BG's Dineen goes out a winner

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NORMAL, Ill. -- Decked out in a sharp, black suit to match his three assistant coaches, Buffalo Grove coach Tom Dineen ended his 29-year career with an emotional 66-50 win over Marist Saturday in the Class 4A third-place game.

Dineen ended his career with a 677-229 record, the third best in state history.

"I’m officially unemployed," an emotional Dineen deadpanned. "It hit me walking off the court. It’s a pretty fitting way to end it with these seniors."

The game closed out the careers of seniors Ellen Ayoub (24 points) and Maggie and Allison Mocchi (17 points).

Buffalo Grove (33-4) tied the state record for most three-point field goals made in a state tournament game with nine, and both teams set a record for most threes combined with 17.

Marist’s Maureen Mulchrone was playing with a badly bruised right shoulder, an injury that occurred during the RedHawks’ semifinal loss to Bolingbrook on Friday.

Marist finished 25-10.

In 3A, Montini (28-6) beat Quincy Notre Dame 50-35 for third place behind Michala Johnson’s 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Notre Dame finished 32-2.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Being in the state finals is nothing new for Montini sophomore Michala Johnson.

The 6-3 center led Bellwood Roosevelt to the Illinois Elementary School Association state finals in 2005. In four games Johnson scored 20, 30, 28 and 17 points in the title game, a 39-37 loss to Canton.

Bolingbrook’s Ariel Massengale was also in the IESA finals, when she was an eighth grader in 2006. Massengale played for Bolingbrook Humphrey and scored 25, 18 and nine points. Humphrey beat Mokena in the finals behind future teammate Ciera Howard’s 13 points.

ENDING A RUN: Just because Courtney Hargrays took over the Marshall boys team doesn’t mean he still isn’t part of the girls program.

This weekend he assisted Gaters in Marshall’s semifinal and title game wins. Last week Hargrays guided the boys to Marshall’s first city title since 1991.

"I’ve been with these seniors all four years and they look to me," Hargrays said. "[Gaters] is not in the least bit arrogant and she allows me to take over during timeouts and make adjustments. And she’s probably the most humble person I know."

Gaters said she did the same thing with former boys coach Al Williams, who succeeded the late Luther Bedford in the 1990s.

CHECK MATE: Marshall’s Meelun McCray has already been in a state final this year. McCray, a 5-3 senior guard, was on the Commandos’ state qualifying chess team last month in Peoria. McCray also runs track and is aiming for a third trip Downstate in May.

A GRAND, AND THEN SOME: Marshall’s Adrienne GodBold reached the 1,000-point mark during the Commandos' supersectional win over Johnsburg last Monday. GodBold hit the milestone at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter. She finishes her junior year with 1,049 career points.

WHERE IT STARTED: Marshall assistant coach Jennifer Jones and Bolingbrook assistant Melanie Ploger both won state championships in high school. Jones won with Marshall (1982) and Ploger with Hinsdale Central (2002).