NORMAL — Carmel’s Ashley Schlabowske loves pressure situations.
She said close games “are the best games you can be in, and they are just fun.”
So the sophomore guard will remember this one.
A first-year starter, Schlabowske made three free throws in the final 28.1 seconds of the Class 3A final Saturday night as the Corsairs edged Nazareth 43-39 at Redbird Arena to win their first state championship.
Schlabowske, who also sank three free throws with 1.8 seconds left in Carmel’s one-point win against Benet on Feb. 2, struggled to explain her clutch shooting at the line. But coach Ben Berg offered to step in.
“She puts in a lot of time,” he said. “She plays with so much joy and works at her craft and game so hard. I have all the confidence in the world when she steps to the line that she is going to do it. She’s done it thousands of times in practice. I’m so proud of how she handled it.”
Senior center Grace Sullivan, a Bucknell recruit, closed out a memorable four-year career as a varsity starter for Carmel (28-7) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. She also altered several shots to stop the Roadrunners (33-3) from building any momentum.
The Corsairs lost both regular-season games against Nazareth, an East Suburban Catholic Conference rival, by double digits.
“All the things we’ve been working on paid off in this moment,” Sullivan said.
Junior guard Jordan Wood, a Michigan State recruit, had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. The Waukegan resident took a chance on the developing Carmel program over other high-profile schools.
“I’m happy with my decision,” she said.
Junior forward Mia Gillis also was a big key for Carmel. She had eight points and seven rebounds against Nazareth.
The 5-foot-6 Schlabowske finished with five points and played solid defense against Nazareth sharpshooter Gracie Carstensen, who was held to 11 points after hitting six 3-pointers against Morton in the semifinal.
Schlabowske hounded Carstensen by fighting through screens and not straying too far on help defense.
“We had played them two times before, so I knew she was a really good 3-point shooter,” Schlabowske said. “I knew I had to have my hands up and chase her and watch every step.”
Carmel kept to its season-long tradition of dominating teams with its size and shooting at a high percentage. The Corsairs had a 28-14 rebounding advantage and made 16 of 28 shots from the field.
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Berg said the state title puts Carmel among the top programs in the state.
“They have changed the program forever,” Berg said, smiling. “The expectations are now sky high. I’m so happy for our fans and the community. It was like a home game, it was so loud.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.