvidere Lady Bucs in the Class 3A Rockford Lutheran Regional Final.

With the regular season about wrapped up, this is what is waiting for Belvidere beginning Monday, Feb. 13. Seeds are set and upsets must follow. The streak is waiting to begin.