Marian Central ends regular season with comeback win against Rockford Christian

WOODSTOCK – Marian Central point guard Abbey Miner only made one field goal in the second half, but the Hurricanes' four-year varsity starter still found plenty of ways to make an impact Monday.

Miner finished second on the Hurricanes with 14 points, knocking down 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter, and had five assists and four steals in a 52-42 come-from-behind win over Rockford Christian at Landers Pavilion.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 15

Marian Central's Jenna Remke (left) and Marian Central's Adriana Wrzos (right) block the shot of Rockford Christian's Shea Ludwig during a nononference basketball game on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Marian Central High School in Woodstock. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

Miner’s all-around hustle is something Hurricanes' coaches, players and fans are accustomed to seeing.

“I don’t look at her as a point guard, she’s a basketball player,” Marian coach Lee Brown said of the 5-foot-5 Miner. “She does whatever the team needs: rebounding, assists, boxing out. Even today, I called a play for her to post up, believe it or not.

“She’s just that type of kid, the ultimate competitor. I’m going to miss her deeply. I don’t know anything else.”

Miner helped spark a second half comeback for the Hurricanes (16-15), who trailed 30-22 at half. Miner recorded three of her five assists in the third quarter, which ended with a 3-pointer from junior Jenna Remke (six points, 11 rebounds) at the buzzer.

Tied at 33-33 going into the fourth quarter, senior guard Adriana Wrzos scored six of her team’s first eight points to go up 41-35 with 5:49 remaining. Wrzos (two assists, two steals) finished with a game-high 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter.

The majority of Marian’s points late came on fast breaks and transition offense. On defense, the Hurricanes held the Lions to one field goal in the third quarter. They also held junior guard Shea Ludwig scoreless in the second half after a 14-point first half.

“I think we came out with a little more fire in us” said Wrzos, whose Hurricanes outscored the Lions 30-12 over the last two quarters. “We just always work together. We’re always getting down the court for each other.”

Wrzos, Miner and Juliette Huff (eight points, four assists, two steals, two blocks) are all four-year varsity players that have combined to win 70-plus games in high school.

Wrzos and Miner have been friends for most of their athletic careers.

“We played soccer together in the first grade, and coming out and playing basketball for four years is honestly one of the best things I could have done,” Wrzos said. “She’s not only a great teammate but one of my best friends. I always know when I’m getting a rebound on one end, I can pass it up to her, she can get it to Juliette and we’re going to get a bucket out of it. She’s one of the best teammates. Very positive. She’s always there for you.”

Brown was happy to see a complete-team effort. He pointed out the strong play of Jenna Remke off the bench, as well as sophomore forward Kalia Parris, who drew a start with injuries to two post players.

The 5-foot-4 Jenna Remke’s 11 rebounds led everyone.

“That’s kind of been our motto here at Marian. We’ve got to play bigger than we are,” Brown said.

Marian took third in the Chicagoland Christian Conference Tournament over the weekend and enters the postseason as a No. 7 seed. Marian opens up the playoffs at home against No. 12 Rosary at 3 p.m. Saturday in a Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional first-round game.

Last year’s Hurricanes set the school record with 27 wins and captured their second regional title in a row. This year’s group is excited for a chance to extend that streak.

“I think a lot of teams would be shocked by this,” Miner said of her team’s win over Rockford Christian. “We’ve had a rough season, a lot of ups and downs, but we just came out pushing and ready to fight.”