Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
NORMAL - Kenwood High School punched its ticket to the Class 4A championship game, holding off Alton High School 61-55 in a physical semifinal battle Friday at CEFCU Arena in Normal during the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals. The Redbirds arrived in Normal with a nearly spotless record, dropping just two games all season—both to out-of-state opponents. They had dominated every Illinois team they faced until Friday's showdown with Kenwood on the home floor of their name-sake Illinois State University Redbirds. Kenwood wasted no time seizing control. Henigan opened the scoring with a jumper to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead, and they never looked back. Despite an early push from Powers and Proctor, who combined for 14 first-quarter points, the Broncos held the lead for the entire contest. Kenwood head coach Andre Lewis wasn't surprised Alton made it a fight. "I knew they were coming back," he explained. "We had a run. They had a run. We had a run ... you just have to withstand it and in the most critical moments, execute." Fueled by a suffocating full-court press, Kenwood jumped ahead by as many as 14 points in the first quarter and took a 35-30 advantage into halftime. But Alton refused to fade quietly.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
The Redbirds clawed their way back with better rebounding before the break. Powers hauled in four boards and chipped in three points, while Norman scored four, including a crucial three-pointer from Madeleine Ducey. Twice in the third quarter, Alton trimmed the deficit to just one point but couldn't wrestle the lead away from the Broncos. Senior Ariella Henigan led the way for the Broncos with 18 points, shooting 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. She stuffed the stat sheet, adding three rebounds, five steals, and four assists while logging 31 minutes on the floor. Junior Danielle Brooks chipped in 17 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the line, while senior London Walker-George also reached double figures with 12 points. Alton senior Jarius Powers delivered a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Powers entered the semifinal as the Redbirds' second-leading scorer this season with 457 points, trailing only Talia Norman, who added 12 points, five rebounds, and the team's lone block. Kiyoko Proctor also scored 12 points, led the team with four assists, and was perfect from the line at 2-for-2. Lewis summed up the game in simple terms. "The game was nothing short of a dogfight," he said. "The action was physical, it was extremely competitive, and it was contentious on both ends. Both teams didn't want to lose." Alton head coach Deserea Howard echoed that sentiment. "It was a fast-paced game. A physical game," she said. "We were definitely expecting that. We battled. We battled hard. Obviously, you want to battle harder when you get to this moment." Howard acknowledged her team's defensive identity but felt they strayed from their usual intensity. "We didn't really focus hard enough on that," she recounted. "We dug ourselves into a deep hole, and the battle back was intense."
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Despite trailing throughout the game, Howard believed her team had a shot to pull off the comeback, relying on the lessons they had learned during regular season play. "The battle back made me feel like we had a chance. We had a shot," she said. "You know, when you get to this stage, you can't let yourself get down that far." Alton will have little time to regroup, returning to action against Loyola Academy in the third-place game Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. The Lady Ramblers fell to Fremd in a double-overtime heartbreaker, 80-74, setting the stage for what promises to be another intense battle.
Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Lewis, meanwhile, tipped his cap to Alton's effort. "The way they play, how they go about their business, and they didn't want to lose," he said, praising the Redbirds' tenacity, determination and the fact they had not lost to an Illinois team all season. "There were two teams that didn't want to lose." Kenwood prepares to face Fremd on Saturday night for the 4A title. If the Broncos bring the same energy to Doug Collins Court, they might take home the program's first state basketball championship trophy.
