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Rollin' JHS edges McHenry, sets for title bout By Chris Juzwik puiodMler-H«r«ld sports editor JOHNSBURG - For a 17-5 basketball team, Johnsburg's girls didn't really play all that well. For a 1-18 basketball team, McHenry's girls were out of this world. The Skyhawks advanced to the title game of the Johnsburg Class AA Girls' Basketball Regional Tournament with a lackluster 61-52 win Monday night over the Warriors, who showed an offense which Had been AWOL for the better parts of 19 previous games. Save for a sloppy third quarter, when Johnsburg scored 21 points to the Warriors' 13, McHenry may have scored a major upset. TTie slowdown tempo which had become the Warriors' trademark was tossed out the window for the regional, thanks to the promotion of sophomore Rachel Pruchinski to the var­ sity. Pruchinski fired in 26 points to lead all scorers, as she displayed a wide array of diz­ zying drives, rebound snots and outside jumpers. "Rachel sees people so well," aised McHenry coach Pat irtz. "We could afford to speed it up a little bit with that extra ballhandler." "She did some things out there, JHS coach Nancy raney Pruchinski. "I was impressed." But, for all of Pruchinski's and the rest of the Warriors' efforts, Johnsburg s still had too many weapons, as the Skyhawks staved off a late McHenry rally to earn to the right to play Crystal Lake Central, which turned back Woodstock Tuesday ht. but net. The basket counted, but it appeared to be a little late. night. The key to the Johnsburg win - or the McHenry loss, whichever you prefer - probably came in the extremely waning moments of the first half. McHenry closed to within 25- 21 when Kim Busche scored off a nifty pass from Pruchinski. McHenry got the ball back after a turnover, but a traveling call gave Johnsburg the ball back with two seconds left. Skyhawk guard Sheri Scavo took the inbounds pass and heaved a shot from just within halfcourt which caught nothing "It helped us, sure it did," Fahey admitted. "It's always a plus to score at the end of a quarter o or a half. It gets the team excited. We'll take it." "It hurt us," said Wirtz. "That last-second shot really hurt. We had the momentum, almost closed it to two, and they end up going in ahead by six. It hurt. Scavo was merely putting the finishing touches on a superb first half, in which she scored 10 points to lead all halftime scorers. Pruchinski had nine at the intermission. Johnsburg got out of the blocks quickly in the seconpl half. Laura Oeffling, the 'Hawks leading scorer, who had only three tallies in the first half (all from t the free throw line), began to get hot. She nailed two straight jumpers from the right wing. Scavo followed with two bullets in a row, and Oeffling finished the surge by hitting one from the right baseline. When the dust finally settled, Johnsburg h had opened up a nine-point bulge at 39-30. Vicki DuBeau then joined the fun, as the junior center scored six points in the last 1:42 of the quarter, sending the Skyhawks to a commanding 48-34 lead after three periods. "We always go through that stretch where we get outscored badly, and it happened in the third quarter. What did they hit, five or six in a row there?" asked Wirtz. A turnaround jumper by freshman Caroline Shine gave Johnsburg its biggest lead of the game, 51-34, with seven minutes to play in the game. Pruchinski began to reap the rewards of McHenry's tight, pressing defense which gave Johnsburg trouble in the late going. But the Warriors could come no closer than nine the rest of the way. Pruchinski had 10 points in the fourth quarter alone, 17 in the second half. "We had lots of shots that could've gone in, but just didn't. I honestly wasn't surprised that we played well," Wirtz said. "McHenry normally plays a good regional game. Johnsburg played pretty well, but I wasn't as impressed by them this time GIRLS--Page 12 Giving A's to Q'sre: the NCAA Plaindealer-Herald photo by Chris Juzwik Johnsburg freshman Carolyn Shine chases down a loose ball dur- had nine points for the Skyhawks, who will play for the regional ing the third quarter of Monday's Johnsburg Regional opener title Thursday against CL Central. Chilvers had 11 for the War- against McHenry, as Peg Chilvers of McHenry looks on. Shine riors, who finished the season at 1-19. Johnsburg is now 18-5. Central awaits Skyhawks By Chris Juzwik Plilndealer-HeraJd sports editor JOHNSBURG - Crystal Lake Central's girls' basketball team, which weaved a perfect 11-0 record in winning the Fox Valley Conference, forms a for­ midable opponent for Johnsburg Thursday night. The two teams will meet in the championship game of the Johnsburg Class AA Girls' Basketball Regional Plaindealer-Heraid photo by Chris Juzwik McHenry's Cindy Gaines tosses up a semi-hook over Johnsburg's Carolyn Shine (34) during the Johnsburg Regional opener Mon­ day night. The Skyhawks claimed a 61-52 victory. Tournament, with the winner advancing to the Rockford East Sectional against the Loves Park Harlem Regional champion. Central and Johnsbur are no strangers to region title confrontations. The two met last season in the finale of the McHenry Regional, with Central emerging