Sterling wins first sectional title since 2007, sets wins record with triumph over Dixon

ROCKFORD — It was intense, it was loud and it was physical.

And it was as competitive as one would expect it to be.

Meeting in a sectional title match for the first time, Sterling triumphed 39-30 over Dixon in Thursday’s Class 3A Rockford Boylan Sectional championship.

The Golden Warriors (30-5) won their first sectional title since 2007 and set the single-season wins record in the process.

Sterling advances to face Washington (33-1) in the Rochelle Supersectional at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Points came at a premium in Thursday’s matchup between two friendly rivals and conference champions.

Facing a Dixon team it beat 44-18 in December, Sterling held a narrow advantage for most of the game. The low-scoring first quarter set the tone as Sterling led 6-2 after eight minutes and 13-8 at halftime.

The Duchesses (29-6) did a good job of double-teaming Madison Austin inside, forcing her to pass or turn it over. She was held to five points in the first half.

But the 6-foot-3 Illinois State University recruit could only be denied for so long.

Austin finished with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds with a couple of blocks.

“Definitely very physical,” Austin said. “But we practice very physical just knowing not everything was going to go our way.”

That was the case for both teams as open looks often did not fall and turnovers happened.

Dixon finished 4 of 23 (17%) from long distance, but the looks were open and the shots were close. Hallie Williamson, a Lincoln University of Missouri recruit, led Dixon with 13 points.

The Warriors were able to grind their way to a win as Austin eventually got her way inside.

“She’s a good player,” Dixon coach Luke Ravlin said. “It’s hard to hold somebody like that in check for 32 minutes. We did all we could to make it hard for her and she was just able to battle through that and make some plays when they needed them.”

Sterling coach Taylor Jackson said Austin is “relentless.”

“She knows that she’s going to have to come to fight every single night,” she said. “She just kept going and never gave up, and it was just really impressive to see.”

Austin helped Sterling slowly increase its lead as Dixon stayed within one or two possessions until late in the third quarter. Dixon clawed its way closer at the line in the fourth quarter, but made just one field goal in the final frame.

Sterling led just 27-24 with 7:01 left in the contest.

But Austin answered with an and-1 layup with make it a five-point lead. Up five in the last few minutes, Sterling was able to play ball control. Dixon had just four points in the last 4:40 as the Warriors held on.

“It feels incredible,” said Jae James. “After all the hard work that we’ve put in and dedication to the sport, it’s really paying off and it feels amazing.”

When things did not go Sterling’s way, its defense was there to step up.

“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the hoop, and we know that,” Jackson said. “Sometimes the calls don’t go your way, we know that. But if we can be consistent on defense, we believe this group is really special and we proved that tonight.”

Beating a team like Dixon twice in one season is not easy. Especially when the stakes were even bigger.

“We know them, they know us,” Jackson said. “We just knew that this would come down to who can execute and probably defend the best throughout the entire game. It was a great battle and we wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“It was definitely intense, because those girls that we’re playing against are all our friends,” James said. “They became our enemies this game. ... It was really hard and it was really tough and they battled their way. I’m extremely proud of both of our teams.”

Williams said there was high intensity throughout the game. Dixon ended Sterling’s season last year in the regional semifinals.

“I think both teams played really well,” she said. “Some of our shots just weren’t falling, but both of the crowds being here really made it intense. It was really nice to play in.”

Sterling senior Delali Amankwa had five points and while Nia Harris and Natalie Eddinger did not score, both were impactful on defense. Joslynn James had 10 points for Sterling.

“It was really satisfying,” Amankwa said of the sectional victory. “We all came into it wanting it so bad. ... This game means a lot to us, not only because it’s against Dixon, but also just for the sectional championship which we haven’t done in a long time, so we’re honestly making history right now.”

Austin’s 20th point made it a 36-29 game with 1:46 left and came when Dixon had a player injured on the floor during the possession.

Ravlin said the matchup came down to a few things not going his team’s way, while not enough shots fell. But the game was competitive and each team had plenty of support.

“I thought both teams really battled and played well,” he said. “It was great to see the area show up and show out and it was a fun atmosphere to compete in for sure.”

Morgan Hargrave had six points, Ahmyrie McGowan had seven and Makenzie Toms scored four for Dixon. It was the second straight year the Duchesses were competing for a sectional title. They made a run to the Elite Eight a season ago.

“They set a lot of goals at the beginning of the season and they achieved those goals,” Ravlin said. “They know that when they set out to do something, they can work hard, put the time in and achieve that goal.”

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Sterling’s Delali Amankwa, Dixon's Morgan Hargrove and Sterling’s Joslynn James get tangled up Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, during the Class 3A girls Sectional title at Rockford Boylan High School. (Alex T. Paschal)