Rockford Christian came out in the third quarter against Marquette Academy with a different energy.

During that period, the Royal Lions outscored the Crusaders by 15 points and built a double-digit lead on their way to a 61-42 win in the Class 1A Indian Creek Sectional’s late Tuesday semifinal contest.

The loss ended the Crusaders’ season after a regional championship run that included a pair of upsets of higher-seeded teams.

“I was happy with the regional championship,” said Marquette coach Eric Price. “It was good for the girls. We knew coming in (Rockford Christian) was a tough matchup. We gave it a shot, and in the first half we played tough, but the third quarter was the deciding factor.”

Rockford Christian will advance to play Midland in Thursday’s sectional championship. Midland defeated Aurora Christian 48-17 in Tuesday’s earlier matchup.

The Crusaders held a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter after a 3-pointer from Kinley Rick. Even as the Lions regained the lead, the Crusaders stayed within two on consecutive baskets from Hunter Hopkins and Kaitlyn Davis.

After taking a five-point lead into halftime, Rockford Christian went on a 10-3 run, leading to a Marquette timeout with 4 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The stop in play didn’t slow the Lions momentum, however, as they closed the quarter with the final eight points.

“In the third quarter, our defensive pressure, the way we normally play, is what pulled us apart,” Rockford Christian coach Ted Lawver said. “That intensity. When we play that physical defense and we can get those things going, then shots seem to drop, things open up for us, and it’s been the story for us all season.”

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Marquette's Hunter Hopkins shoots over Rockford Christian's Teagan Lawver Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026, during their Class 1A sectional semifinal game at Indian Creek High School in Shabbona. (Mark Busch)

The Crusaders weren’t able to recover in the fourth quarter.

“They’re relentless,” Price said. “You know, you make a shot and they’re already to half court, pushing. They just keep coming at you, very tenacious.”

Lawver said free throws kept the Lions above water in the first half. They were 14 for 16 from the charity stripe in the first two quarters and 22 for 25 for the game, with Shea Ludwig converting all 12 of her free-throw attempts. Ludwig finished tied with a game-high 18 points.

Price said the Crusaders missed some opportunities on the offensive end in the third quarter.

“I think we had about six missed shots in the lane, and you can’t afford that,” Price said. “If you make those six, that’s 12 points, and it’s a closer outcome. But they’re a good team, they have a lot of length, and they play good D.”

Hopkins led the Crusaders, tying Ludwig with a game-high 18 points. Davis added 15 points, and Madison Kozlowski had six and Rick three to round out the Crusaders’ scoring.

The Lions had four girls in double digits, with Jaden Conerly tallying 15 and Teagan Lawver and Lucy Gargani each registering 10.

“They shaved the zone toward Davis and made it tough for her, and that’s how it goes,” Price said. “The girls played hard, I can’t take anything away from them. Sometimes you’re up against it, and we were up against a pretty big size disadvantage.”