Girls basketball: Sycamore season ends a win short of state tournament

CARPENTERSVILLE – Evyn Carrier made a 3-pointer to start the scoring between Carmel and Sycamore in the Class 3A Dundee-Crown Supersectional on Monday.

Almost 11 minutes and 19 shots later, the Spartans still only had the one field goal and trailed by 13. A second-half comeback made things interesting late, but the Corsairs held on for a 49-37 win and a trip to the state finals beginning Friday.

“Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it too, but I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” senior Faith Feuerbach said. “All year we played amazing. We almost came back this game. It kind of shows how we never gave up no matter what the score was. I’m so proud of the entire team.”

The Spartans (32-3) scored eight points in the first half and trailed, 19-8, at halftime. They made only two field goals, 3-pointers by Carrier and Ella Shipley, who scored 13 to lead the Spartans.

Sycamore coach Adam Wickness said at times the shots were open for the Spartans in the first half, but the size of the Corsairs (26-7) – three starters at least 6-1, including 6-4 Michigan State recruit Jordan Wood - presented some issues for Sycamore.

“The looks were there, they definitely weren’t falling,” Wickness said. “One of the things when you play against teams that are that big and that long, it’s always in your head when you’re going to the basket, you’re like I got to get this shot up quick. I feel like a couple possessions, especially in that first quarter, were rushed.”

The Carmel lead grew to 16 early in the fourth quarter, Feuerbach hit her first and only 3 of the game with 4:51 left, getting the lead down to 13. After Lexi Carlsen drained a 3-pointer 3 minutes later, the Spartans were down, 42-37.

“We were feeling pretty confident,” Feuerbach said. “Obviously, we were down, we were chasing, but that’s kind of when we play our best basketball. It happened against multiple teams this year, we came back from desperation. We just played really well and never gave up.”

Sycamore forced a turnover and Carlsen tried another 3, but this time it missed. Wood missed the front end of a 1 and 1, but Shipley missed a 3, then the Corsairs started making free throws to ice the game in the final 1:13.

The Spartans have made a habit of frantic, late-game comebacks in contests against teams like Bolingbrook and Nazareth, or even in a loss against Geneva. In the sectional final, the Spartans were up 15 but held off a Montini run for the win.

“We’re feeling good,” Wickness said. “Our shots are starting to go down, they hadn’t been going down good in the first half. Anything is possible in those situations. You’ve seen it before. There’s that out-of-body experience where the adrenaline takes over and you let your instincts control it. That’s what I was hoping for. We just, unfortunately, didn’t get the big shot we needed on that possession.”

Feuerbach finished with six points, but Wood only scored two in the game.

“Obviously, Wood is a great player. She’s long, she’s athletic,” Feuerbach said. “It was tougher to get the 3 off, but I still tried to work off my shots, tried to get other people open, try to play to the ball. Obviously, props to them, they’re a great team.”

Wickness said he was appreciative of the large Sycamore crowd at the game and that the fans were great to the team along the ride.

He also said he was proud of the season, which included the team’s first sectional title.

“The year was fantastic,” Wickness said. “I’m walking out of here with my head up because I know this [is] something. Our mantra from the beginning of the year was one team, one legacy. And these girls definitely left their mark on our program.”

Two years ago, the Spartans made a sectional final but lost to Montini by six.

Just like this team improved from that finish, Feuerbach, a senior, said she’s optimistic the Spartans can build off this playoff run.

“Obviously, it was our goal to get to state,” Feuerbach said. “We got close a couple years ago. Last year we didn’t have it. This year we got closer. I just think throughout the years we’re going to continue improving.”