victorious 41-33. "We'd like another shot at them," Johnsburg coach Nancy Fahey said earlier this season. "We've got a score to settle, and we usually play better when we do have to even the score." After watching Central rally to edge Woodstock in the regional's other semifinal Tuesday night, Fahey was impressed. "They're the biggest, most physical team we'll play all season," she said. "They have a real balanced scoring attack, but we're going to have watch out for (number) 54. She's tough. Stopping her will be the key." Number 54 is junior forward Tania Brammer. who scored 10 points against Woodstock and can play both outside and inside. Forward Judy Barry had 17 points against Woodstock. Also starring for the Tigers are Kristi Oelkers, Amy Erickson and Mary Olsen. "They threw a half-court trap on Woodstock," Fahey said. "I think we can handle it. We haven't had much problems with presses this year "They're a little bigger than us* not so much height- wise, but just ... bigger. They're very aggressive defensively, and offensively they seemed to rebound well." Sounds like a pretty <>evenly-matched game, hey coach? "I'd like to think so." Fahey said. Game time is 7:30 p.iu. Thursday. Making his debut in this space today, is our letter- responder, Gabby, who will answer queries regarding anything you can think of Today, Gabby answers questions about the NCAA tourament, which tips off Thursday. Dear Gabby: I am appalled, shocked, dismayed and downright disgusted, this year more than ever. Like death and taxes, you can always count on the selection committee screwing up. But not like this. Let me introduce myself. I am a 1984 graduate of Lehigh. For those of your readers who are unfamiliar with LU, Lehigh is located in Bethlehem, Penn. Our colors are a dazzlin combination of brown-am white, and our nickname is the Fighting Engineers. But, back to my problem. Our men's basketball team has enjoyed some fine seasons of late, not counting last campaign, when we finished a disappointing 4- 23. But make no doubt about it - this year, we are for real. During the 1984-85 year, we had a difficult go of it, finishing 6-8 in the East Coast Conference, which consists of such basketball notables as Bucknell, Hofstra, Drexel, Rider and Tow son State. We did, however, rise up to win the conference tournament, thereby securing a berth in the NCAAs, with a respectable record of 12-18. So, what do we get for our hard work and troubles? A date with Georgetown in the first round. Can you believe it? Sign me: Livid. Dear Livid: Can I believe what? That your colors are brown-and-white ? Georgetown by 40. Dear Gabby: How come the southeast regional is played in South Bend, Indiana, and Dayton, Ohio? I thought those places were in the Midwest. How come, v then, the midwest regional is in Dallas and Tulsa? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Sign me: Latitudally and longitudally mixed-up. Dear L and L M-U: I don't know; they are; I don't know; that would make too much sense. Dear Gabby: How in the world did Kentucky get into the tournament with a 16-12 record? What did the round game in the tour­ nament? I want to make sure I don't miss it. Sign me: Ready and Waitin'. Dear Ready: Your best bet is probably the Virginia Commonwealth Chris Juzwik Sports Editor Wildcats do to deserve it? Sign me: Irate. Dear Irate: They won an NCAA tournament once, plus Joe B. Hall whines too much. The selection committee hates whiners. Dear Gabby: I was wondering. Georgia Tech, Georgia and Mercer are all located in Georgia, right? And they all get to play their first round games in Atlanta, right? Isn't Atlanta in Georgia? Isn't that unfair? Is there anybody from Georgia on the selection committee? Sign me: Georgia On My Mind. Dear GOMM: Your point is a good one, though it took you long enough to get there. There aren t too many people connected with Georgia on the committee, except for. Jimmy Carter, Rosalyn Carter, Bert Lance, Andrew Young, Ted Turner, Gladys Knight, The Pips, Hank Aaron, Bruce Sutter, Ray Charles, Rhett Butler, Steve Bartkowski, Dominique Wilkins, Sweet Georgia Brown and - the entire Georgia State Patrol. But none of them showed any favoritism in the voting, it was reported. Dear Gabby: What's the best first- - Marshall game Friday at 3:46 in the morning, on ESPN. The winner will meet the Alabama , - Arizona winner, with that survivor facing either Tulsa, UTEP, NC State or Nevada-Reno. Any of those would be worth staying home for, unless, of course, the UNLV - San Diego State game catches your eye. Let's face it - this is a great tournament. Dear Gabby: Do any teams from our area, ie., Illinois, have a good chance to win the tournament? Sign me: Local Yokel. Dear Local: Yes. Providence-St. Mel has an outside shot. Dear Gabby: How many Big East teams do you think will be in the Final Four? Sign me: In love with the Big East. Dear In Love: Four. Or so ESPN hopes. Dear Gabby: Are there any 'official' things in the NCAAs, like there were in the Olympics? Those were neat. Sign me: Snickers freak. Dear Freak: Just one. Patrick Ewing is the official goon. - y i ACTION 2 - PAGE 16- PLALNDEALER-HKKALD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13.1985 - Sports