LANSING, Ill. (March 2, 2024) – Madison Davis is done with one chapter in her basketball journey, and it’s one she’ll treasure forever.
The senior guard scored 18 points as Marian Catholic fell 36-30 to host Hinsdale South in a Class 3A supersectional on February 26.
A few days later, Davis was named to a pair of All-State second teams by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Illinois Media (formerly Associated Press). Also honored by the IBCA as a special-mention pick was another Spartan, junior guard Taylor Bolton.
“It’s been an honor to play here,” said Davis, who will move on to Division I basketball at Western Illinois. “The girls and teammates I’ve come across — it’s felt like the best four years of my life. … Coach (Dan) Murray, who’s a Hall of Fame coach, it’s been an honor to play for him and contribute and leave a mark that I have. …
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
With Davis, the Spartans enjoyed sustained success. They reached the IHSA Elite Eight in Class 3A three straight years. This year’s team finished 28-8 for the 24th 20-win season in program history.
No question Murray and Marian will miss Davis.
“She does so much on the floor,” Murray said. “She’s definitely one of the best players to ever come through Marian. There’s no doubt about that.”
Davis averaged just under 19 points per game as a senior and finished her high school career with more than 1,750 points, earning East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year honors this season.
But there were other contributions this season besides what showed up in the scorebook.
“I think she was much more of a leader,” Murray said. “She was a little bit more vocal than she’s been in the past. … She’s just a great example in terms of her work ethic, the way she goes about her business on a day-to-day basis. … She’s the epitome of the type of kid you want.”
Davis embraced her expanded mentorship role.
“We had a lot of returners but I think it was still huge to just be a leader, show (teammates) how hard you have to work to get to moments like this.
“If you want to play in big games like these, play in front of big crowds you just have to work hard. And I’ve tried really hard to instill that in everybody.”
Boys basketball
The Spartans’ season ended with a 72-56 loss to Brother Rice on Feb. 27 in the Class 3A Thornton Sectional semifinals. Marian (22-11), which beat Rice in double overtime earlier this season, led 16-12 after one quarter but was outscored 15-2 in the second period to trail 27-18 at halftime.
James Bullock Jr. led the Spartans with 20 points, Zack Sharkey had 15 and Jonah Weathers added nine.
The Spartans advanced by winning their own regional on February 23, overcoming a 17-9 first-quarter deficit to roll by Lemont 57-38 on February 23. Sharkey paced Marian with 15 points, Bullock and Weathers both scored 13 and Adam Shorter finished with 11.
Boys indoor track
Caden O’Neil took seventh in the shot put and Paul Frazier had two top-10 finishes at the ICOPS Invitational February 25 at Lewis University.
O’Neil went 42-5.75 in the shot, while Frazier tied for ninth in the high jump with a 5-7 clear and took 10th in the triple jump with a personal-best 38-0.25.
Girls indoor track
Marian set two program records in the Homewood-Flossmoor ABC Invitational on February 24, as sophomore Brooklyn Holmes went 7.92 in the 60 meters and sophomore Antoinette Baker had a 36-9.75 in the triple jump.
TF South
Boys indoor track
Two Red Wolves won their events at the Olivet Nazarene University High School Classic on February 23.
Senior Karrel Harvest took first in the shot put at 50-5, while David Nkwogu won the triple jump at 43-1 and was sixth in the high jump (5-9).
The Red Wolves’ team of John Carson, Terrell Hall, Jerry Harris Jr., and Mykie Waites Jr. took 10th in the 1,600 relay at 3:57.95.
Girls indoor track
Sophomore Jamya White’s win in the 400 meters highlighted the Red Wolves’ showing at the Olivet Nazarene University High School Classic on February 24. She was timed in 1:01.82.
South’s Nyrobi Moore was eighth in the 400 (1:04.69), 10th in the long jump (14-8.5) and a member of the fifth-place 1,600 relay team with White, ShyBria Starkley, and Sheillyah Lipscomb.
Sophomore Aniston Coates took sixth in the triple jump (32-1).
Competitive dance
The Red Wolves won the Illinois Drill Team Association AAA Poms Division state title and finished seventh in hip-hop routine.
The IDTA is one of two organizations sponsoring state competitions, along with the Illinois High School Association.
TF North
Boys basketball
The Meteors finished 14-11 after losing 56-50 to Crete-Monee in the semifinals of their own Class 3A regional on February 21.
Boys indoor track
Dominic Gradford took third in the triple jump at the Olivet Nazarene University High School Classic on February 23 with an effort of 40-11.
Girls indoor track
Arianna Beal finished seventh in the triple jump at 32-0.75 and Layla Hall was ninth in the 60-meter hurdles (10.81) at the Olivet Nazarene University High School Classic on February 24.
Illiana Christian
Boys swimming
Vikings junior Zach Vervlied finished 11th in the 100-yard butterfly at 50.03 and was 12th in the 50 free at 21.30 in the IHSAA state meet in Indianapolis on February 24.
Boys basketball
The Vikings’ season ended at 15-10 with a 50-48 overtime loss to Andrean on Friday in the Class 2A Bowman Sectional semifinals.
Illiana’s last three games of the season all went to overtime.The Vikings edged North Newton 58-56 in OT on February 28 in the sectional quarterfinals and fell 67-66 in double OT against Hanover Central in their regular-season finale on February 23.
South Suburban College
Men’s basketball
The NJCAA Division II No. 3 Bulldogs opened postseason play with a 101-59 win against Madison on Thursday as sophomore guard Jemel Jones passed the 1,000-point mark for the season.
Jones had a double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds for SSC (29-2), freshman forward Quentin Heady added 21 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Julius Byrd contributed 13 points.
The Bulldogs finished their regular season with a 103-57 win against Waubonsee on February 22. Jones led the way with 35 points and 10 rebounds, Heady had 17 points, sophomore guard Chris Harrison scored 15, and Byrd had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Baseball
The Bulldogs moved to 7-4 by sweeping two games on Saturday, winning 10-0 vs. Harper and edging Parkland 3-2.
Christian Holmes had three hits and two RBIs vs. Parkland, while John Lemm and Max Hensler also drove in two runs each. Jayden Cummings’ two-run, walk-off double was the game-winner against Parkland. Keagan Bobbitt pitched six-hit ball over five innings, striking out nine and Luka Zakman (3-0) allowed one hit over two innings for the win.
On Friday, SSC lost 13-3 to Southwest Illinois and 8-1 to Parkland.
John Lemm had four hits, including two homers, on the day as the Bulldogs split with Rend Lake on February 25, winning 12-10 and losing 5-4. Anthony Martinez also had four hits, while Nathaniel MacNamara and Jason Ballard each contributed three hits.
South Suburban opened the road trip with a 10-3 loss to Rend Lake on February 24.
Related
- TF South boys end basketball season at regionals after buzzer-beater loss – other local scores (February 22, 2024)
- Athlete spotlights of the week: TF South’s David Nkwogu and Jamya White (March 1, 2024)
