Rolling Meadows has been so successful during its 28-3 campaign, that the mild plateau it hit in late January may have seemed like cause for concern.
Not to worry.
The Mustangs were back on top of their game during their 58-47 win over Stevenson in the sectional semifinals at Libertyville in Class 4A action. Rolling Meadows moves on to Thursday’s sectional championship game.
The Mustangs led 7-0 out of the gate, 17-4 after one quarter, 23-18 at at the half, and then pulled away from the Patriots steadily right after intermission.
Jackie Kemph, a guard who can penetrate into the paint, led the winners with 23 points and Alexis Glasgow added 16 points.
Kari Moffat had 18 points and Sophia Way added 10 points for Stevenson, which finished 20-9 and had its seven-game winning streak and season ended.
“Obviously, everybody left at this point is a very good team,” said Rolling Meadows Ryan Kirkorsky. “You have to come ready to play. When we make the commitment defensively, we’re very difficult to beat.
“We had a stretch (in the second quarter) when we didn’t defend very well. We didn’t more our feet or stay in front of them. That’s what we talked about at halftime. If you want to win a sectional championship, it’s about getting stops and rebounding.”
On the Stevenson side, coach Tom Dineen said goodbye to four-year varsity players Moffat and Alex Elzinga, who came into the program the same time Dineen did after a great coaching career at Buffalo Grove.
“I thought Kari and Alex went out on a positive note. They came in with me four years ago and won 85 games. That’s an awesome accomplishment for those kids,” Dineen said. “Those girls and our other two seniors have been a great example for our younger players.”
The coach also praised Rolling Meadows, which will play Thursday for the sectional title at Libertyville.
“They have a lot of weapons, both inside and out,” he said. “They can shoot it well. You can’t say ‘If you stop one player, you’re stopping Rolling Meadows.’ They have too many weapons.”
