IHSA Class 4A State Tournament Recap

As most know, this past weekend was the Class 3A and 4A State Finals hosted at Redbird Arena in Normal, IL. Fremd, Lake Park, Lincoln-Way West, and Bolingbrook gathered to compete for the title in 4A with Fremd coming out with a win in a wildly entertaining Championship game against Lincoln-Way West. Here is a breakdown of the four 4A games from the State Tournament: Semifinal 1: Lake Park vs. Fremd Ms. Basketball candidate Darrione Rogers Darrione Rogers 5'11" | CG Lake Park | 2020 State IL guided a mostly young Lake Park team downstate for the schools’ first State Finals appearance and made a statement early on. Lake Park held a 18-17 halftime lead over the veteran Vikings from Fremd, Rogers scoring 14 of those 18 points. However, Fremd took control early in the second half, outscoring Lake Park 29-16 in the final two quarters to come away with a 46-34 victory. Rogers finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Olivia Hill Olivia Hill 6'4" | PF Fremd | 2020 State IL led Fremd with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Semifinal 2: Bolingbrook vs. Lincoln-Way West This fun, fast paced game with two very good offensive teams was no disappointment. Taylor Gugliuzza Taylor Gugliuzza 5'7" | CG Lincoln Way West | 2020 State IL led the Warriors early on with 18 first-half points on 7-9 shooting from the field, as LWW led 34-29 at the break. Bolingbrook, led by Jayden Marable’s 18 points, kept things close the majority of the second half, but LWW never faltered, winning 68-57. Gugliuzza led the way with 26 points and 9 rebounds, while sisters Tara and Ava Gugliuzza chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively. Kennedi Perkins and Danyel Middleton Danyel Middleton 5'10" | SF Bolingbrook | 2020 State IL helped Marable keep things close, as they added 13 and 10 points for Bolingbrook. 3^rd Place Game: Bolingbrook vs. Lake Park Another fun game that came down to the wire, Lake Park had a dominant second quarter (23-13) to go into the half leading 33-24 behind 15 points from Darrione Rogers Darrione Rogers 5'11" | CG Lake Park | 2020 State IL . Bolingbrook answered in the fourth where they took a 23-12 advantage to take 3^rd place with a 63-57 victory. Danyel Middleton Danyel Middleton 5'10" | SF Bolingbrook | 2020 State IL had two big time threes late in the fourth quarter comeback to boost Bolingbrook ahead. Middleton and De’Ahna Richardson led the way with 14 points each, while Jayden Marable chipped in 11. Rogers finished with a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds and was helped by Sara Balli’s 15 points. Championship Game: Fremd vs. Lincoln-Way West Lincoln-Way West jumped out to an early 13-8 lead after the first quarter thanks to the hot shooting of Jr. Tara Gugliuzza Tara Gugliuzza 5'8" | CG Lincoln Way West | 2021 State IL , who had 14 first half points. Fremds answer in the second quarter came from ‘Queen of the Hill’ Ella Burns, who hit three second quarter threes to help the Vikings go into half tied at 24-24. Both teams defended well in the 3^rd quarter to keep the game within two points, but Fremd used a 21-12 fourth quarter to take home the title 58-47. Sr. Emily Klaczek Emily Klaczek 5'9" | CG Fremd | 2020 State IL was phenomenal down the stretch for the Vikings, hitting several key shots and knocking down late Free Throws (10-11) to seal the game. She finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Burns, Olivia Hill Olivia Hill 6'4" | PF Fremd | 2020 State IL , and Ruthie Montella Ruthie Montella 5'11" | SG Fremd | 2021 State IL added 9 points each. Tara Gugliuzza Tara Gugliuzza 5'8" | CG Lincoln Way West | 2021 State IL led LWW with 16 points for the game, while Taylor Gugliuzza Taylor Gugliuzza 5'7" | CG Lincoln Way West | 2020 State IL added 15.