After two late-season conference wins and senior Zuri Ransom being healthy and fully back into Evanston’s lineup, girls’ basketball has their eyes set on a deep run heading into the IHSA Class 4A playoffs.
Evanston (13-15, 6-4 CSL South) received the No. 4 seed in the Maine South sectional and will take on the 14th-seeded Niles North Vikings (8-19, 1-9 North) in the regional semifinals at Niles North on Monday, Feb. 12. While two teams have not faced off this season, Evanston is the clear favorite to advance to the regional finals. But from there, the playoff journey will only get tougher.
If the Kits win against the Vikings, they will head to the regional final where No. 5 seed Glenbrook North (21-7, 4-6 CSL South) or No. 12 seed Leyden (16-11) will await. The Kits beat the Spartans in Northbrook, 57-50, back in early December, but fell to GBN in Beardsley on Jan. 19, 49-45. Glenbrook North’s Alexis Myers put up 20 points in the last matchup between the two teams, so the Kits will need to focus on limiting breakaways and their defensive effort if the teams do meet once again. The regional final will take place on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at Niles North.
While the Kits are battling it out at the Niles North regionals, the powerhouse, undefeated, Loyola Ramblers (31-0) are at the top of the bracket in the Highland Park regional. If Loyola makes it past the regional final, they would play the winner of the Niles North regional final in the sectional semifinals at Maine South on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. In their one matchup this season, Evanston lost 65-63 on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater in Beardsley on Jan. 23. If the Kits make it past regionals, they may face a near repeat of last year’s playoffs, where the Ramblers ended the Kits’ season in a 43-20 win in the regional finals.
“We haven’t gotten past regionals since I’ve been here,” Ransom said, following the Kits’ regular season finale win. “I’m hoping to get to state; it’s always the goal. We just have to keep in mind that it’ll be win or go home on [Monday] against Niles North.”
Tickets to this evening’s 6 p.m. regional semifinal against the Vikings are available on GoFan.
