Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Kyle Williams

2023 Chicago Street Race champ Shane van Gisbergen to compete in NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024

2023-12-14T15:43:44.443-06:00

NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen holds up the checkered flag as he celebrates a victory after winning the Grant Park 220 NASCAR Street Race, Sunday, July 2, 2023. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

On Wednesday, Trackhouse Racing announced that Shane van Gisbergen — winner of the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023 — will race full-time in the Xfinity Series. The New Zealand native arrived in the United States — he’ll be living in Charlotte, North Carolina — and he’s still adjusting to his new era.

“I drove down the street on the wrong side of the road,” van Gisbergen said. “Basic stuff is so similar, but it’s so different here. I moved to Australia when I was 18, in 2007, and lived there ever since. But now, moving to the other side of the world, it’s been a big change.”

History shows that van Gisbergen will adapt quickly. He became the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to win his Cup Series start. He’s still adjusting to the newfound attention winning the race brought him.

“When I came for the race, it was a one-off race with Project 91 and Trackhouse,” van Gisbergen said. “You always hope that you’re going to win a race but you never expect to run up front like that and put on the show like we did. “The recognition we got for what we achieved has been massive, and as I said has snowballed into this now I’ve packed up my life, moved countries and changed everything and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind.

The three-time Australian Supercars champion knew immediately after winning in Chicago and competing in Indianapolis that he was ready to compete full-time in the NASCAR and Xfinity series.

“In Australia, we do a lot of street races and conventional circuit races, but we only raced five times a year,” van Gisbergen said. “ We aren’t racing every week; we race mainly on ovals and sitting on the left side of the car with no doors.”

van Gisbergen grew up a racing fan: His father was into the sport, so van Gisbergen started taking classes at Speedway when he was eight years old. He grew up near the Pukekohe race track, where he found his racing inspiration.

“Greg Murphy was like my hero,” van Gisbergen said. “Greg always used to win there, and I’d always be watching him just wanting to be like him.”

Racing started off as a weekend endeavor before becoming more competitive and moving to Australia to continue the journey.

Though the Chicago Street Race was the first for NASCAR, van Gisbergen competed in multiple street races in Australia. Now, he’s starting to prepare for his first full year competing in NASCAR events.

His first week in the States has been dedicated to meeting his team and familiarizing himself with how racing works in NASCAR. Everything is currently shut down for the holidays but will ramp back up in the New Year. He said he’s excited to compete again in Chicago.

“It’s the biggest city I’ve ever been to,” van Gisbergen said. “All around the town, there was a bit of a buzz. Obviously, the weather was crazy on Sunday, but still seeing how many fans turned out was really cool.”

Young’s Gaby Domercant shines as Young beats Westinghouse

2023-12-12T19:39:25.56-06:00

Whitney Young’s Gaby Domercant (44) against Westinghouse. | Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times.

Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times.

Gaby Domercant had made her previous three-pointer. Two possessions later in the first quarter, the ball found her again, except she passed the ball this time.

It was the right idea for a freshman with a team-first mentality. But Young coach Krissy Harper gestured to Domercant that she should shoot the ball, showing confidence in the young sharpshooter.

On the next possession, Domercant faked a pass before drilling a three-pointer.

“I appreciate her for always being so unselfish, but I also want her to understand, especially in those bigger games, when you have the hot hand, we want you to shoot the ball,” Harper said. “Now, as she gets into those situations a little bit more, she’ll be able to decipher when I should shoot the ball and then when I should look for the next best.”

Domercant finished with 18 points and seven rebounds in Young’s 63-37 victory against Westinghouse. She already has an offer from Loyola and is starting to find her comfort on the court.

“I’ve had such supportive coaches and teammates,” Domercant said. “Everybody’s helped me with the transition so much, and I’m just grateful to God.”

