Girls basketball: Johnsburg tops Genoa-Kingston, Rosary beats Marengo in OT thriller in Class 2A regional semifinals

WOODSTOCK – Johnsburg has gotten off to some slow starts in an up-and-down season, but Monday’s Class 2A Marian Central Regional semifinal against fifth-seeded Genoa-Kingston was not one of those games for the fourth-seeded Skyhawks.

The Skyhawks came out with high energy and hit eight of their first 15 field goals in the first quarter to take a 19-9 lead against the Cogs. G-K fought back in the second and third quarters, but Johnsburg came away with a 45-36 victory.

Johnsburg (16-14) will meet top-seeded Rosary in the regional title game at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Skyhawks are going for their third straight regional title after winning in both 2019 and 2020. There was no postseason last season because of the pandemic.

[ Photos: Class 2A Marian Central Regional ]

“Our energy was just really high,” Johnsburg guard Gracie Notriano said of her team’s start Monday. “We came into the game knowing what we had to do. It didn’t really show in the second quarter, but the second half we came back strong. Each game we have goals that we set. We talked about what we needed to work on.

“Today that was moving the ball and finding the easy pass.”

The Cogs (18-14) held the Skyhawks to only two points in the second quarter. Freshman guard Ally Poegel scored all nine of G-K’s points in the quarter to cut Johnsburg’s lead to 21-18 at halftime. G-K got to within two points twice in the third quarter and trailed 38-34 with 1:37 left in the game.

Johnsburg, however, made 8 of 12 free throws down the stretch. Molly Wetzel (11 points, 10 rebounds) was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the fourth, while Macy Madsen (team-high 14 points, five steals) knocked down 3 of 6.

Skyhawks coach Erin Stochl said her team did a good job of recognizing the time and score at key moments.

“Sometimes we have trouble recognizing time and score, when to push and when to slow down,” she said. “I thought our girls did a good job of recognizing that we had a lead, we’re in control. They stayed confident and composed. That’s been one of our weaknesses throughout the season, so I was really proud of them for relaxing under pressure. G-K is a great defensive team. ... We were just trying to move the ball as best as we could.”

Payton Toussaint had eight points on two 3s for Johnsburg, and Notriano had seven points and three steals.

Genoa-Kingston was led by Poegel with 19 points and a pair of 3s. Senior Emily Gilbert scored seven points and Avery Walters tossed in four.

Cogs coach Brendan Royalty was proud of his team’s fight not only Monday but throughout the season.

“Four years ago, we had three or four wins, so we’ve built every year,” he said. “We’re taking strides in the right direction, and I’m excited to see where it goes. The seniors are everything to this program. They built everything.”

One of those seniors, Gilbert, said a lot was going through her mind in the final moments.

“I was just thinking, ‘This could be the last game or this can be winning and moving onto the next,” Gilbert said. “It was a lot more fun this year. In practices, it was a lot more fun. We cheered each other on. I know past years, some of the girls weren’t really good friends and teammates. It was a lot more fun to play with them, and that just made winning or losing, either way, a lot better.”

In the first semifinal, Rosary’s Emily Hurst made a 3 at the buzzer at the end of regulation and hit a game-winner in overtime to beat upset-minded and eighth-seeded Marengo, 55-54.

Hurst’s heroics in the first semifinal set the Royals up for a chance to win their first regional title since 2015. Hurst hit the game-tying shot in regulation at the buzzer after Marengo missed the front end of its 1-and-1.

Hurst swished a 3 from about two feet behind the right wing, sending Rosary’s bench into a frenzy. In overtime, she drove in the lane and hit the game-winner floater with about 10 seconds remaining. After a timeout was taken by Marengo with 5.2 seconds left, the Indians were unable to get a shot up before the buzzer.

Hurst finished with 18 points, including five in the fourth quarter and five in overtime. Hawkins scored 12 points and knocked down three 3s. Megan Molenhouse tossed in 10 points with eight in the second half.

“I looked up at the clock and I was like, ‘We only have one shot left, and we’ve got to do it fast. I’m just going to go for it, and it worked out,’ ” Hurst said of her 3 to send the game into overtime. “I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was playing very relaxed and had the most confidence in my team.”

Rosary coach Emily Duckhorn said Hurst has come up big all year for the Royals (21-11).

“When the game’s on the line, her and my other senior, Lauren Hawkins, those are the two that we want the ball in their hands,” Duckhorn said. “Emily, she really took advantage of the opportunity and decided that, ‘No, we’re going to tie this game and go to overtime. That was one of the most impressive shots I’ve ever seen in high school basketball.”

Marengo was led by Addie Johnson with 15 points and two 3s. Michaela Almeida had 12 points, and Bella Frohling added 11 points and three 3s. Morgan Coffman scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds. Gianna Almeida had seven points and six boards.

The Indians finished the season at 14-15 and were runner-up in the Kishwaukee River Conference at 8-2, one game behind KRC champion Woodstock North. Marengo had won the conference title in each of the previous three seasons.

Marengo will return all but three players next season: seniors Morgan Coffman, Courtney Jasinski and Alexandra Botzoc.

“We have the talent on the team,” Johnson said. “I think one of the biggest things this year is that we were able to put all the of the talent on the court together and connect. I’m really excited for next year. I think we are going to be really good. We played hard and had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end we we came out and we were able to connect and find friendships.”