As the Sycamore girls basketball team surges to a 5-2 start, underclassmen Quinn Carrier and Sadie Lang are not just leading the charge. Players like Macy Calendo are stepping up, signaling a dramatic turnaround from last season’s struggles.

Eastland basketball player Tatum Grim is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. She was named to Forreston's all-tournament team and has helped the Cougars to a 7-1 start. Here is a Q&A with the three-sport senior.

Kankakee scored a big win at the Chicago Elite Classic, Bishop McNamara won the Toyota of Danville Classic and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Landrie Callahan has been outstanding since transferring from Morris to Providence. She scored 31 points on Saturday to lead the Celtics to a 77-47 win over Joliet Catholic.

The Sycamore boys basketball team completed a frantic comeback against Rochelle on Friday night for an 84-76 in the Interstate 8 opener for both teams. That made it a program sweep as the girls opened with a 58-39 win over the Hubs.

The Bishop McNamara boys basketball team moved to 6-0, Bradley-Bourbonnais was on the wrong side of a one-point final and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Marissa Taege caught fire early with three first-quarter 3s, Zoe Nanos chased down two key offensive rebounds late, and Prairie Ridge held on to beat Hampshire 42-36 in their Fox Valley Conference game Friday night.

The Sycamore girls basketball team traveled to Rochelle Friday night to take on the Hubs.

Kankakee topped Thornton 69-26 as the Kays moved to 7-0 and 2-0 in the Southland Athletic Conference with the home win on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Lyons girls basketball rolled past Oak Park-River Forest to stay unbeaten, Lemont boys basketball beat Richards and Willowbrook girls bowling earned its first win in Thursday's roundup.

St. Bede scored six points in the final minute, including a 3-pointer from freshman Hannah Heiberger with 4.8 seconds left, to pull out a 40-37 win over Midland on Thursday.

Glenbard West junior Sophia Evans provided energy on both ends of the floor off the bench to power an early run that allowed the Hilltoppers to hold off Downers Grove North on Thursday.

Anna Propheter scored a career-high 22 points, and Newman built a big lead with smothering defense and a hot offensive start and never looked back in an 82-14 TRAC East win over Mendota on Thursday night in Sterling.

After missing last season with an injury, Elliana Fowler has been outstanding for Joliet Central this season.

Lelanie Posada drained buzzer-beating shots at the ends of the first two quarters, giving St. Charles North an early advantage it wouldn't give up to come away with a 43-36 victory over Geneva.

Layla Lesure had 22 points and 16 rebounds to lead Plainfield South to a 52-40 win over Joliet West

Kankakee's girls pulled away for another mammoth conference win and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sterling bounced back in Western Big 6 Conference action after beating previously undefeated Galesburg on Thursday night. Nia Harris and Alivia Gibson had big games in the win.

St. Bede defeated Midland 40-37 on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 at St. Bede Academy. St. Bede freshman Hannah Heiberger hit a 3 with 4.8 seconds left to bring the Lady Bruins a victory.

Newman girls beat Mendota Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in basketball 82-14.

In a thrilling game, Sterling beat Galesburg 47-42, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Both Ottawa and Dixon’s girls basketball teams forced double-digit turnovers Wednesday night, but it was the Duchesses who turned their forced turnovers into points in a 37-19 victory.

Dixon defeated Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School.

Thanks to a third-quarter offensive outburst led by Jadyn Long, Plano turned a back-and-forth battle with Sandwich into a no-doubt victory on Tuesday.

Bishop McNamara's girls basketball team improved to 4-2 on the season with a 55-52 win over Pontiac, led by 19 points from Trinitee Thompson, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Woodstock North faces Marengo in a Kishwaukee River Conference girls basketball game on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at Marengo High School.

Bolingbrook had a 10-0 lead before Romeoville took a shot and cruised to a 73-22 win to open Southwest Prairie Conference play

Geneva's 10-0 fourth-quarter run pulled the Vikings to within a point, but host Naperville North held them off for a nonconference win on Tuesday.

Macy Noe had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Maggie Hanson had 10 points and eight assists as Marengo rolled to a 66-45 win over Woodstock North in the teams' Kishwaukee River Conference opener Tuesday.

Gaby Dzik led Crystal Lake South with 21 points and the Gators flustered Cary-Grove with their half-court zone defense during Tuesday's 50-28 victory over the Trojans in Fox Valley Conference girls basketball action.

The Putnam County girls basketball team looked to be on its way to their first victory of the young season Tuesday at Streator. Instead, the host Streator Bulldogs got their first win, 37-24.

Crystal Lake South faces Gary-Grove in a Fox Valley Conference girls basketball game on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at Cary-Grove High School in Cary.

It’s hard to turn the ball over 27 times and win a game, let alone double digits. But the DeKalb girls’ basketball team forced 19 turnovers of its own against Rochelle on Monday night and Zora Watts had 10 rebounds and three blocks in the Barbs’ 46-31 win over the Hubs.

Kankakee got a 33-point outburst from Ava Johnson and a total of five scorers in double figures, Manteno began its defense of the Illinois Central Eight Conference with a win, Grace Christian allowed just four points and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Hall defeated Mendota 55-28 on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 at Hall High School.

Woodstock North junior Abbey Ward scored a program-record 38 points for the Thunder in a win against Rockford Jefferson. Ward is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

Downers Grove North put together a dominant third quarter that allowed it to gain control and never look back in earning an 37-30 win over Lake Park to capture the title in the Schaumburg Thanksgiving Tournament.

The experienced Dixon Duchesses have adjusted their playing style this season to account for a lack of size on the interior. They are off to a 5-0 start.

Nate Woods scored 25 points and hit six 3-pointers to pace Lyons past Waubonsie Valley to improve to 3-0, Cameron Mercer's 23 points led Riverside-Brookfield to a win, Zane Scheider had 26 in a Lemont win and Benet advanced to the championship of the Windy City Turkey Classic.

Bradley-Bourbonnais fell 55-46 to Plainfield Central at the WJOL Thanksgiving Tournament, its first loss of the season, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Powered by Trinitee Thompson's double-double and red-hot starts to each half, Bishop McNamara prevailed past Coal City on Tuesday.

Bishop McNamara opened the boys basketball season with a win at the Herscher Thanksgiving Tournament, beating the host Tigers 53-36, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Free-throw disparity and a lopsided fourth quarter cost Sterling's girls basketball team in its Western Big 6 Conference opener against Rock Island. Sterling fell 59-53 after leading by as many as 14 points.

Newman used a huge first-half run to pull away from Fulton in a 64-27 nonconference win over its former Three Rivers Conference foe Tuesday in Sterling.

Despite falling into an early hole that it never dug out of, Batavia – a different iteration from the one that claimed four straight regional titles along with a sectional title over that span – never was out of it mentally in a 50-36 loss to Waubonsie Valley on Tuesday.

Huntley's defense came up with three consecutive stops in the final minute, getting a game-clinching steal from Luca Garlin in a 39-38 win over Hononegah. Aubrina Adamik led all scorers with a career-high 22 points and six 3-pointers.

Huntley faces Hononegah in a girls basketball game on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Newman and Fulton girls face off on the court at Newman Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Newman won 64-27.

Sterling fell to Rock Island 59-52 in girls basketball Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.

Bradley-Bourbonnais opened the boys basketball season with a win, Manteno's girls took third at the Beecher Fall Classic and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.