Domercant said she passed up the three-pointer because she always looks for the best shot. It’s always a balancing act for a shooter on whether or not to shoot. But as the season progresses and the level of competition increases, Domercant’s shooting will play a big part in Young’s success.

She’s also a coach’s kid: Her dad is Henry Domercant, the head coach of the Windy City Bulls.

“It was a good conference win,” Henry Domercant said. “They worked the ball around and got her some good looks. It was fun to see her see some shots go down, and I hope this is only a sign for more to come.

The Dolphins (7-2, 2-0 Red North/West) are a young team this season. Young is led by guard Destiny Jackson, who holds multiple offers from Division-I programs, but it also lost several seniors, many of them starters.

Kiaya Johnson had a big game, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter. Lysa Jones also starred with 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

“I just saw my team grow into their roles because we all want to win,” Jackson said. “I know in later games, when we start playing closer games, I’m going to have my teammates to lean on.”

The early part of this season is about getting comfortable in those high-pressure environments they surely will face in the city and state playoffs. Young recently traveled to Washington, D.C. and went 1-2 in the She Got Game Classic.

‘‘We needed to see a different type of competition,” Harper said. “An aggressive competition that will prepare us for the playoffs.”

Domercant performed well at the tournament. She knocked down six three-pointers in the first game and scored 22 points.

But she continued her torrid shooting stretch against Westinghouse. Her shooting makes it harder for defenses to load up on Jackson.

“She really opened the game up for us,” Harper said. ‘‘She’s been shooting the ball extremely well the past couple of weeks. I think she’s finally getting her feel for the game and being on varsity as a freshman. We expect nothing less of her, so she set a very high standard this weekend.”

Offensive struggles plague Fremd in loss at Showcase In The Park

2023-12-09T20:28:20.9-06:00

Fremd’s Ella Todd (22) drives with the basketball against Lake Central’s Kennedie Burks (1) during the Showcase In The Park at Kenwood Academy. Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times.

Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times.

There was a lid on the basket for Fremd.

The Vikings were getting the kind of high-percentage shots teams strive to get, but they couldn’t buy a basket and only two players scored in the first quarter.

The lack of offense was the main culprit in Fremd’s 49-38 loss to Lake Central (Indiana) at Showcase In The Park on Saturday at Kenwood.

‘‘We need to make a layup,’’ Vikings coach Dave Yates said. ‘‘This wasn’t a matter of us not getting the shots we wanted. You have to put the ball in the basket, and they’re too good of a team to miss great looks. It’s that simple.’’

Fremd (9-2) defended well, grabbed 25 rebounds and showed the effort needed to beat a team that is 10-1. But open three-point shots clanked off the rim, and the Vikings couldn’t convert layups.

Events such as the In The Park Showcase serve as a litmus test for teams to evaluate where they are early in the season.

‘‘You come to these tournaments to get tested and learn something about ourselves,’’ Yates said. ‘‘[Lake Central] is a team that played well together, and we can learn from that.’’

Fremd scored only seven points in the second quarter and went scoreless in the first four minutes of the third. The Vikings’ scoring drought enabled the Indians to grab control of the game.

‘‘A lot of the focus coming out of halftime was on the offense,’’ said Fremd junior guard Ella Todd, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. ‘‘We got kind of sloppy, turned it over and didn’t come together as a team.’’

But the Vikings made a push at the start of the fourth. They found senior forward Brynn Eshoo, a Portland commit. She scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the fourth and finished with seven rebounds.

Eshoo’s big quarter began with a pull-up jumper from the right elbow. In the first three quarters, she didn’t make much of an impact with her scoring. But a minor adjustment by Fremd started her on her way.

‘‘We got her the ball,’’ Yates said. ‘‘We’ve got to figure out who needs to get the ball when, and we’re still a work in progress along those lines.’’

Quick shots and bad turnovers plagued the Vikings. But once they simplified their offense and started playing through Eshoo, things started flowing.

Still, it proved to be too late.

