Girls Basketball: McMahon, L-W East Lower the Boom on L-W North

The Skinny: Caitlin McMahon made like a thief on one of the basketball floor. On the other, she was a scoring machine in Lincoln-Way East’s 61-36 girls basketball victory over district rival Lincoln-Way North. McMahon came up with a steal on the first possession in Thursday night’s Class 4A Lincoln-Way Central regional championship game. Eleven seconds later, she scored on a layup. McMahon went on to score 19 points and grab nine rebounds as the Griffins won their fifth straight regional title.

Her work on defense and on the boards helped East overcome a North team that entered with a 23-5 record and put a huge lineup on the floor. The Phoenix’s twin towers (6-0 Taylor Boardman and 6-2 Ellen Graham) were limited to 15 points and five rebounds.

Patch’s MVP: Caitlin McMahon, 6-0, senior center/forward, Lincoln-Way East. McMahon made 8-of-13 shots and scored 19 points. She had 10 in the first quarter when the Griffins jumped to leads of 10-0 and 14-2. Her steal on the game’s opening possession set the tone for the night.

Key Moments: Lincoln-Way East used a ball-pressure brand of man-to-man defense to force five turnovers in the first quarter. The Griffins raced out to leads of 10-0 and 14-2 on the strength of some red-hot shooting. East made 10-of-14 shots in the first quarter and 17-of-25 in the first half (68 percent). When McMahon wasn’t having her way inside, Amy Jacobsen was lighting it up from the outside. Jacobsen sand three 3-pointers in the first half and went on to score 15 points. Jacobsen pitched a shutout on defense against Lincoln-Way North's Ashley Weringa (0 points, 0-for-1 shooting).

Lincoln-Way East Leaders: Caitlin McMahon (19 points, 9 rebounds), Amy Jacobsen (15 points, 3 3-pointers), Taylor Johnson (12 points, 8 rebounds), Meaghan McMahon (5 points, all in the first half, 1 3-pointer).

Lincoln-Way North Leaders: Taylor Boardman (12 points, 4 rebounds), Stephanie Pearson (7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 3-pointer), Sam Pietruszynski (5 points, 1 3-pointer).

Quotable I: “We needed to get off to a good start, and they came out lights out and it set us back,” Lincoln-Way North coach Jim Nair said. “But they just outplayed us throughout the whole game. They earned it.”

Quotable II: “When we come out strong defensively in the first quarter, it kind of sets the tone for the entire game,” Lincoln-Way East’s Caitlin McMahon said. “So, I think that’s what happened.”

Quotable III: “Yeah, our defense, it does set the tone every game,” East coach Jim Martin said. “We have come out with a lot of energy. They were very focused. During the playing of the music, their faces were very focused. They want to be known as a group that keeps our regional streak going. And we’ve got a job still to do. We look forward to the next one.”

Team Records: Lincoln-Way East is 25-4. Lincoln-Way North finishes 23-6. East won the first meeting between the two 48-33 in the championship game of the Medieval Classic in late December.

What’s Next: Lincoln-Way East advances to the Sandburg Sectional. The Griffins will face Homewood-Flossmoor in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 21). H-F ousted Sandburg 54-39. The sectional final will be played at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 23).