Suddenly, sophomore guard Keira McCann found herself in the spotlight for Geneva.
Locked in a tight battle with St. Charles North for the third time this season, the Vikings decided to switch things up in the third quarter Tuesday night to counter a stifling defense by the North Stars.
Geneva moved star guard Leah Palmer to the high post, running the offense through her, and that meant open shots were coming. McCann didn’t hesitate, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer.
“It felt great,” McCann said. “They played us tough all year. Moving Leah to the high post opened up shots. It’s been the key all year to hit shots. It felt really good, especially in a game like this.”
The North Stars eventually did tie it up in the fourth, but Palmer handled it from there. She scored eight straight points as the Vikings survived 42-36 in a Class 4A Batavia Sectional semifinal.
Palmer had another dominant postseason performance, scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds as Geneva (23-8) advanced to a 6 p.m. Thursday championship game against the host Bulldogs.
Laney Stark scored 12 points to lead St. Charles North (27-5). Reagan Sipla added 10.
Teams have struggled to score against the North Stars all season, and the Vikings are no exception. They scored only 27 points in a 34-27 loss to St. Charles North on Jan. 9.
It’s why Geneva coach Sarah Meadows went the route she did during the third quarter of putting Palmer, who is used to being in the driver’s seat, in total control of the offense.
“She trusts her teammates to be able to knock down those shots,” Meadows said of Palmer. “She’s playing the high post and dishing the ball to them. It’s huge.”
McCann was ready for that pass.
“They dictated the first half,” McCann said of the North Stars. “They controlled our offense, which was not great for us. We came out and made a difference.
“It’s been a tough year. We had to grind a lot, especially against St. Charles North. it was great to come out and beat them.”
Kinsey Gracey and Peri Sweeney were also the beneficiaries of Palmer’s passing in the third quarter, and both made 3-pointers. That helped the Vikings take a 31-25 lead into the fourth.
“I had to step up as a captain and make those shots in those moments,” Gracey said. “Making the adjustment by utilizing our middle and moving the ball around more opened up our shooters.”
St. Charles North opened the fourth on an 8-2 run to force a 33-33 tie with 3:05 left in the game. Palmer’s personal 8-0 run followed, however, and time ran out on the North Stars.
“I’m incredibly proud of how our girls played,” St. Charles North coach Mike Tomczak said. “Defensively, we ran a little different scheme than we had in the past, and I think it gave them some pause.
“They hit a couple shots. When you take something away, you give them something else.”
Despite the loss, Tomczak was proud of the North Stars’ season.
“Something I talked to the girls about before the game was, ‘We’ve earned the right to be here,’” Tomczak said. “This is a special thing. Let’s embrace the moment. Let’s have some fun with it.”
Things haven’t gone as smoothly for Geneva this season than in years past, and much of that has to do with the strength of the DuKane Conference.
The Vikings split games this season with St. Charles North and Batavia. They took care of the first one Tuesday. Now, they get another chance Thursday at Batavia.
“It was definitely a tough season,” McCann said. “We had to grind the whole way here. We’re looking forward to Thursday.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
