When two open division women’s basketball teams walked into the Urbana Armory Friday at the Prairie State Games, they didn’t bother hiding their disappointment.
“I’m speechless,” said North Shore coach Cathy Cabot, looking around.
The darkened court, set up crossways instead of lengthwise, was about half the size of regulation. The baskets were on standards and had shaky rims that dipped forward as if they’d been dunked on one too many times.
There was no scoreboard, no three-point line, no clock and just one referee until one minute before tipoff. A purple fanny pack was moved back and forth on a table to mark team possession.
“I realize the funding isn’t there, but this is ridiculous,” said North Shore’s Rebecca DeAngelis, who played for Syracuse and went to high school at Regina Dominican. “I wouldn’t set up a grade-school tournament here. It’s almost as if they want this to fail.”
Prairie State officials cited a National Guard commitment, called into duty to battle severe downstate flooding, as the reason courts weren’t better prepared.
But you can’t keep a good team down, and North Shore overcame the grass-roots conditions to beat defending gold medalist West Central 58-49 in the opening game.
“I’d play anywhere, outside even,” said Northwestern’s Maureen Holohan. “I just want to play.”
Led by Holohan’s 14 points and 13 by Illinois’ Anita Clinton, who played in Chinese Taipei last week with the U.S. Junior Select team, North Shore reached the championship game with just the one victory.
Both Windy City and Willco failed to show up for the 8 a.m. game, which meant no winner could advance to play North Shore in the second round.
Willco arrived in the afternoon but didn’t have enough players, and the game against North Shore turned into a scrimmage.
Windy City, as it turned out, didn’t send a team in any of the four divisions, which messed up every schedule for the day and diluted the quality of competition.
“It’s disappointing-they’re probably the most talented area in the state,” said North Shore open men’s coach Brian James.
The North Shore scholastic women, playing in much better conditions than their elder counterparts, seemed intent on defending their gold medal and thrashed Willco 107-67 in their opening game.
Elk Grove’s Alison Schultz, who will play at Wisconsin-Green Bay next year, led the team with 23 points, including three “threes.” Her distant cousin, Hersey All-Stater Corrine Vossel, added 16 in a game in which which every player scored.
Many of the North Shore open women watched the scholastic team play, observing that the younger girls had such luxuries as a scoreboard and a floor that was swept at halftime.
“My problem is just with the message,” said North Shore’s Cabot. “They tell the girls they’re all right until they get to this (open) level, however subliminally. I honestly don’t think they (Prairie State officials) ever saw the Armory. I think they just assumed it was fine.”
By the end of the day, a flip-number scoreboard was being used-still no clock-and a park district exercise class was using part of the Armory. But brighter days are on the horizon.
Saturday morning, the open women will move to Parkland instead of playing at the Armory. The championship will be in Assembly Hall as planned, where many of the open women are used to competing.