‘‘Once we started to move the ball, that’s when we got good shots,’’ Eshoo said. ‘‘That needs to be our focus right now and not as much one-on-one basketball.’’

Fremd has lost only twice, the other defeat being a one-point loss to Cardinal Ritter (Missouri).

‘‘Games like this are good because we needed to play a really good team, but they’re also a very beatable team,’’ Todd said.

Todd, a Utah commit, dealt with foul trouble throughout the game and eventually fouled out. Lake Central played physical defense, allowing few easy shots, and the Vikings made only two three-pointers.

Eshoo said Fremd couldn’t find a rhythm because of the quick shots it was taking.

‘‘We need to be tougher,’’ Eshoo said. ‘‘We must come out strong and play together.’’

Yates was fine with the Vikings’ defense but was dismayed by the offensive performance.

‘‘We can’t be in the 30s,’’ he said. ‘‘We have too many talented kids to be in the 30s.’’

Guards Paige Engels, Kelsey Langston deliver as Loyola wins Jesuit Cup

2023-12-08T20:16:05.76-06:00

Loyola’s Paige Engels (33) drives with the basketball against Saint Ignatius College Prep during the Jesuit Cup at Gentile Arena. Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times.

Rivalry games in high school bring a different energy. The student sections travel — the Ramblers section dressed in maroon clothing, the Wolfpack section decked out in Christmas attire — and the intensity is palpable.

Add in the college arena venue and you have an energy that is hard to match. Loyola and St. Ignatius meet in the Jesuit Cup annually. Last year, the game was played at the high school. This year, Gentile Arena was the home for the rivalry game.

Loyola lost the cup last season and played like they didn’t forget it —notably the seniors.

Loyola guard Paige Engels leaped near half court for a steal that led to a three-pointer for the Ramblers, a harbinger of the night to come.

“It definitely made the game a little easier,” Engels said. “We like to speed up other teams and force them to turn the ball over, and then we just get easy transition points out of it and are able to go on big runs.”

The Ramblers took back the cup in their 63-37 win over St. Ignatius with a relentless defense that forced a plethora of Wolfpack turnovers in the first half.

“Our defense makes us have a better offense,” Ramblers guard Kelsey Langston said. We know we can lean back on our defense most nights.”

Engels finished with 11 points and three rebounds. The Cornell commit is part of a talented senior class with guards Morgan Bruno — she finished with 11 points — and Langston. Their experience helped them anticipate what they needed to do to win this game.

“They took pride in getting the cup back,” Loyola coach Jeremy Schoenecker said. “They were bummed that we didn’t win the game last year. Between Kelsey, Paige and Morgan, they’ve been with us for almost 80 games in their career, so they knew what it would take to win this game.”

Loyola’s goal from the outset was to prevent St. Ignatius from getting clean looks. They didn’t want their shooters to get comfortable.

“We wanted to make sure that Audrey Mahoney for them doesn’t just catch-and-shoot the basketball,” Schoenecker said. “We tried to limit them in their half-court sets.”

Mahoney was held scoreless in the game, so the strategy proved effective. But the ball was humming for the Ramblers when their defense wasn’t sparking their offense. Every set was run with precision. Every cut was rewarded with a pass.

“We just get along so well off the court that it makes our chemistry on the court come so easily,” Engels said. “No one’s selfish, and everyone’s doing what’s best for the team; it just makes it a really fun experience.”

Ramblers’ guard Aubrey Galvin provided her usual ball-handling wizardry. She finished with 16 points, three rebounds numerous “oohs and aahs” from the crowd. In the third quarter, Galvin caught her defender off-balanced and found Grace Bronski underneath the rim for a reverse layup.

When the Wolfpack switched to a zone defense, Loyola didn’t settle for jumpers. Instead, they attacked the openings.

Galvin and Engels were the biggest proponents of that attacking mentality. The drive-and-kick served Loyola well as six different players knocked down a three-pointer.

