Senior point guard Eilish Raines views the game a little differently for Providence.
She unlocks every angle, every seam, every cut to the basket with a sureness and purpose.
“In my eyes, I see the whole court when I’m playing,” Raines said. “As soon as I see someone open or I see a good opportunity or get the ball to someone, I just get it there.
“Whatever it takes.”
Raines tallied seven assists without a turnover Thursday night, leading the Celtics to a 72-44 win over the host Hawks in the Class 3A Hillcrest Sectional championship game in Country Club Hills.
Pepperdine-bound senior center Landrie Callahan totaled 38 points and 14 rebounds for Providence (31-4), which won its second sectional title in program history and first since 2020.
Junior forward Layken Callahan, Landrie’s sister, added 13 points and five rebounds for the Celtics, who play at 6:30 p.m. Monday against downstate Washington (32-2) in the Kankakee Supersectional.
Senior guard Da’Jha Johnson was spectacular in her final high school game, scoring 32 points for Hillcrest (27-8). Senior guard Davia Cobb also contributed seven points.
Without scoring a point, however, Raines impacted the game in a profound manner. Her best pass Thursday was a 45-foot dime that Landrie Callahan caught in stride for a 3-point play.
“She has almost eight assists like that every game,” Callahan said of Raines, who has recorded 157 assists on the season. “I’ve never played with a point guard like her.
“She’s amazing at getting me the ball every time. I’m open and she just knows how to get me the ball. She just draws people off me and makes the pass every time.”
Raines — whose American pronunciation “Eye-lush” of her Gaelic first name never felt so apropos — is the perfect orchestrator for the Celtics’ read-and-react motion offense.
“It’s like having an extended coach on the floor,” Providence coach Eileen Copenhaver said of Haines. “She controls the tempo. She understands me. Her eyes are just incredible.
“She’s anticipating and then reading the open holes.”
Raines’ willingness to sacrifice scoring optimizes the Celtics’ size on the inside and shooting from the wing.
“I’ve always felt like scoring has never really been my thing,” she said. “I feel like there are better scorers out there. I learned to pass and I worked on getting better at finding girls who are open.
“Once I realized I was good at it, I just kept going with it.”
The 5-foot-9 Raines has nice size for a point guard that she combines with balance and an uncommon feel for the game. Perhaps her secret advantage is being left-handed.
She flings the ball with authority, power and precision from the top of the key or either wing.
“I grew up playing softball, so I’ve always had an arm,” Raines said. “I’ve always been able to throw the ball. When I started playing basketball and passing, I just realized I could do it.
“I kept doing it and I worked on it from there.”
Raines, though, gave up softball in middle school to focus exclusively on basketball. By the time she was in eighth grade, the sport consumed her.
She has been on varsity since her freshman year and a starter since her sophomore season, but astonishingly, never played point guard until now.
“I’ve definitely had to adjust each year,” she said. “I‘ve played post. I’ve played wherever my coaches needed me. We had a great guard last year in Molly Knight.
“Somebody had to step up when she left and I just said why not.”
Providence’s playoff run is the end of her basketball career for Raines, who plans on attending Kentucky as a student. She grew up competitive with three older brothers.
“I’ve scored in double figures back when I used to shoot more,” she said. “Now, I don’t shoot as much anymore. My assists, that’s what really gets me going.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
