St. Charles East’s Torrie Kortan confirmed how she was hoping to avoid being at the free-throw line for the end of Tuesday night’s playoff game.
Kortan missed a free throw in the late stages Thursday as the Saints beat Willowbrook for the regional title. She wasn’t too keen about repeating that experience.
And, of course, that’s exactly how it went.
“I didn’t want to do that again,” Kortan said. “Then I did it again. I was like, ‘We actually need these or else we will not win this game.'”
Kortan made sure it was curtains for Geneva in a Class 4A Bartlett Sectional semifinal.
The senior guard/forward calmly drained both free throws of a one-and-one situation with 17 seconds left and the Saints hung on to stun the Vikings 43-42.
“We needed somebody and she stepped up,” St. Charles East interim coach Josh Foster said of Kortan. “She did what she was supposed to do. That was her job.
“When you’re the best player, you have to make plays, and she did. Down the stretch, couldn’t be prouder of her.”
St. Charles East (21-6) proudly moves on face Wheaton North at 7 p.m. Thursday in the sectional championship game. The Saints are seeking the program’s second sectional title and first since 1987.
In the regular season, St. Charles East lost twice to Geneva (25-5) by double digits. The Saints hadn’t beaten the Vikings since 2015, but they held a 33-31 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Geneva forced a pair of ties, the first at 33-33 on Zosia Wrobel’s two free throws and again at 37-37 on Cassidy Arni’s 3-pointer.
Kortan, who hit a 3-pointer earlier in the fourth, then set up Emma Yakey for a 3-pointer with 1:58 left to give the Saints a 40-37 lead.
“Shooters have to shoot,” Foster said of Yakey. “She knows.”
Lexi DiOrio split two free throws to make it a four-point game. Kortan then missed the front end at the line with 39 seconds left to leave the door open for Geneva.
Arni converted a driving layup to cut the deficit to 41-39, but Kortan was fouled again. This time, she hit both free throws.
It meant Wrobel’s 3-pointer with 4 seconds to play left the Vikings down a point.
“She’s our best player, our best leader,” Foster said of Kortan. “As far as I’m concerned, she’s been the best player in the conference all year.
“She showed it right there. They were coming back.”
Geneva experienced an extreme cold stretch, particularly from 3-point range, that kept St. Charles East either in the lead or within striking distance all game.
The Vikings missed 16 straight 3-pointers at one juncture and finished at 13.6% (3 of 22). They shot 28.1% overall (16 of 57).
“We just struggled offensively,” Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said. “That’s something we’re really good at. We’re good at getting to the rim and we’re good at kicking it out and making the three. They just weren’t falling.”
It was a stunning end for the Vikings, who cruised through the DuKane Conference with a perfect 14-0 record.
“This is a grind,” Meadows said. “You have to forget that you just beat them twice. That’s the postseason right there.”
Arni led Geneva with 16 points. Wrobel added 13 points and Leah Palmer grabbed 14 rebounds.
Kortan led all scorers with 18 for the Saints. Cali Papez added nine points and 12 rebounds.
For Kortan, keeping the season alive also maintains a vision she had when she arrived at St. Charles East.
“I knew from the beginning of the season we were going to be really good,” Kortan said. “I’ve been saying since eighth grade that we were going to state my senior year.
“The fact we were able to pull this off and everybody is clicking is perfect.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.