Women's Basketball's magic runs out in Region 4 championship game

Monraia Wilson's monster game was not enough as Highland Community College defeated the Triton College women's basketball team 89-86 for the second straight season in the Region 4 Division I championship game March 6 in Freeport.
 
Inspired on their home court, the Cougars (14-15) upset the favored Trojans (23-7) by taking frequent early leads, staving off several Triton rallies and foiling two attempts at game-winning or -tying shots to close it out.
 
Highland will play for the North Central Distrcit championship on March 11 against North Dakota College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D., for the chance to advance to the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. The Cougars had lost to the Trojans in the regional championship game on their home court in 2021, enabling Triton to break a 27-year title drought.
 
Earning all-tournament honors along with teammate Destine Lovett (12 points), Wilson had enough production for two players with 21 points, a team-high 12 rebounds and nine assists, and three blocks.
 
She was ably complemented by all-time Triton three-point shooter Linarys Burnett-Romero with seven treys, four in the first half and three in the second half. She totaled a game-high 25 points. Burnett-Romero finished with 93 treys, breaking by one the single-season record of Deisy Mena in 2002-03.
 
Wilson and Burnett-Romero closed their stellar Triton careers with perhaps their most memorable individual performances.
 
But the Cougars more than matched the sophomores' firepower and determination on the boards. Tournament MVP Maddie Hildebrand could not be dislodged inside with a game-high 19 rebounds to go with 14 points. Hot in the first half, Marija Markovich matched second-half producer Corina Noble with 23 points. Noble had six three-pointers. Laura Ortega Mora was clutch down the stretch with 10 of her 16 points in the second half.
 
"Hildebrand was very active, she knows how to deal with things in the post," said Triton interim coach Drew Winston. "Dana (Walcott) was dealing with some back issues (and could not actively duel Hildebrand)."
 
For the second straight game in the tournament, Triton started off slowly and trailed 25-15 late in the first quarter. The top spark was Burnett-Romero's long-distance shooting, but Highland had a seven-point lead at halftime.
 
"I think we started off a little too lax," said Winston. "We had in the back of our minds the refs would put us in foul trouble. We gave up 29 points in the first quarter, and thus we chased them the rest of the game."
 
Wilson really got hot with 11 points in the third quarter as the Trojans crept closer. Two consecutive Burnett-Romero three-pointers gave Triton brief leads as the quarter wound down.
 
"Our captain, our leader Stormi was true to her name," Winston said of Wilson. "She brings her energy, her passion."
 
In the fourth quarter, Triton grabbed a six-point lead at 81-75 on a Wilson layup. But Highland came right back to tie the game. Trinity Barnes (12 points) scored on a drive, was fouled and made the free throw to give Triton its final lead at 84-81. After Mora's three-pointer gave Highland another lead at 85-84, Triton briefly tied it again at 85.
 
Unlike the tourney opener's 10-0 run to the final buzzer that overcame a Sauk Valley lead, the Trojans did not have a finishing kick on offense. Inbounding for the potential game-winner with 13 seconds left, Triton turned over the ball. And Wilson's attempt to get off a game-tying three-pointer with two seconds left was blocked.
 
"We ran our legs out defensively," said Winston. "We no legs, that took away from our jump shooting."
 
Winston will let his mind clear in the game's aftermath and not yet think about the future. The Trojans had a memorable season, but once again learned anything can happen in the playoffs.

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)