Marian Catholic vs. Whitney Young

Friday, March 1

8:15 p.m. (approximately)

Marian Catholic (31-1)

Starters

Teniya Page, guard, sophomore

Megan Walsh, forward, senior

Ashton Millender, guard, junior

Melanie Ranson, guard/forward, senior

Aliyah Isaac, guard, senior

Top Scorers

Ashton Millender, 15.2 PPG

Teniya Page, 12.2 PPG

Megan Walsh, 8.4 PPG

Top Rebounders

Kauai Bradley, 6.8 RPG

Megan Walsh, 6.4 RPG

Melanie Ranson, 4.5 RPG

How They Got Here

In the Class 4A Tinley Park Regional, Marian Catholic barely broke a sweat.  The Spartans beat Calumet City by more than 60 points and throttled Tinley Park by doubling its score (35).  Marian Catholic beat Bloom Township 57-35 behind a 16-point performance from Page, and it sneaked past Marist behind a 20-point game from Page and a 25-foot game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper.  A smooth offensive effort was next for Marian Catholic, as it beat Richwoods 56-37 in the Bloomington Super-Sectional to advance to Bloomington.

Key Threat

All 15 players

Basketball is not usually a sports that involves ALL of the players, usually starting five with a few players coming off the bench.  The Spartans, however, have played every single player in all 32 of their games except for Page, who played in 31.  That kind of depth at the high school level is unheralded, and if each player comes up with a solid, balanced contribution, then the Spartans might hunt the Dolphins and move onto the state championship.

X-Factor

Marian Catholic’s only loss of the season was to Rolling Meadows, who ran away with a close game on a late Dec. 28 night behind a clutch 3-pointer and a few converted free throws.  If Marian’s going to lose on Friday, it’ll be because of a crumbling defense against a high-powered Dolphin offense late in the game.  If the Spartans get out to an early lead and hold on with their well-rounded bench, the sky’s the limit.

Whitney Young (26-4)

Starters

Khaalia Hillsman, center, junior

Linnae Harper, guard, sophomore

Tanita Allen, forward, sophomore

Syney Snower, guard, senior

Taylor Brame, forward, junior

Top Scorers

Linnae Harper, 19.1 PPG

Khaalia Hillsman, 8.9 PPG

Taylor Brame, 7.5 PPG

Top Rebounders

Khaalia Hillsman, 10.0 RPG

Linnae Harper, 9.1 RPG

Taylor Brame, 6.1 RPG

How They Got Here

There isn’t much to say about the Dolphin’s road to state.  Three 80-plus-point performances set up a 30-point victory in the Class 4A Trinity Sectional Final.  The annual war between Whitney Young and Bolingbrook sparked up yet again in the Hinsdale Central Super-Sectional.  After the Dolphins lead for the majority of the game, Bolingbrook’s pressure-feeding defense rallied back and had a chance to win the game–but couldn’t take the shot.  Hillsman, the 6-foot, 5-inch center for Whitney Young, was clutch in overtime to help the Dolphins win by a point and advance to state.

Key Threat

Linnae Harper

Harper took over as the team’s leader after star Janee Thompson from last year’s state championship graduated.  Harper’s been the top scorer in all but four of the Dolphins’ games this year, and another big game from her may be the difference in a close game between the two powerhouse coaches.

X-Factor

Whitney Young needs to get ahead early and hold onto its lead.  Three of the Dolphins’ four losses this season were decided by four or fewer points, and a strong start will prove valuable when Marian Central makes a run late in the game.

Photo by Mike Krebs/The Voice