St. Ignatius (4-4, 2-1) forward Reganne Reardon led the Wolfpack with 15 points.

Loyola (9-0, 3-0) has already played some of the toughest teams and on two college courts. Langston — who finished with 11 points and four rebounds — said she enjoyed the environment with the student section and the marching band, plus the opportunity to play on a college court. Oh, and winning the Jesuit Cup back wasn’t bad, either.

“We’ve been thinking about it for a full year, so it’s nice to have it finally back where it belongs,” Langston said.

Kyle Williams is a staff reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South Side and West Side.

Kenwood survives in tough, gritty win against Hyde Park

2023-12-06T21:31:39.203-06:00

Chicago Sun Times

When you’re one of the top teams in the state, you receive every team’s best shot. Kenwood is coming off a hard-fought, intensity-filled game against Bolingbrook at the Chicago Elite Classic.

Now, they found themselves on the road in a conference matchup against Hyde Park: This game wasn’t going to be an easy task. Hyde Park has senior guard Jazmyne Bynum — one of the best guards in the state — and 6-4 Mia Gaines, blocking shots and deterring others. She finished with six points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.

These arduous games make champions. Kenwood didn’t start off strong: They were down 15-8 after the first quarter. They were getting out-rebounded, out-hustled and out of sorts offensively. The Broncos struggled guarding Bynum, who had 12 of her 15 points in the first half. But this is a talented team with championship aspirations; they weren’t — and didn’t — let that stand.

“I thought we didn’t play to our full potential,” Kenwood coach Andre Lewis said. “I thought we did a very bad job of rebounding the ball in the first half and came out and played lackadaisical.”

Bynum led Hyde Park’s first-half tempo. The senior guard was breaking Kenwood’s press with her speed and quickness. Her fleetness created shots for her teammates and put pressure on Kenwood’s defense, forcing them to collapse on her.

“I thought we did an extremely poor job guarding her [Bynum],” Lewis said. “In the second half, we got a little bit better, but it’s not a good enough job in order to achieve our goals.”

But this isn’t a Kenwood team that lacks confidence. They openly talk about their goals and ambitions. They strive to attain the team accolades that comes with a lengthy state playoff run.

Kenwood (8-1, 2-0) played more urgently and met the tempo and break-neck pace that Hyde Park played with. They showed they could pull out the tough wins even when they didn’t look their best in their 52-41 win over a good Thunderbirds team (7-1, 1-1).

“I just saw more aggression from everybody, just waiting to get it off the board because we were lacking rebounds in the first half,” forward Diann Jackson said.

Jackson and junior guard Ariella Henigan were the catalysts in the turnaround. The junior duo each scored six points in the second quarter to give the Broncos the halftime lead.

Jackson — who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds — was a huge part in setting the tone. The junior forward displayed all the facets of her game: She knocked down a mid-range jumper, finished in the paint and scored an impressive up-and-under against Gaines in the fourth quarter.

“She definitely picked it up from the first quarter,” Henigan said of Jackson. “She got more rebounds and scored more, but she had that nice move on the baseline, the reverse layup, so just doing what she was supposed to do from the beginning.”

Lewis’ simple yet effective message played a role in Jackson’s renewed energy.

“My coach told me, ‘Nobody on the floor is better than me,’ Jackson said, “so I believed that.”

Jackson controlled the glass the second half, and blocked a shot. She and Henigan helped close out a win that wasn’t flawless, but it’s the type of win good teams have. The win wasn’t flawless, but it’s the type of win good teams have. The Broncos took care of business in their second Red-South/Central conference win.

Kenwood’s already played a challenging schedule: The Broncos hold impressive wins over Homewood-Flossmoor, Benet, Batavia and St. Ignatius. Lewis filled the schedule with tough opponents to prepare them for the playoffs.

