Herald-News girls basketball notebook: Area teams receive postseason assignments

As the girls basketball season works its way toward the postseason, the IHSA has released sectional assignments for teams.

In Class 4A, several area teams will take part in the Oswego Sectional. Teams involved in that sectional are East Aurora, West Aurora, Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, Benet Academy, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Naperville North, Oswego East, Oswego, Plainfield Central, Plainfield East, Plainfield North, Plainfield South and Yorkville. Regionals will be hosted by Downers Grove North, Oswego East, Neuqua Valley and Plainfield South.

Plainfield South is especially hopeful as the postseason draws closer. The Cougars have gone past last year’s win total already with a senior-heavy lineup and new coach Alana Warren, and they hope to bring home the first regional title in program history.

“This year is very different from last year,” Plainfield South senior Jazlynn Foster said after a win over District 202 rival Plainfield North. “We work on our defense a lot, and our defense gets everything going. We keep getting better, and we hope we can sneak up on some people in the postseason.”

Also in Class 4A, Minooka will be in Subsectional B in the Normal West Sectional, along with Bradley-Bourbonnais, East Moline United, Moline, Normal West, Normal Community, Pekin and Rock Island. Regionals will be hosted by Moline and Pekin.

All three Lincoln-Way schools – Central, East and West – will be in the Joliet West Sectional, along with Eisenhower, Marist, Bloom Township, Homewood-Flossmoor, Joliet Central, Joliet West, TF South, Lockport, Sandburg, Shepard, Stagg, Rich Township, Romeoville, Thornwood and Andrew. Regionals will be hosted by Joliet Central, Lincoln-Way West, Sandburg and Andrew.

In Class 3A, Lemont and Providence Catholic will take part in the Thornton Sectional and each will host a regional. Other teams in the sectional are TF North, Chicago Ag Science, Chicago Brooks, Chicago Vocational, Morgan Park, Chicagp Noble/Butler, Chicago Washington, Marian Cathoiic, Hillcrest, Crete-Monee, Thornridge, Evergreen Park, Thornton, Bremen, Oak Forest and Tinley Park. The other regionals will be hosted by Brooks and Marian Catholic.

Also in Class 3A, Morris will be in Subsectional B of the LaSalle-Peru Sectional and will host a regional. Other teams in the subsectional are Bloomington, Kankakee, LaSalle-Peru, Metamora, Ottawa, Pontiac, Streator and Washington. Pontiac will host the other regional the subsectional.

In Class 2A, all of the Herald-News area teams will be in Subsectional B of the Iroquois West Sectional. Teams in that subsectional are Beecher, Reed-Custer, Coal City, Joliet Catholic Academy, Manteno, Momence, Chicago Christian, Peotone, Southland College Prep Charter, Seneca and Wilmington. Manteno and Chicago Christian are regional hosts.

In Class 1A, Gardner-South Wilmington will host a sectional, and will be part of Subsectional B of that sectional along with Amboy, Ashton-Franklin Center, DePue, Earlville, Putnam County, Hinckley-Big Rock, Newark, Ottawa Marquette, St. Bede, Serena and Yorkville Christian. Earlville and Marquette are regional hosts. Dwight is in Subsectional B of the Ridegview Sectional, along with Armstrong, Cissna Park, Ridgeview, Tri-Point, Donovan, Blue Ridge, Fisher, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, Grace Christian Academy, Milford and Urbana University. Cissna Park and Fisher are regional hosts.

Sepulveda honored

Plainfield East’s Lexi Sepulveda, who recently became the Bengals’ all-time leading scorer – boy or girl – recently was named as a 2024 McDonald’s All-American nominee. She is one of 18 players from Illinois to be nominated.

Bolingbrook on top

Bolingbrook is ranked No. 1 in Illinois by maxpreps.com. The Raiders own a 15-2 record. Their only losses came at the Tampa Bay Invitational over the holidays, falling to Lake Highland Prep (FL) and Nazareth Academy.