Sectional Chase is on for Hononegah girls

By Chris Johnson

Reporter

DEKALB – The Hononegah Lady Indians were issued the No. 2 seed, when the Girl’s Class 4A Basketball Tournament began, on Monday, Feb. 15.

Being favored in their participating Sub-Sectional, the number-two seed was favored to win the Rockford East Regional Title.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, the Hononegah Lady Indians lived up to expectations, as they defeated the No. 3 seed Harlem Lady Huskies, in the 4A Regional Title Game, 60-50.

The win moved Hononegah to DeKalb, where they battled with the upstart, No 5  seed, Dundee Crown Lady Chargers on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Details of that contest are unavailable at this time.

If Hononegah defeats Dundee Crown, they will move on to the DeKalb Sectional Championship Game, if seeds play through, they will probably face highly-touted and Sectional number-one seed, Huntley.

The Lady Red Raiders are favored to defeat Hononegah in the Sectional Title Game, based on pre-tournament statistics-collection.

Entering the post-season, Hononegah knocked out their last legitimate threat to their undefeated NIC-10 season, Auburn, 60-48.

The Lady Indians closed the regular season with a 16-0 conference record, paired with a 26-3 overall mark.

In the finale against the Auburn Lady Knights, Berkley Byron and Cali Schmitz led the team with 12 points each.

Auburn’s defense took control in the opening period, as they held Hononegah to just 12 points.

The Lady Knights scored one more and led after the first quarter of play, 13-12.

As is the case, the situation changed quickly, for the Hononegah Lady Indians, as they played through the second quarter with a heightened focus on defense.

Auburn scored four points in the second as they saw their diminutive advantage of one point evaporate into a 22-17 deficit at the half, after Hononegah put 10 points through.

There would be no challenge in the season-closer after that, as Hononegah scored 20 points in the third quarter, while holding Auburn to 13.

After three, the Lady Indians were in front 42-30.

With both squads scoring 18 points in the final period, Hononegah walked to the perfect conference record and prepared for their entrance into the post-season, beginning at the Rockford East Class 4A Regional.

Because of the number-two seed selection, by the IHSA Advisory Committee, Hononegah did not have to participate in the post-season, until the Regional Semi-Final Game.

Rockford Guilford, the seven-seed, dispatched ten-seed Rockford Jefferson, 51-37, in the East 4A Regional Quarterfinal.

The win moved Guilford into Hononegah’s path and then quickly back onto the bus, as the Lady Indians stormed to a 66-39 win.

In the lower half of the Sub-Section Bracket, host and number-six seed Rockford East fell to the Harlem Lady Huskies in the East Regional Semi-Final, 53-43.

The win moved Harlem into the 4A Title Game against the undefeated NIC-10 Champion, Hononegah Lady Indians.

Hononegah won the East 4A Regional, 60-50, allowing them to move into the Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. match in DeKalb against Carpentersville-Dundee Crown.

On Nov. 25, Hononegah scored 80 points in a win over Dundee-Crown, in a game in Carpentersville.