Addie Schilb still remembers how the last postseason ended for St. Charles East.

The Saints, who were the No. 1 seed in their home sectional a season ago, suffered an upset by Glenbard West in overtime in the sectional semifinals, putting a premature end to a storybook season.

“That was just a heartbreak,” Schilb said. “Obviously we had higher expectations and sometimes it doesn’t go our way. We know that heartbreak, and we don’t want that to happen again.”

One year later, the Saints (18-11) are looking to make sure they don’t feel that heartbreak again.

St. Charles East, the No. 3 seed in the Bartlett Sectional, will be looking to go on a deep run in the postseason once again, with the senior hoping to lead the charge.

“We’re just reminding ourselves that everybody’s record is back to 0-0,” Schilb said. “Anything can happen, and we can’t underestimate any team because at the end of the day, you don’t want to be the one going home.”

Of the Saints’ 11 losses on the season, nine of them have come from teams that are either a No. 1 or No. 2 team in their respective brackets, including a loss to No. 1 Glenbard West and two losses to No. 2 Lake Park.

“We definitely play a difficult schedule, but I’m glad we got to play them in the regular season and not have the first look in the playoffs,” Schilb said. “We’re used to stressful situations. Sometimes we win them, sometimes we lose, but I think we learn more from those losses than we do the wins.”

With a Saints team filled with youth, Schilb has become a bonafide leader throughout the season. Schilb is the only player to have more than a year of experience at the varsity level, and is also the only senior to see regular minutes.

“She’s really been a leader since her sophomore season, but she’s stepped into the role a lot this season,” Saints coach Katie Claussner said. “We had a lot of strong personalities that were great leaders on the floor last year, so she learned from them and applied it to this season.”

But with family members like her younger sister in Brooklyn Schilb and cousin Kathlyn Bainbridge, it made the adjustment to the leadership role a little easier.

“It’s just a little more comfortable making the adjustment when you’re with people that you know,” Addie Schilb said. “I am the older sister so I am a little used to having a little authority. But it made it a little easier because I treated everyone like my little sister, and it just made it feel like we had a familial bond.”

That change in team has also led to Schilb evolving her play style. The senior averages 12.1 points, while also adding 7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals, which are all career-bests.

“Last year, we would utilize her a lot just sitting her on the perimeter shooting 3-pointers, whereas now she has to make that shooting decision,” Claussner said. “She’s had to learn about giving up a good shot for a great shot, and her ability to do that now has changed our offense.”

The Saints will begin the postseason with a matchup against No. 15 West Chicago in their home gym. Should they win, they’ll face either No. 6 Batavia or No. 11 DeKalb in the regional final.

But no matter who the Saints face, Schilb is ready to give her all to get as far as she can.

“It’s a weird feeling, but it’s kind of exciting knowing it’s my last shot,” Schilb said. “I have this sort of all-or-nothing mind set, and know that no second should be put off or wasted, because it’s now or never.”

The Saints aren’t the only team in the sectional looking for a turn of fate from last year. St. Charles North (20-7) enters as the fourth seed in the bracket. The North Stars secured their fourth straight 20-win season Tuesday with a win over Lake Park.

North will be looking for its third regional title in four years after losing to Wheaton North in the regional final a season ago. And after playing each of the top three seeds in the sectional over their final six games, the North Stars feel confident heading into the postseason.

“It’s a great opportunity to see a team in the sectional at home late in the season in a postseason atmosphere,” North Stars head coach Grant Oler said after the loss to Glenbard West on Feb. 3. “Getting a free look at that was definitely worth having that type of stuff.”

The Lancers’ only other loss in conference play came to Batavia (9-21), which enters as the sixth seed in the sectional. If the Bulldogs beat No. 11 DeKalb in their first game, they’ll more than likely face the Saints, a team they lost to twice in the regular season, for the chance to win their fifth straight regional title.

One team that is not making an appearance in the Class 4A bracket is Geneva (13-14), which will be in the Class 3A bracket for the first time since the class expansion due to declining enrollment numbers.

And after facing solely teams in Class 4A in the DuKane Conference, Vikings coach Sarah Meadows said it’s a weird feeling not seeing them once again in the playoffs.

“I just had to tell all of the coaches good luck next week and it’s weird knowing we won’t see them,” Meadows said. “We don’t know a lot about the team’s we’re playing. It’s different, but I’m excited for the new challenge. We’re playing pretty good basketball right now, which is where we want to be.”

Geneva, a No. 5 seed in a subsection of the Crystal Lake Central Sectional, will face No. 3 Kaneland (18-12) in a regional semifinal matchup, with the winner more than likely going to face top-seeded Dixon (27-3) in the final.

Burlington Central (21-9) also makes an appearance in the Crystal Lake Central Sectional, but as a No. 2 seed of the other subsection. The Rockets ended the season as winners of nine of their last 10, with their only loss during the stretch coming to Huntley on Monday with a chance to clinch a Fox Valley Conference title.

The Rockets do have a favorable draw in the bracket. They kick off the postseason against Rochelle before potentially facing either No. 4 Sycamore, who they defeated 55-51 to open the season, or No. 6 Freeport. Should they win those games, Central will have a chance to face top-seeded Crystal Lake South, which they defeated twice in conference play.

Also making it back into the Class 3A bracket is Aurora Central Catholic (19-10), which is the second seed in the De La Salle Sectional and will open against No. 15 Muchin at home. The Chargers, who last competed in 3A in 2019 and have spent the past five postseasons in 2A, will be looking for their first regional title in three seasons.