High school girls basketball: Marian Central upsets Marengo, wins 1st regional title since 2013

WEST CHICAGO – After losing in a regional championship game to Marengo last year, Marian Central coach Ephraim Lee was adamant that the Hurricanes were on the verge of something big.

"I said last year when we got here, this is only the beginning," Lee said. "I said we'd be back, and we'd be better. It's been a roller coaster of a year, but they believed in the goals that we set and stuck with it. They earned it."

The No. 4-seeded Hurricanes upset top-seeded Marengo, 48-40, Friday in the Class 2A Wheaton Academy Regional final to win their first regional championship since 2013. Marian (10-21) suffered a 50-43 loss in last year's Class 3A regional final.

Marengo (20-11), the co-Kishwaukee River Conference champion with Woodstock North, was trying to win its third consecutive regional championship. Marian moves on to play No. 3-seeded Riverdale in a Mendota Sectional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's amazing, especially because this is a rematch from last year," senior forward Janelle Allen said. "To come out and play as hard as we can, and get that win that we haven't had in years, it's a great feeling. A very great feeling."

After a quiet first quarter, the 6-foot Allen had nine points in the second quarter on four buckets. She finished with a game-high 23 points and 16 rebounds.

Marengo led, 15-8, after the first quarter, receiving 11 points from junior Lilly Johnson. Marian started the second on a 9-0 run, getting a bucket from Bella Saxelby, followed by two free throws and a 3-pointer from junior guard Jenna Golembiewski.

The Hurricanes took their first lead on a basket from Allen after a steal by Golembiewski. Allen scored Marian's last nine points of the quarter to grab a 24-18 lead at halftime.

Marian held Marengo to three free throws in the second quarter and never trailed again.

"Lilly did some things for us in the first quarter that carried us, but we didn't run run our offense very well against the pressure that Marian applied," Marengo coach Nick Rode said. "We decided to switch to man-to-man to try and generate more offense from our defense, and Janelle just had a field day. Whichever defender we put on her, it was a mismatch."

Sophia Fabian had nine points on three 3s for Marian, Julia Hogel tossed in six points, and Golembiewski and Saxelby have five points apiece.

Johnson and junior guard Jennifer Heinberg led Marengo with 16 points apiece. Fourteen of Heinberg's 16 came in the second half. Alexis Kunde scored five points, and Gracie Gentleman chipped in a 3.

Golembiewski guarded Heinberg for much of the game, holding the Indians' top scorer to two points in the first half. Golembiewski fouled out with 4:23 to go but was a big reason for Marian's turnaround, starting in the second quarter.

Golembiewski, who is committed to play softball at Miami (Ohio), did not play for Marian's basketball team as a sophomore but had a friendly push from Lee and players to join the team this year. Golembiewski's mother, LeAnn, died in July after a battle with breast cancer.

LeAnn Golembiewski was an assistant basketball and track and field coach at Marian.

"It's amazing," Golembiewski said. "The last team that we won [a regional] was my mom's team, and it feels like such an honor to follow in her footsteps and be the next team up there."

Marengo will return 12 of 14 varsity players next year.

"We came into this season not really knowing where it would take us," Johnson said. "The way it ended, it wasn't the result any of us wanted, but we went further than we thought at the beginning. We played hard and never gave up."

STAR OF THE GAME

Janelle Allen, Marian Central, sr., F

Allen scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

THE NUMBER

7: Marian Central's last regional championship was seven years ago.

AND ANOTHER THING …

Marengo beat Marian Central last season in a Class 3A regional championship game.

Class 2A Wheaton Academy Regional

Marian Central 47, Marengo 40

MARIAN CENTRAL (47)

Allen 7 9-21 23, Fabian 3 0-0 9, Golembiewski 1 2-2 5, Hogel 1 3-5 6, Saxelby 2 1-2 5. Totals: 14 15-30 47.

MARENGO (40)

Heinberg 4 6-6 16, Johnson 5 4-6 16, Kunde 1 3-6 5, Gentleman 1 0-1 3. Totals: 11 13-19 40.

Marian Central 8 16 11 12 – 47

Marengo 15 3 10 12 – 40

3-point goals: Marian Central 5 (Fabian 3, Golembiewski, Hogel), Marengo 5 (Heinberg 2, Johnson 2, Gentleman). Total fouls: Marian Central 19, Marengo 23. Fouled out: Golembiewski (MC), Morris (Mgo).