Notre Dame of Quincy defeated Central Catholic of Bloomington 75-64 on Saturday in the Illinois Class 2A girls championship game, ending Central’s 42-game winning streak and avenging a loss to Central in the 2010 state final.
Illinois Girls Basketball Playoffs: Notre Dame Wins 2A Championship Over Central Catholic
Notre Dame (31-1) trailed 35-31 at halftime but outscored Central Catholic 44-29 in the second half in the game played at Illinois State University. It was Central’s third loss in 95 games.
Notre Dame, a western Illinois school on the Mississippi River, was able to win its first state title since 1984 largely behind the play of their starting sophomore backcourt and a rebounding edge of 39-21.
Sophomore guard Kassidy Gengenbacher made three of her four 3-point attempts and 11 of her 14 free-throw attempts to finish with a team-high 22 points. Another sophomore guard, Jordan Frericks scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and added three steals. Junior forward Tori Kuhn stood out as well, registering a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
For Bloomington-based Central Catholic (32-1), Jess Reinhart and Allie Norton scored 24 points apiece. Aside from Reinhart and Norton, no other Central Catholic player scored more than five points. Central Catholic was only 4-for-18 in 3-point shots.
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