When the game was on the line, Addie Kopf was on the free-throw line.

And things lined up just right for the Maine South senior.

The 5-foot-9 forward converted the two free throws that tied the game and then the two that gave her team the lead over Huntley with 1:31 left in Saturday’s penultimate quarterfinal of the 42nd annual Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown High School.

The Hawks (11-2) held on for a 48-46 triumph to advance to Monday’s semifinal against St. Charles North (11-1) at 8 p.m. Huntley (8-4) will face Hononegah at 5 p.m. in the fifth/seventh place bracket.

Kopf was on last year’s team that lost to Huntley 49-48 in the title game at D-C.

“Everyone was upset with that loss,” Kopf said. “We really wanted this one. The returning players were especially pumped up to play them again.”

Kopf played one of her finest quarters in high school, scoring nine of her 11 points in the decisive period.

“Addie is just a solid basketball player, a rock out there,” said Hawks coach Jeff Hamann, whose team won the tourney in 2022 and 2023. “Obviously she made some key free throws late in the fourth and hit a big layup.”

That layup came right after Theresa Sladky grabbed a key rebound on Huntley’s next possession and then assisted Kopf with a beautiful pass. Kopf went in strong for the layup that made it 47-43 with 45.4 seconds left.

Hayden’s Fay’s free throw with 15.8 seconds increased it 48-43 before a 3-pointer by Alyssa Borzych (10 points, all in the second half, four rebounds) with five seconds left accounted for the final score.

Huntley took a 43-38 lead with 4:50 left in the game when Evie Freundt (eight points, 14 rebounds) drove to the basket on a fast break and made a beautiful fake pass and swept in for the layup.

“We were able to extend the lead to five there, but then we had a few empty possessions which kind of hurt us,” said Red Raiders coach Steve Raethz. “We had some turnovers and Maine South was able to capitalize, but I thought our kids never quit the whole game.

“They showed all-out toughness and grit. I’m just really proud of their effort.”

With the score tied at 2-all, Maine South closed out the first period with a 9-3 run, beginning with a 3-pointer from Emily Currey (11 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals) and ending with two free throws by Kopf.

Lana Hobday’s 3-pointer got Huntley to within 11-5 after one quarter.

The Hawks extended their lead to 20-9 following a layup by Avery Suess (five points) and Sladky’s 3-pointer off a steal from Currey with 4:48 left until intermission. Sladky finished with six points.

“She came off the bench and hit a couple of big 3s in the second quarter,” Hamann said. “And she made that great pass to Addie in that big moment for us. We were able to play 10 kids, and that gives us opportunities to see who is feeling it. In that regard, Sladky really gave us some good minute,s and to her credit and to her teammates’ credit, they all believe in each other.

“We all believe in each other, it’s a fun group.“

A 6-0 run featuring two free throws and a 3-pointer by Aubrina Adamik and a free throw by Hobday (eight points, two assists) made it 20-15.

The Red Raiders got to within 22-18 on a 3-pointer by Luca Garlin (10 points, six rebounds, three assists). Three free throws by Amelia Fernandez (five points) made it 25-18 before two free throws by Freundt cut it to 25-20 at the half.

A 3-pointer by Fahy (10 points) gave MS a 28-22 lead. But Huntley charged back and took its first lead of the game when Borzych hit a 6-footer with 3:55 left in the third period to make it 29-28.

A steal and layup by Adamik (five points) put Huntley ahead 33-28 before Phoebe O’Shea’s 3-pointer got the Hawks to within 33-31 heading into the final quarter.

“It was a great game,” Raethz said. “I loved how our team competed, I thought our kids played incredibly hard. That’s a really well-coached team and a good Maine South team, and I thought it was a well-played game by both teams.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251227/girls-basketball/girls-basketball-maine-south-ekes-out-win-gets-revenge-vs-huntley-to-reach-komaromy-semifinals/