Although the RB girls basketball team didn’t accomplish its goal of winning the Metro Suburban Conference Championship under first-year head coach Dallas Till, the Bulldogs’ regular season still closed on a very high note with a dramatic 56-54 win at Glenbard South on Friday.
With the score tied at 54-all, RB guard/forward Alleigh VandeMerkt nailed a 16-foot jumper with 3.7 seconds remaining in the game to pull out the win. Danielle Peco (19 points) and Kiley Rusen (17 points) shot 5-for-8 and 4-for-6 from three-point land, respectively, for the Bulldogs. Hannah Claywell (6 points) and Meghan Orgler (5 points) also pitched in offensively. RB made 8-of-10 free throws during a see-saw fourth quarter.
The victory for RB avenged a disappointing 62-39 home loss against the Raiders on Jan. 5. More importantly, the Bulldogs enter the playoffs this week with an extra surge of momentum and confidence.
RB (18-9, 8-3 Metro Suburban Conference) opened the playoffs against Kenwood on Monday (2/13) in a regional semifinal at De La Salle. With a win, RB advances to the regional championship game this Thursday (7:30) against either the host Meteors or Kennedy.
The Bulldogs are the No. 4 seed in the Glenbard South Sectional featuring top seeded Montini followed in seeding order by St. Joseph, Glenbard South, RB, De La Salle and Nazareth in a 19-team field. Two-time defending state champion Montini is the prohibitive sectional favorite.
