Mid-Suburban League division champions Hoffman Estates and Barrington opened the Class AA Hoffman Estates regional/sectional complex in anticipated fashion Tuesday night.
Erin Ingwersen scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead top-seeded Hoffman Estates (22-4) to a 73-41 victory over visiting Rolling Meadows (3-22). Katy Winski added 19 for the Hawks.
Second-seeded Barrington (25-3) jumped to a 23-0 lead and rolled to a 77-47 victory over visiting Conant (1-26).
Hoffman Estates scored the first eight points but led only 13-8 after one quarter. But the Hawks started the second quarter with an 18-3 run, including 14 by Ingwersen.
”At first we didn`t play as well as we thought we would,” said Hoffman Estates coach Tom Kendall. ”We didn`t execute well against their zone press. We picked up our defensive intensity and got our offense going in the third quarter. Obviously we have more talent, but the key was to play with intensity.
”We have to play better in the first half in the next round and must have intensity from the beginning.”
Ashley Berggren led Barrington with 21 points and five steals. Inger Krolak added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrea Winkiel added 16 points and 20 rebounds.
”We came out and pressed them,” Barrington coach George Jeffs said.
”We knew that they couldn`t handle it. We had a lot of nice passes, and that`s what it`s all about.”
Conant pulled within 44-29 with 5 minutes 17 seconds left in the third. Barrington then went on a 16-1 run to put the game away.
Stephanie English led Conant with 26 points, including five three-pointers.
In other games, Buffalo Grove (23-5) used a 14-2 run to open the game and never trailed, defeating Palatine 64-34 behind Michelle Ratay`s 28 points and 14 rebounds; and Elk Grove (19-5) held Addison Trail to just three first-quarter points en route to an 85-36 cakewalk, with Alison Schultz (19 points), Jennifer Rojek (15) and Katy Steininger (14) connecting for double figures.
