February 20, 2025
NewsHigh School SportseNewspaperNewslettersObituariesEvent Calendar

Kays advance to play for third straight regional title

Kankakee gutted out a tough 50-47 win over Pontiac in Tuesday’s semis

By Adam Tumino
Kankakee's TaLeah Turner passes off the ball while making a drive toward the net during Tuesday's Class 3A Regional against Pontiac.

Kankakee's TaLeah Turner passes off the ball while making a drive toward the net during Tuesday's Class 3A Regional against Pontiac. (Nicholas Holstein)

KANKAKEE − After taking a one-point lead late in the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal game of the Class 3A Kankakee Regional, the Kankakee girls basketball team had to fight tooth and nail to stay ahead of Pontiac through the second half.

Despite some close calls, including Pontiac cutting Kankakee’s lead to 48-47 with 19 seconds to go, the Kays managed to hold that lead for the entirety of the second half to pick up a 50-47 victory, a win that kept their chance at a third straight regional title intact.

Kankakee improved to 18-12 overall on the season and will be back on its home court Thursday to play Ottawa for the regional championship at 7 p.m.

“I was really proud of our resilience,” Kankakee coach Kurt Weigt said. “I thought our kids really hung in there the last four minutes. [Pontiac] had to come and foul us when we got a little lead, and I thought we did a really nice job managing the latter part of the game.”

The Kays were up 47-41 entering the final minute, tying their largest lead of the second half, before a couple of late 3-pointers from Pontiac made the score a bit tighter.

Kankakee's Ava Johnson gets a pass near the net as Pontiac's Jo Duck guards during Tuesday's Class 3A Regional at Kankakee.

Kankakee's Ava Johnson gets a pass near the net as Pontiac's Jo Duck guards during Tuesday's Class 3A Regional at Kankakee. (Nicholas Holstein)

Kankakee shot 3 of 6 from the free-throw line in that final minute but managed to force a couple of key turnovers, one on a steal by Benkwasha Stroud and another on a backcourt violation by Pontiac, to make up for some of those misses.

“It takes some toughness, and our kids displayed that for most of the night,” Weigt said. “[Pontiac] knocked down some shots to their credit, they didn’t want to go away, but I’m really pleased. Obviously, when you can get to a regional championship game, you’ll take it.”

TaLeah Turner scored 10 in the second half for Kankakee. She finished with 14 points, tying Ava Johnson for the team lead. Ki’Asia Wilson scored all seven of her points in the second half, while Malea Harrison carried the Kays early, scoring all 11 of her points in the first half.

Turner said she thought the team did a good job dictating the pace of the game down the stretch.

“We just slowed it down,” she said. “There was kind of a little pressure on the offense, so just slowing it down, running some clock and listening to the coaches, whatever they said.”

As a senior and four-year starter for the Kays, Turner was a major factor in the past two regional titles. As the team looks for its third in a row, she said there is a few things they need to do better Thursday against Ottawa.

“On Thursday I feel like we need to be better on defense, talk more on defense, and keep it together as a team,” she said. “We’ve just got to finish the little things, that’s it.”

Ottawa has not won a regional title since 2013, but not for lack of trying. The Pirates are 23-7 on the season, having surpassed 20 wins for the third time in the last four years. They took down Streator 52-12 in Tuesday’s semifinals and have won eight games in a row overall.

“They’re won 20-plus games, they shoot the ball really well, they’re well coached and we’re looking forward to the contest,” Weigt said. “It’s a bit of an advantage maybe, playing at home, but we’ll be ready.”