Bolingbrook road Raiders, a record-breaking performance and more in the Herald-News Girls Basketball Notebook

Bolingbrook went 2-0 on a trip to Ohio last weekend, and that was just the start of a busy December for a Raiders girls basketball team that might not bother unpacking its bags during the holiday season.

Up next? Bolingbrook (9-0) heads to Belleville, Michigan, for a pair of games Friday and Saturday. Then, to close out the 2023 calendar year, it’s off to the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational starting Dec. 27 in Florida.

“We want to give ourselves the opportunity to play not only some of the top teams in the Midwest, but in the country,” Bolingbrook coach Chris Smith said. “Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are all big-time areas for girls basketball, so getting the chance to face top talent from the surrounding states is a great opportunity for the girls and the program.

“They all play AAU, and they see the same girls over and over. This gives them a chance to see some different competition.”

No matter what state Bolingbrook plays in, the results have all been the same so far. The Raiders stayed perfect by topping Cathedral Prep of Pennsylvania 63-43 on Friday and Laurel of Ohio 90-75 on Saturday.

Expectations are high with Bolingbrook returning a core four of seniors who played big roles last season in guards Angelina Smith and Yahaira Bueno and forwards Persais Williams and Jasmine Jones.

Sophomore forward Trinity Jones, a transfer from Naperville Central who averaged 20.3 points and 12.7 rebounds as a freshman and has more than 20 Division I offers, was a huge addition.

“We’re starting to come together, and the crazy part is we still haven’t played our best basketball,” Chris Smith said. “We’re going to hang our hat on what we’re able to do on the defensive side of the floor, and we have a legitimate rotation that’s got the ability to put some points on the board.”

Breaking her own record: When Lexi Sepulveda poured in 47 points in a 70-64 loss to Joliet West on Thursday, it was the most points ever scored in a game by a Plainfield East basketball player – male or female – by one point.

Sepulveda broke her own school record of 46.

Sepulveda, a senior guard who is committed to Southern Indiana, is averaging 29.4 points per game for the Bengals (4-6).

“We know we can always count on Lexi to be a leader on the court for us,” Plainfield East coach Tony Waznonis said. “She can score in so many different ways when we get the ball in her hands.”

Plainfield East has many new faces around Sepulveda as it looks to reload after a 22-7 season in 2022-23 that included a Southwest Prairie Conference championship.

Though the Bengals have taken a few lumps early, Sepulveda is optimistic about their long-term potential.

“We have a lot of young talent on our team and we’re really stepping it up,” she said. “We have a target on our back and I’m looking forward to conference this year. I think we’re going to be just fine.”

The squad sticks together: Lincoln-Way East went 21-11 with a team of underclassmen last season and the whole roster has returned to try to do big things in 2023-24.

“The girls all get along really well and they play well together,” Lincoln-Way East coach Jim Nair said. “When you can return your whole team and they’re all great girls like these girls are and they all get along, that’s a really fortunate situation for us to have.”

The Griffins (8-2) were short-handed down the stretch last season after an injury to Hayven Smith, a 6-foot-6 Illinois recruit who averaged 14 points and 9.1 rebounds.

“Having Hayven back healthy is obviously huge for us,” Nair said. “She does so many things for us and she has continued to improve her game and really come a long way from even where she was last season.”

But opponents can’t just focus on slowing Smith. Senior Lana Kerley went over the 1,000 career-point mark earlier this season, senior Lilly Dockemeyer is another huge scoring threat and the Griffins have a deep, experienced roster.

“We definitely have a bunch of girls who can step up and do some big things for us on any night,” Nair said. “Teams can’t just worry about Hayven.”