“We just came in thinking it was gonna be easier, but as we see, it wasn’t,” Henigan said. “We just have to keep putting more wins in the books and keeping the losses to a minimum.”

2024 NASCAR Chicago tickets go on sale Dec. 6

2023-12-04T12:21:31.393-06:00

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Tickets for the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race go on sale Dec. 6. The inaugural street race drew people from all 50 states and 15 countries around the globe.

NASCAR returns to the city on July 6-7 after Shane van Gisbergen won the inaugural Grant Park 220 in a wild, rain-soaked race earlier this year.

NASCAR will offer entertainment options for fans with the Skyline, the Founders, the President’s and the Jose Cuervo Fountain Club. Each of the options provides a scenic view of the race track. Musical artists and full-length concerts will be announced at a later date.

The Street Race course is a 12-turn, 2.2-mile journey through some of the most historic buildings in the city. NASCAR offers two-day reserved tickets for $465, two-day general admission tickets starting at $269 and a GA+ ticket priced at $398.

This year, NASCAR is adding a youth pricing option. Kids under the age of 12 get free admission to Saturday’s events and will be charged $45 for Sunday’s events.

“This year marked the first-time in the 75-year history of our sport that the NASCAR Cup Series took to the city streets for a race, and we are thrilled to once again welcome fans back to the city of Chicago for this bucket-list event,” Chicago Street Race president Julie Giese said in a press release. “2024 will once again have something for everyone, with world-class racing action, A-list concert performances, and a breathtaking backdrop of the city skyline and Chicago lakefront.”

On Dec. 6, the Chicago Street Race Team will venture to the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for the first of six hospital visits this holiday season.

The 2024 race will lead drivers through quintessential locations such as Chicago Michigan Avenue, Lake Shore Drive and Buckingham Fountain.

Chicago Elite Classic high school basketball notebook

2023-12-04T08:46:18.304-06:00

Whitney Young’s Destiny Jackson (2) shoots against Lyons Township while playing in the Chicago Elite Classic, December 3, 2023, Chicago, Illinois | Allen Cunningham / For the Sun-Times

Chicago Sun Times

Chicago Elite Classic notes

Thonton 46, Simeon 40: One play served as the perfect summation of this game: Thornton’s Phalan Sigers stole the ball and weaved through defenders as she scored a layup. Sigers finished with 18 points on a variety of jumpers.

“At the beginning I was looking to get my teammates open, but then my jumper started falling,” Sigers said.

Thornton’s defense set the tone, forcing 26 Simeon turnovers.

Naperville Central 57, Phillips 54: After trailing for most of the game, Naperville Central guard Erin Hackett connected on a three-pointer from the right corner as she was fouled to give her team a 51-48 lead for the Redhawks. Hackett was sensational in the second half, scoring 20 points in the second half. She was relentlessly driving to the basket, and the physicality caused her to up her game when she wasn’t getting foul calls in the first half.

“I wanted this win just to boost everyone on our team up,” Hackett said. “Once they kept fouling me and not calling, I really wanted to win after that.”

Naperville has played one of the most challenging schedules in the state so far: The win against Phillips snapped a five-game losing streak for the Redhawks.

Lakeeyah Barnes and Kamaria Sephus each scored 15 points for Phillips.

Loyola 64, St. Louis. Vashon 24: The Ramblers didn’t waste time making a statement at the Chicago Elite Classic. Loyola jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The Ramblers are veteran group: They mix talent with cohesion as well as any team in the state. Guard Aubrey Galvan is one of the best passers in the state, and she can score the ball. She’s a high-level passer, and her teammates are always in lockstep with what she’s seeing on the court. Morgan Bruno was on a hot streak from the three-point line. Read about the game here.

Young 46, Lyons 45: What a game between two of the better programs in the state. Young escaped with a 46-45 overtime win over Lyons.

The Dolphins were led by junior guard Destiny Jackson, who scored 19 points. Junior guard Kiaya Johnson forced a pivotal steal in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Johnson scored 12 points and dished out five assists.

