Girls Basketball: Seniors deliver as Warren edges Rolling Meadows

In the playoffs, it’s win or go home.

Warren’s senior class clearly wasn’t ready to call it a career on Thursday, as they pulled together and produced a semi-dominating 50-39 victory over second-seeded Rolling Meadows to win the Class 4A Warren Regional.

The sixth-seeded Devils (21-8) live to play another day, and that will be Monday night at 8 against either Wheeling or Prospect at the Palatine Sectional. Rolling Meadows is done at 25-5.

“We’ve been rebuilding since our freshman year,” said Blue Devil senior Lexi Leneau. “Each year, we’ve made another step but we kept falling short (of winning a regional). This year, it’s finally clicking. You can feel it.

“Obviously, everyone was nervous in the locker room, but we knew this was it. For the seniors, this was our last time on this floor. We came out ready to go.”

Leneau led the winners with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Senior center Jessica Prince (16 points, eight rebounds), and senior Amanda Barger (nine points, five rebounds, four assists) made the magical night happen.

“This was the best 32 minutes we’ve put together all year,” said veteran coach John Stanczykiewicz, “against a good team at the right time of the year. I’m really proud of these kids and really happy for them.

“For the seniors, this is the first time they’ve gotten to experience this.”

Rolling Meadows led 25-23 at halftime, but Warren took the lead for good at 30-27 on Leneau’s three-point bomb with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

The Devils led 40-34 after three quarters and Rolling Meadows did not get closer the rest of the way.

Jackie Kemph led the Mustangs in coring with 12 points, and Alexis Glasgow added 11 points and seven boards. Both are sophomores.

“Obviously, we had high hopes,” said Rolling Meadows coach Todd Hatfield. “These were the two hottest teams in the sectional. Coming it, they were 15-2 in their last 17 games and we were 16-1. There weren’t two hotter teams.

“No disrespect to the other teams left, but this was a sectional-championship type of game.”

For the game, Warren was 20 of 44 shooting an Rolling Meadows 12 of 43. The Blue Devils had a 33-23 rebounding edge.

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