Public League playoffs-Whitney Young (20-7) used a 7-2 run midway through the second quarter to start the rout, a 12-2 run to close out the first half for a 30-15 lead and a modest 8-2 run to open the third quarter to dispose of Phillips 68-51 in a semifinal game at the UIC Pavilion.
Whitney Young will play Marshall, which beat Red-Central champion Robeson 74-39 in the other semifinal, for the title next Tuesday.
”I feel we`re capable of beating (Marshall), but we`ve got to come out and play and we can`t make any mistakes,” said Young coach Arthur Penny. ”We led Marshall by 15 or 20 points in our first game against them this season.”
Tiffany Johnson led Whitney Young against Phillips with 22 points. Eywanaha Miller added 18 points and Shaunte Porter 14. Kenya Lyles had 22 and Tina Epps 13 for Phillips (23-6).
”Defensively, we were just trying to trap them and push them outside,”
Penny added.
Marshall (28-1), seeking its 14th title in 15 years, advanced past Robeson behind Yolanda Miller`s 16 points. Marie Scott added 13 (all in the second quarter), Nicole Head added 12 and Kim Williams chipped in 10. Semelda Elverton had 12 and Pam Ireland 11 for Robeson (22-8).
Marshall forced 21 turnovers in the game, including 10 in the second quarter while moving to a 46-21 halftime advantage. Miller, who had five assists and five steals in the game, had seven points in the second period and Williams had six. ”That`s what the press is for, to force the tempo and cause turnovers,” said Marshall coach Dorothy Gaters. ”But I would have liked to have seen fewer turnovers on our part, especially earlier in the game.”
Romeoville sectional-Karen Sturtecky scored eight of her game-high 16 points during a 16-2 first-quarter spurt as Lincoln-Way rallied from a 12-0 deficit to beat SICA West rival Joliet Central 59-47 in the title game. The victory gave Lincoln-Way (25-4) its second straight sectional crown. L-W will play Rich South in the Rich South supersectional. The SICA West champions have won 10 of their last 11 games. Sturtecky added nine rebounds, Janet Jacobs had 11 points and seven rebounds and Beth Tatro had 11 points for the winners. Gina Simonich had 11 points and seven rebounds for Joliet Central (24-5).