Ahmyrie McGowan, Dixon speed past Kaneland into sectional final

ROCKFORD − For the third time in just more than a year, the Dixon girls basketball team stymied Kendra Brown and the Kaneland offense.

This time around on Tuesday, the Duchesses scored 31 of the first 40 points in the game and held on for a 40-30 victory over the Knights in a Class 3A Boylan Sectional semifinal.

“I think [what led to the defensive performance was] really just communication and knowing we have each other’s back,” said senior forward Hallie Williamson, who had six points, six rebounds and three blocks. “We really trust Morgan [Hargrave] to put the clamps on [Brown] and shut her down.”

Dixon (29-5) pushed its lead to 31-9 with 4:06 left in the third quarter. Ahmyrie McGowan took the ball on the inbound pass and sped past the entire Kaneland press for a layup as the Duchesses reached what would be their biggest lead of the game.

McGowan had a monster game for Dixon, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds to go with four steals and three blocks.

“I just saw an open lane and kept going until someone stopped me, I guess,” McGowan said.

The Duchesses also contained Brown, the Knights' leading scorer. She was in foul trouble throughout the game and fouled out with 5:35 left in the contest and Kaneland down 33-19.

Brown’s only points of the game were on a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer.

“She’s a great player,” Dixon coach Luke Ravlin said. “We focus on that and make someone else try and beat us. Kudos to her, she’s had a great career and that’s a really well-coached basketball team. We were just fortunate to be able to do it tonight.”

But even with Brown out, the Knights (24-10) pushed back, getting as close as 39-30 with 27.2 seconds left after a Kalie Brown layup capped a 7-0 run.

The Knights went almost 7 minutes between the third and fourth quarters without allowing a Dixon point.

Sam Kerry led the Knights with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks.

“I think we knew they were going to focus on [Kendra Brown],” Kaneland coach Brian Claesson said. “We had Sam Kerry step up and make some plays, we just needed a couple more girls to make some plays. It’s tough, their whole attention was on her.”

Makenzie Toms had eight points and nine rebounds for the Duchesses.

Dixon eliminated the Knights in a sectional final last year, 45-36, and won in Maple Park in December, 47-38. The Duchesses have held Brown to seven points per game in those three contests.

Claesson said he was proud of another history-making season for the Knights. And aside from Kerry and Brown, there were no other seniors in the starting lineup and only three total on the roster along with Charlotte Krage.

“I just told them I’m super proud of them,” Claesson said. “Going 24-10, winning conference for the first time in 20 years, winning back-to-back regional championships for the first time in 35 years, I mean it was an unbelievable season. It stinks losing Kendra and Sam, two really good players. Hopefully, our younger girls, we are a young team, hopefully they saw how they played and how they handled themselves. Those are two really good role models to have.”

The Duchesses advance to face Sterling after losing 44-18 earlier in the year to the Golden Warriors. The game tips off at Boylan at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with the winner advancing to face either Morton or Washington in the Class 3A Rochelle Supersectional.

Both McGowan and Williamson said Dixon has to shoot better than in that first meeting.

“Our shooting percentage last time, we didn’t shoot that well,” Williamson said. “I think we’re going to definitely be more ready, and I think it’s going to be a good game.”

https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/2025/02/26/ahmyrie-mcgowan-dixon-speed-past-kaneland-into-sectional-final/