Girls Basketball: Bolingbrook Outlasts Whitney Young in Overtime Thriller, Will Play for State Title Tonight

NORMAL—Considering that Bolingbrook and Whitney Young have met for three straight years in the Class 4A championship game, it was only fitting the two rivals went the extra mile to decide which team would represent one half of the championship final.

It was senior guard Taylor Tuck's free throw with 1.7 seconds left in overtime that pushed the Lady Raiders (28-2) past the Dolphins in overtime for a 50-49 victory. Tuck missed the second toss from the charity stripe on purpose as Whitney Young could only get its hand on the rebound but was unable to get off a shot before time expired.

The Dolphins (26-3) led by as many as eight points in the third quarter, but were never able to push that edge to double figures. With their backs against the wall, the Lady Raiders executed a late-game charge to take the game into an extra session.

Allie Hill drilled a three-pointer from the corner in front of Bolingbrook's bench with 59 seconds left in the fourth quarter to pull the Lady Raiders to within 45-43. On Bolingbrook's next possession, point guard Ariel Massengale found junior Morgan Tuck for a layup that knotted the contest.

Whitney Young led for most of the regulation periods, jumping out to an early seven-point lead in the first half by capitalizing on their attacks to the hoop and taking advantage of the Lady Raiders' struggles from the field.

Bolingbrook hit the floor with a shooting touch as cold as ice, connecting on only 29 percent of its attempted field goals and going 0-for-4 from the three-point line. The Lady Raiders picked up its tempo late in the contest, improving to shoot 41.7 percent from the field after halftime.

Patch’s MVP: Senior Falon Edwards was an unsung hero for Bolingbrook, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds (three offensive) off the bench. Six of Edwards' eight points came during the first half when the Lady Raiders were unable to generate much offense, thus, doing her part to keep her team in the game long enough to spark a rally.

Key stats: Whitney Young held Bolingbrook to 29 percent shooting in the first half and 35 percent shooting for the game. Both teams committed 15 turnovers. The Lady Raiders and Dolphins each attempted 16 free throws, but Bolingbrook hit 12 of its attempts, Whitney Young only connected on six. Bolingbrook's starting five accounted for 74 percent of the team's scoring output.

Bolingbrook's leaders: Morgan Tuck (10 points, nine rebounds, two assists), Ariel Massengale (nine points, three assists), Kierra Ray (nine points, three rebounds).

Whitney Young's leaders: Chanise Jenkins (11 points, six rebounds), Alexis Lloyd (10 points, three rebounds).

Quotable I: "Great ball game. We did not play our best game. But we fought, dug in and came out on top. I can't say enough about it. It was bad in the first half—awful. In the second half, we dug in and fought, fought, fought and came out with a W." --Bolingbrook head coach Tony Smith

Quotable II: "This means a lot. We've been talking about it since day one. Coach told us the team that wants it the most is going to win. As it came out, we wanted it the most." -- Bolingbrook senior guard Ariel Massengale

Team Records: Bolingbrook (28-2), Whitney Young (26-3)

What’s Next: Bolingbrook eyes its third straight state title at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday at Redbird Arena when the Lady Raiders square off against Zion-Benton (27-6).