Sophomore forward Lysa Jones scored ten points and grabbed nine rebounds. Young doesn’t possess a lot of size, but they have multiple guards at their disposal who can guard. Despite Lyons starting three players 6-0 or taller, Young won the rebounding battle 35-24. But how was Young able to out-rebound Lyons despite the size disadvantage?

“Just being tougher, Jackson said.

“It’s been a good challenge,” Jackson said. It’s made me better as a player because being able to guard point guards and bigs and defend both will take my game to a new level.”

Homewood-Flossmoor 53, Butler 43: H-F pulls off an upset in their win over Butler. The Vikings withstood many runs from Butler to secure the win. Senior guard Jaeda Murphy scored a game-high 28 points for H-F, getting to the free-throw line 17 times. Sophomore guard Aunyai Deere added 15 points and six rebounds. H-F turned 18 turnovers into 13 points.

“Defensively, I know they’re always behind me,” Murphy said. “I knew I could pressure the ball because they had my help.”

Northwestern commit Xamiya Walton finished with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting.

Bolingbrook 65, Kenwood 59: Bolingbrook beat Kenwood in a physical, tightly contested matchup. The top game of the day lived up to the billing. Sophomore Trinity Jones, one of the best players in the country, did not disappoint: She scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds for her new team. The 6-2 forward on multiple drives went to a patent spin move that worked consistently.

Senior guard and DePaul commit Angelina Smith had a strong game, scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Smith converted a critical and-one to put Bolingbrook up four with less than two minutes left.

“I try to pride myself on being a really strong point guard for my team,” Smith said. “When they need me to make the big buckets, they know I’m clutch.”

Kenwood’s Danielle Brooks scored a game-high 26 points. Ariella Henigan added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Broncos.

Aubrey Galvan shines, Ramblers dominate in their Chicago Elite Classic debut

2023-12-03T17:33:02.559-06:00

Loyola’s Aubrey Galvan (3) lays the ball off the glass for two against Vashon during the Chicago Elite Classic,

Allen Cunningham / For the Sun-Times

Loyola guard Aubrey Galvan plays with a flair to her game. In the third quarter, Galvan whipped a behind-the-back pass to her teammate Grace Bronski. Bronski promptly found Morgan Bruno for a wide-open corner three.

Galvan plays with a unique flair that it’s not surprising she grew up watching former NBA player Jason Williams — a player known for his audacious passes and tight handle.

“It’s some some part confidence since I’ve been doing it since I was little,” Galvan said. “Once I started practicing and watching White Chocolate [Jason Williams].”

The Ramblers dominated their first game on the Chicago Elite Classic stage, beating St. Louis Vashon (2-2) 64-24. The Ramblers held Vashon scoreless in the second quarter and their suffocating defense held Vashon to 17.5% shooting.

Galvan — who finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists — has fit in seamlessly to a Loyola team returning 14 players from last year’s team. From the start of the game, Galvan was whipping one-handed passes with the accuracy and precision of a quarterback.

“She’s a special point guard,” Ramblers coach Jeremy Schoenecker said. “The one thing I love about her is that she’s super unselfish. The way she passes the basketball, I don’t even know if most guys can do.”

But Loyola (7-0) has more talent beyond its talented point guard. The Ramblers have senior guard Morgan Bruno, a dead-eye shooter who finished with 18 points and six three-pointers. Guard Paige Engels, a Cornell commit, finished with ten points and seven rebounds.

She is the head of a balanced Loyola offense predicated on ball movement and shooting. If you make a mistake against Loyola, they’ll make you pay for it. If you double, they’ll find the open man. If you help on a drive, a player cuts for a wide-open layup.

“We want everyone to make sure that they share the ball because they know when they give it up it’s an eventually come back to them at some point,” Schoenecker said.

