Not many schools in Illinois can say they have gone 93 years between state basketball championships.
Hinsdale Central now can.
The school’s first title was won by the boys in 1909. This time it was Hinsdale Central’s girls who did it with a stunning 43-38 victory over No. 1 Marian Catholic in the Class AA title game at Redbird Arena on Saturday night.
“I can’t even describe it–it’s terrific,” said Hinsdale Central coach Steve Gross, whose teams are 94-4 over the last three seasons.
Melanie Ploger led the Red Devils, who finished the season winning 28 consecutive games, with 17 points–10 of them in the fourth quarter. The 5-foot-5-inch junior hit two big three-pointers to send the Red Devils (34-1) out to a 36-21 lead with 6:17 remaining.
“There was a lot of pressure on them–we were the underdogs,” Ploger said.”Our team took what they gave us. They were leaving me open.
“I can’t even believe it.”
The victory gave Hinsdale Central its 64th state athletic title. Only New Trier, with 78, has more.
Missy Mitidiero led Marian Catholic (31-2), as she had all year, with 15 points and helped the Spartans cut Hinsdale Central’s double-digit lead lead to 39-34 with 2:12 left.
But the Red Devils were able to hang on with Ploger’s two free throws with 40 seconds left giving her team a seven-point cushion.
Sophomore Stefanie Reiff added nine points for the winners, including an important three-pointer in the fourth quarter.
Not only were both teams playing in their first championship game, neither had reached the Elite Eight before.
Ploger shot Hinsdale Central to a 17-13 halftime lead–and in the oddest of ways. She hit a three-pointer to give the Red Devils their first points–and then came up with four free throws with two seconds left in the half.
Two of those free throws were the result of her being fouled on a drive to the basket. The other two came because Marian Catholic coach Shannon Reidy was called for a technical foul.
“Ploger made threes early,” Gross said. “When she gets to the foul line late, it’s always a good deal. Everyone knows on the team to get the ball in her hands.”
Hinsdale Central took a 7-2 lead, but the Spartans tied it 7-7 on a layup by Lauren Lacey and a three-point play from Kelly Dueworth. Three free throws from Val Fleishman gave Hinsdale Central a 10-7 lead after one quarter.
Reidy’s team played well last summer, but there’s no way she figured the Spartans would be competing for the school’s second state title–the first coming from the 1993 Class 4A football team.
“We thought this would be a whole developmental year and that maybe next year we’d get the opportunity to be known as one of the best teams in the state,” Reidy said.
