St. Edward starts strong in sectional semifinal win over Yorkville Christian

HINCKLEY – Savannah Lynch scored St. Edward’s first basket 10 seconds into the first semifinal of of the Class 1A Hinkley-Big Rock Sectional on Tuesday and the Green Wave never looked back, overwhelming Yorkville Christian 46-20.

St. Edward, the subsectional B No. 2 seed will be looking for its first sectional championship since 2017 on Thursday night when it tangles with Amboy, 54-26 winners over Morgan Park Academy in the second semifinal. The Clippers (26-7) are the second-seeded team in subsectional A. The Green Wave beat Amboy 55-27 early in the season.

Lynch’s opening basket from underneath started a 13-0 run. The Mustangs did not get onto the board until Ava Diqui canned two free throws with 2:51 left in the first quarter. St. Edward led 15-6 and the end of the period.

“We went on a 10-0 run and we played them real heavy defense. That definitely got them really off guard and we took advantage of that,” Green Wave senior Maddie Sasis said.

St. Edward (24-10) continued to dominate in the second quarter for a 28-12 lead at intermission.

“It was our chemistry out on the court. This group has really bought into the team game. We’re going to play to our strengths and what the other team is giving us,” St. Edward Coach Michelle Dawson said. “The way all our role players stepped up tonight was outstanding and that’s what led to our success.”

Yorkville Christian’s offensive struggles continued into the third quarter. The Mustangs were held to three free throws.

“Our goal coming out of halftime was not to let them get two baskets in a row. We wanted to stop the run immediately,” Dawson said. “The girls just stayed so focused and kept their composure.”

The Green Wave started the final frame leading 40-15.

“Give St. Ed’s the credit. They played well,” Yorkville Christian coach Jeff Schutt said. “I think a lot of it was on us, we were not executing. I think our nerves just got to us a little more than they should have.”

St. Edward outrebounded Yorkville Christian 37-21 and limited the Mustangs to four baskets.

“Rebounding was huge tonight,” Dawson noted.

Lynch, a sophomore, led all scorers with 16 points. Junior teammate Ginger Younger scored eight.

Despite the lopsided loss, Schutt was upbeat.

“We had a great season. It was our first winning season in Yorkville Christian history, being a four-year program,” the Mustang coach said. “We went 20-10 and were regional champions so we made a good step in the culture of the program.”

Yorkville Christian is losing only three players to graduation in Grace Allgood, Danielle Bulson and Diqui.

“Danielle was our MVP the last three years, and she is the heart of the team. It was Ava’s first year with us and she made a big difference in the team,” Schutt said. “Grace was a four-year starter. She and Danielle were 1,000-point scorers.”

https://www.shawlocal.com/kendall-county-now/2025/02/26/st-edward-starts-strong-in-sectional-semifinal-win-over-yorkville-christian/