Loyola started the game on a 7-0 run. Vashon didn’t score seven points until the third quarter.

Loyola (6-0) wanted to come out and show the talent on the roster.

“It was also a statement one for us,” Engels said. “We just came off a big win against Montini on Friday, so it was a quick turnaround into today. “We’re having a lot of fun and when we’re having fun, it makes the game easier.”

Engels, a Cornell commit, finished with ten points and seven rebounds. She’s one of the senior leaders for the Ramblers and a steady presence on the court.

“You’ll look at the end of the game and she has 15 points and it’s quiet, but it’s in the most efficient way,” Schoenecker said. “ She’s one of the most efficient players I’ve coached.”

Their familiarity with each other has helped the Ramblers start the season so strong. They welcomed three new players to this year’s team, but the roster’s core has played together for years. They’re a battle-tested group.

Even Galvan, a transfer from Deerfield, played with Engels for Full Package on the AAU circuit.

“At the beginning of the season we could just start at the foundation we already had last year, we didn’t have to build anything new,” Engels said.

The Ramblers hope the chemistry, cohesion and depth will pay dividends during the season: They had 28 bench points off the bench. The Chicago Elite Classic was the start of that journey.

“We always want to be invited to this event,” Schoenecker said. “We believe that we’re one of the best teams in the state.”

Chicago Elite Classic: Previewing the girls basketball matchups

2023-12-01T12:47:21.6-06:00

Kenwood’s Diann Jackson (21) celebrates after a teammate hits a three against Homewood-Flossmoor, November 17, 2023, Chicago, Illinois

Allen Cunningham / For the Sun-Times

The annual Chicago Elite Classic is back for its 12th year. The event is one of the premier events of the high school basketball season. Starting last season, the CEC devoted an entire day to girl’s basketball and showcased the immense talent around the area.

This is the first time that Loyola Academy will participate in the CEC. Returning all 14 players from last season’s 28-7 team that won a regional championship, Jeremy Schoenecker wanted to challenge his team with its schedule.

“They’re super excited,” Schoenecker said. “We knew this was going to be a hopefully special year for us. We are playing every big event and going to play a lot of great teams in our conference as well.”

Here’s a look at the matchups, which take place Sunday at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC:

Simeon vs. Thornton, 11 a.m.

Simeon is looking to bounce back after a down season by its lofty standards and going 11-17. The traditional public league powerhouse is just three seasons removed from winning its first state title. Thornton is looking to rebound after last year’s 5-21 season.

Phillips vs. Naperville Central, 12:30 p.m.

Naperville Central has had a tough schedule to begin the season: The RedHawks have played against some of the area’s most formidable teams — Batavia, Kenwood, Benet and Homewood-Flossmoor. Naperville Central is coming off a successful season in which it captured its first regional championship since 2018. They lost one of the best players in the state — Trinity Jones — but are a battle-tested group. Phillips is no stranger to playing on a big stage. They added high-scoring senior guard LaKeeyah Barnes from Morgan Park.

Loyola vs. Vashon (Mo.), 2 p.m.

This matchup is one of the most anticipated of the entire day. Loyola Academy is led by senior guards Kelsey Langston and Paige Engles —who is committed to Cornell. The Ramblers added junior guard Aubrey Galvan, who holds Brown, Yale and Murray State offers. They’ll have a challenge as they face off against the 2023 Missouri state champions.

Whitney Young vs. Lyons Township, 3:30 p.m.

The Dolphins are led by Destiny Jackson, a top-30 junior nationally, who holds offers from Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State and Arizona State. Young has a young core of players, but they work well together. Sophomore forward Lysa Jones is a double-double machine who has already received offers from Loyola and Ohio State. Freshman sharpshooter Gabby Domercant is also a name to watch. Lyons is led by junior forward Nora Ezike and sophomore Emma O’Brien.

Butler vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, 5 p.m.

