Sophia Towne scored 17 points and hit four of Nazareth's eight threes, the Roadrunners blew open the game with a 16-0 run and beat Loyola in a matchup of the state's top two teams 55-23 in the Class 4A final for Nazareth's second state championship in the largest-ever 4A margin.

Nazareth defeated Loyola 52-31 to win the Class 4A State girls basketball championship on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at CEFCU Arena in Normal.

BYU recruit Stella Sakalas scored 30 points, 19 coming in the first half, and Nazareth pulled away to beat Belleville East 54-36 in Friday's Class 4A state semifinal.

Nazareth takes on Bellville East in the Class 4A girls basketball state semifinal Friday, March 6, 2026, at CEFCU Arena in Normal. Nazareth took the win 54-36 and will play for the state title Saturday.

Sophia Towne was once a cross country runner, and it shows. Playing with boundless energy, the Nazareth junior guard is the point of the team's tough matchup zone, and catalyst to the offense. Towne and Nazareth, back at state, play Belleville East in a state semifinal Friday.

Here are Jon Cunningham's photos from Monday's Class 4A supersectional between Nazareth and Waubonsie Valley.

Nazareth held Illinois State recruit Danyella Mporokoso to nine points and Waubonsie Valley to a season-low total as a team, and the Roadrunners used a 17-3 run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 54-42 win in Monday's Class 4A Lyons Supersectional.

A late 10-0 run helped Trinity pull away from Glenbard South and earn a spot in this weekend's Class 3A State Finals.

Here are David Toney's photos from the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional final between St. Charles East and Glenbard West.