Kenwood was reeling in the third quarter. Marist had ripped off a quick run to cut the lead to two and was feasting off its quick ball movement and some untimely miscues by the Broncos.
But then Kenwood increased its full-court pressure.
“My assistant [Demon Page], he said, ‘When we gonna turn the heat up?’ ” coach Andre Lewis said. “It proved to be the difference.”
The Broncos held Marist (26-9) to 11 points on 5-for-16 shooting in the third quarter to gain control as senior guard Icesis Thomas set the tone on defense in the 62-48 victory Monday in the Class 4A supersectional at Hinsdale Central.
“We just had to turn it up,” said Thomas, who had five points, six rebounds, four steals and one block. “But we just kept telling ourselves, ‘We’re the best team in the state.’ When they went on their run, we just tried to stop that as much as possible.”
The tenacious defense was the key as Kenwood advanced to the Class 4A semifinals for the first time in school history for both girls and boys basketball.
“We made history,” Thomas said. “We’re two games away from winning state, and I really believe that we can do it.”
The Broncos (33-3) are relentless when they’re pressuring the ball. Thomas had two steals in the third quarter and forced a turnover. Kenwood feasted on Marist's paucity of ballhandlers.
Thomas might not be one of the Broncos’ leading scorers, but she’s vital to everything they do.
“I’m the glue to everything,” Thomas said. “I make sure I communicate, I get in the gaps. I might not be the number one scorer, but at the end of the day, I’m still helping us win.”
Lewis said that Thomas “makes sure everybody knows where to be defensively.”
When she transferred to Kenwood last season, she filled the role as a complementary do-it-all player who doesn’t need the ball in her hands to make an impact.
“She’s somebody that we’ve been looking for,” said forward Diann Jackson, who had 20 points and eight rebounds. “[She’s a] high-level defensive player. She transferred in last year, but she is making a huge impact this year, and I love that for her. This year, she’s more comfortable.”
Howard commit Ariella Henigan, who’s one of the best scoring guards in the state, had 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting. She didn’t have to assert herself as much because her teammates were thriving.
Kenwood’s a different team when its turning turnovers into points — they had 25 points off turnovers. Now, the Broncos will play Alton in the Class 4A state semifinals Friday in Normal.
“My sophomore year, we lost here to Benet in the supersectionals,” Jackson said. “Coming to the same gym . . . it just feels great to break barriers and be able to go down and win it all.”