Butler has multiple players committed to playing college basketball, such as Serenti Adams (Oakland) and Xamiya Walton (Northwestern). The 2A power finished 2-1 in its Thanksgiving tournament in Florida, where they played against a top-20 team. H-F lost two games against Batavia and Benet by a combined two points. The Vikings are led by Joliet Central transfer Layla Pierce and Jaeda Murphy, who averaged 11 points last season.

Kenwood vs. Bolingbrook, 6:30 p.m.

The headlining game of the day features a Public League power and one of the top suburban teams. Junior guard Ariella Henigan leads Kenwood. She controls a potent Kenwood offense. Sophomore Danielle Brooks, junior Diann Jackson and senior Talya Tillman round out a talented Broncos team. Bolingbrook fell to O’Fallon in the supersectionals but added 2026 forward Trinity Jones, the seventh-ranked player in the country for her class.

Bulls snap five-game losing streak with effort and energy

2023-11-30T23:33:33.967-06:00

Bulls guard Alex Caruso was part of the team’s heightened urgency against the Bucks.

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

The Bucks led by three. After being down by seven with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter, Milwaukee roared back to take the lead with five seconds left.

On a night in which the ball was humming and the energy was palpable, Bulls guard Alex Caruso knocked down a fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime and the United Center into a fervor.

“I don’t get the opportunity to shoot a lot because usually I’m the guy taking the ball out,” Caruso said. “I was excited that I got to shoot it tonight. I had a lot of turnovers, so I wanted to make sure that I didn’t lose the game.”

Without Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls’ young players stepped into more prominent roles against a team many predict will make the NBA Finals, and they delivered. The Bulls won 120-113 to snap a five-game losing streak.

With their team’s uncertain future, Bulls fans got a glimpse of the roster they might be watching in the second half of the season.

Center Nikola Vucevic was the focal point, and guard Dalen Terry and rookie Julian Phillips made cameo appearances. Vucevic, who scored 29, had his first 20-point game since Nov. 13.

“It’s big for us at this moment with the way the season’s been going where we haven’t really played good basketball and losing by pretty big margins the last couple of games,” Vucevic said. ‘‘It was great to do — especially against such a good team like Milwaukee — so we’ll take it, but, again, it’s one win, and we have to show we can do it again Saturday.”

After two subpar defensive performances, the Bulls showed the energy and pace that was missing of late.

They were flying around for offensive rebounds and closing out on corner threes — which coach Billy Donovan emphasized before the game — while also making the extra pass. They didn’t let the early 11-2 deficit snowball like they’ve seen in previous games.

“I give our guys credit,” Donovan said. “We kept hanging in the game and just kept playing the next possession, and there was some resiliency.”

Despite being short-handed, the Bulls played with energy. Whether it was Ayo Dosunmu fighting for extra opportunities, Andre Drummond snatching every rebound in sight, Patrick Williams hammering home two thunderous dunks or guys making the extra pass, the Bulls played with selflessness and fight.

They contested layup attempts at the rim and made things difficult for Bucks superstars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Offensively, the ball was moving as the Bulls had a season-high 32 assists. They outrebounded the Bucks 51-43

Dosunmu was excellent down the stretch. He saved an errant Vucevic pass from going out of bounds, tipped away a rebound from Bucks guard Malik Beasley and stole a pass that turned into a basket for the Bulls.

“Those are winning plays that need to be made, and when you’re in a drought and losing, those plays can be hard to make because you’re in a drought, but I just wanted to have the mindset of, no matter what, try to win,” Dosunmu said.

The Bulls got a glimpse into the future against Milwaukee: Each young player had a moment in the game. Williams hit a clutch midrange jumper, Coby White (23 points)had a deep three-pointer to give the Bulls a seven-point lead late and Dosunmu came up with several steals and rebounds.

If change is on the horizon, it won’t always be like this. There will be lulls and growing pains throughout a season, but the young players brought an energy and spirit that had been missing for too long.