Carmel’s Mia Gillis nearly got lost in the moment.
The 6-foot-1 junior forward made a point to stay in the middle of the action throughout the Class 3A Dundee-Crown Supersectional in Carpentersville on Monday night.
But as her teammates gathered near the free-throw line to celebrate the Corsairs’ 49-37 victory against Sycamore, Gillis stood to the side for a few moments.
Perhaps it was a fitting way for Gillis, a team-first player with a quiet personality, to punctuate one of the best games of her life in a win that sends Carmel to state for the first time.
Gillis finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds while deftly handling Sycamore’s pressure defense, remaining under control and playing with poise throughout the game, even with the Spartans’ large crowd attempting to rattle the Corsairs.
“I just wanted to be somebody to count on, just bringing up the ball and helping the team,” she said. “I’m good at keeping my composure. It’s been like that all season. As a team, we all fit different parts, and that’s why we’ve gotten this far.”
Senior center Grace Sullivan did her part, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks for Carmel (26-7), which will play Civic Memorial in a state semifinal at Redbird Arena in Normal at 10 a.m. Friday.
Sophomore guard Anna Hartman chipped in 10 points, and sophomore guard Ashley Schlabowske scored seven points.
Jordan Wood, a 6-foot-5 junior guard who has committed to play at Michigan State, was held to two points but played superb defense against Sycamore’s Faith Feuerbach, limiting the St. Thomas recruit to six points.
Ella Shipley led the Spartans (32-3) with 13 points.
Gillis, who heads to state on a hot streak after posting double-doubles in back-to-back games, made two free throws with 1:13 left to push Carmel’s lead to 44-37 after Sycamore hit three straight 3-pointers.
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“Mia plays with so much poise, and I’m so proud of her,” Berg said. “She does everything we need, from getting the rebounds to getting baskets to making free throws at the end. Jordan Wood was being denied all game, so Mia and Grace really stepped up.”
Sullivan, a Bucknell recruit, carried the Corsairs early. She scored six of their first eight points.
“I just tried to hit my shots and help on defense and get rebounds,” Sullivan said. “Going to state has been a goal of mine since freshman year.”
Wood praised Gillis and Sullivan for shouldering the bulk of the scoring and rebounding.
“Mia and Grace played phenomenal,” Wood said. “Mia was hitting her free throws, and Grace was dominating in the post. We had a wall of defense, and we were able to stop all of their inside opportunities. This feels amazing.”
The Corsairs built leads of 13-4, 19-8 and 28-19 and were up 35-19 following Schlabowske’s 3-pointer with 6:16 left.
The Spartans chipped away until Carmel made seven free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
“We had so many players step up and come up big tonight,” Berg said. “I’m so happy for our players and our community.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.