By Bobby Narang
The Dave Yates Chicagoland Showcase was the first premier event for the girls high school basketball season Saturday, Dec. 7.
The event, at Fremd High School, was named after the former coach who passed away earlier this season following a lengthy battle with brain cancer.
Yates, the 2023-2024 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Coach of the Year, led the Fremd Vikings to a third-place finish in Class 4A last season. He was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame May 4, but passed away June 11.
The one-day girls basketball shootout, which honors his legacy, featured some of the best teams in Chicagoland. Nazareth Academy, which placed second in Class 4A last season, lost four key players from last season’s stellar team, but showed some heart with an impressive 54-38 victory over Downers Grove North Saturday.
Sophia Towne led the Roadrunners with 22 points, coming up big in the fourth quarter.
“I didn’t play that much last year, but toward the end I played more,” Towne said. “I liked the atmosphere (here). It felt good play well here.”
Nazareth coach Ed Stritzel admitted replacing four multi-year experienced players will lead to some growing pains early in the season, but he was encouraged by Saturday’s quality win.
“It’s a different team than the last three years,” Stritzel said. “We’re still trying to figure things out.”
Downers Grove North sophomore guard Campbel Thulin is already entrenched as an elite player following a stellar freshman season. She had a big game against the Nazareth Roadrunners and holds offers from Harvard, Loyola, Valparaiso, and Dayton.
Thulin said she’s adjusting to a bigger on-the-court role.
“I’m definitely more comfortable and that just comes with playing the game more,” Thulin said. “Last year, my (senior) teammates had my back and were so supportive and welcoming. This year, it’s like my team and I can count on them for having my back.”
The Batavia Bulldogs recorded one of the best victories of the showcase and knocked off Butler Prep 51-48 behind a solid defensive effort. The Bulldogs, who lost iconic player Brooke Carlson to graduation, beat the Lynx with a solid game plan, tenacious defense and a strong will.
“We have some great players, but it’s hard after you compare after you have Brooke Carlson,” Batavia coach Kevin Jensen said. “Natalie Warner and Hallie Crane have both been all-conference players. Julia Arulandu has been a gamer who just hasn’t gotten a lot of time yet. Our girls just play so hard.”