Girls Basketball: Stellar Niles North class closes career with regional final loss
BY MATT HARNESS mharness@pioneerlocal.com February 16, 2012 9:38PM
Skokie-Shelley-Rae Moody Niles North battles Katy Lohens Maine South for the loose ball on the flooor. Girls basketball regional final: Maine South vs. Niles North. | Joe Cyganowski ~ For Sun Times Media
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Updated: March 24, 2012 8:08AM
Niles North coach Dan Paxson struggled to find words to comfort his players after they suffered a season-ending loss to Maine South in the Vikings’ own regional final last week.
He wanted more for the team’s five seniors, especially Alissa Hirsh and Mariyah Henley, who each played four seasons on varsity under Paxson.
But the top-seeded Hawks were too much for the seventh-seeded Vikings in their 64-44 win. It was 16th-ranked Maine South’s third regional title in a row.
“You can’t make too many mistakes against a team like that,” said Paxson, who was looking to lead Niles North to its first regional championship since 2004. “I thought our effort was great all night, but you have to combine that with playing every possession almost perfectly. But I couldn’t be prouder of them. I enjoyed coaching them so much and watching them grow on the court and in the classroom. It breaks my heart that it ended for the seniors.”
Niles North (17-13) opened the playoffs at home with a 57-40 win over CSL North champion Maine West. The Warriors were missing their best player, Brittany Collins, who hurt her knee in the final game of the regular season.
All-conference players Henley and Hirsh took advantage of the opportunity. Henley scored 25 points in the victory, while Hirsh added 20 more.
Niles North then hung tough with the Hawks in the first half of the regional final, but the Vikings couldn’t put together any runs during the final two quarters.
The 6-foot Henley starred again, registering a game-best 32 points. Hirsh finished with nine points.
Both Henley and Hirsh will play ball in college. Henley is off to Lewis University, and Hirsh will suit up for Grinnell College, in Iowa. The duo was instrumental in helping Niles North become one of the top teams in the league. The Vikings finished second to the Warriors in the CSL North.
Sorriyah Ranger and Lizzette Rivera also spent four seasons in the Niles North program. Angela Jones played one season for the Vikings after transferring from Maine East.
“They helped really raise the bar for us,” Paxson said. “I’m glad the freshmen were able to see us have this kind of a successful season and battle for a regional title. The message to the freshmen is, this is how it should be if we work hard. All five of those seniors really had a love for the game, loved being in the gym.”
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