Bella Ranallo gingerly walked to the bench late in the third quarter Monday.
The Lake Forest junior point guard had a sore back and was fatigued from the physical game against Wauconda.
Ranallo received a supportive hug from a teammate before finding a seat to recharge her batteries.
A few minutes later, however, she was back to her old self, causing havoc all over the court with her hard-charging style.
“Bella is a tough kid who plays with a lot of heart,” Lake Forest coach Stacey Leach said. “When she gets going, we get going. Every game she plays 110% and battles.”
Ranallo finished with nine points, six rebounds and four steals to lead fifth-seeded Lake Forest to a 53-37 win against the 10th-seeded Bulldogs in a Class 3A Wauconda Regional semifinal.
The Scouts (19-13) advance to play fourth-seeded St. Viator, a 54-38 winner against Antioch in the other semifinal, in the regional championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Lions (19-12) defeated Lake Forest 50-34 on Dec. 6.
“Everyone was excited to be back playing in the playoffs,” Leach said. “We’ve been working for this moment. We came out here trying to prove ourselves. We’re excited about the rematch. We have work to do to get ready for Thursday.”
Lake Forest picked up a number of key contributions against Wauconda (15-12). Junior guard Rachel Kaus carried the team at times, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Senior forward Kathy Peterson-Ross played solid defense and scored 10 points, and sophomore guard Sarah Constantine had five points and five rebounds.
Lake Forest led 30-18 late in the third quarter before Wauconda mounted a mini-rally in the fourth. Senior guard Jessie Pakaski, who led the Bulldogs with 12 points, hit a jumper to make it 42-34. But the Scouts iced the victory by hitting their free throws.
“We had a little bit of nerves in the first half, even though we were on our own floor,” Wauconda coach Jaime Dennis said. “We gave up too many points on offensive boards, and it was closer than the final score. They played hard, but we just needed a couple of baskets to bounce our way.”
Wearing a white long-sleeve shirt under her jersey and white knee pads, Ranallo didn’t show any obvious signs of bumps and bruises. But she fell on the hardwood floor numerous times.
“I did fall a lot, but I got up, and we played our hearts out, so that’s all that matters,” she said.
Although there were no playoffs last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ranallo is no stranger to the postseason. Two years ago, she had 12 points and 10 rebounds in Lake Forest’s 51-46 win against North Suburban Conference rival Stevenson in a Class 4A regional final. She stole the spotlight from her high-profile teammate, Halle Douglass, in one of the Scouts’ more memorable wins.
“It’s a different role on the team (this season), and for us to get far, we have to work as a team,” Ranallo said. “I’m proud of how far we’ve come.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.