Maine South holds on for win

Updated: March 23, 2011 2:26PM

Michelle Maher's older brother Pat won his first and only sectional

championship last season.

Now, the Maine South junior is in position to end his household bragging rights.

Maher scored eight of her game-high 10 in the second half Monday as

the No. 1-seeded Hawks held off seventh-seeded Resurrection for a

39-35 victory in the semifinals of the Maine East Sectional.

"Yes, I was a little nervous," said Maher, whose team trailed by as

many as eight in the first half and by four midway through the fourth

quarter. "But I knew we could pull it off."

Jenna Rice's three-pointer and Annie Stauffer's three-point play

capped a 12-2 run that gave the Bandits (17-12) a 34-30 advantage with

4:10 to go in the game.

But Nina Duric knocked down two free throws and Regan Carmichael's

steal and jumper tied the score at 34-all.

Maher then hit three free throws in the final 52.8 seconds to help

Maine South (25-8) escape the upset effort.

The Hawks struggled on free throws, finishing 13-for-28 from the line.

"We will be able to fix that this week," Maher said.

Duric scored when it mattered. The junior's five points at the end of

the first half were part of a 10-0 run that changed the game's

momentum and allowed the Hawks to go into the half up 18-16. She

followed Maher with nine points.

Jacqui Grant scored eight, and Mackenzie Duffy added five points.

One of eight Bandits to score, Colleen Herion led Resurrection with

eight points. Sam Ruehl and Stauffer each added six points.

Maine South plays for its first sectional title since the 2007-08

season Thursday at Maine East.

"We didn't play our best, but we battled out a win," said Maine South

coach Mark Smith, who guided the program to a fourth-place finish in

2006, his rookie season.

Niles West 44, Glenbrook South 29: Jewell Loyd and Niles West get another shot at Maine South.

The No. 3-seeded Wolves earned a trip back to the sectional final

Monday with their win over sixth-seeded Glenbrook South in the

semifinals of the Maine East Sectional. The title game is Thursday.

Loyd scored 14 of her game-best 20 in the first half. The standout

junior got help from freshman Dashae Shumate, who added 10 points.

Niles West (22-8) will try to beat Maine South, the sectional's top

seed, for the first time this season. With two wins against Niles

West, the CSL South champion Hawks are one of the few teams that has

figured out a way to slow down Loyd.

Niles West beat Maine South in the sectional semifinals last season

before capturing the title over Glenbrook South.

"We will keep it simple," she said of Thursday's game plan. "Whatever

the defense gives me, I'll take. I trust my girls to get it done.

"It's going to be a great game."

Up 26-20 at the half against Glenbrook South. Loyd started the third

quarter with a block, steal and layup to spark an 8-2 run. The Titans

(20-9) never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Abby Keller led Glenbrook South with 14 points, 10 coming in the first quarter.

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