Ryan Ostry
Bugle Reporter
@RyanOstry_BR18
rostry@buglenewspapers.com
The Bolingbrook Raiders girls basketball teams season officially has ended after a heart-breaking loss to the Oswego Panthers in the Sectional SemiFinals.
After leading the entire game, a late game Panther 3-point shot with 1:35 remaining in the affair was the dagger in the heart for Raider fans.
photo by ryan ostry
Bolingbrook saw its season come to an end with a sectional loss to Oswego. (Photo by Ryan Ostry)
“We came out with energy and just couldn’t sustain it the whole game,” said Chris Smith, Raider head coach. “We did a terrible job rebounding the ball and the injuries just finally caught up to us.”
Star junior forward Treasure Thompson was one of those injuries, getting hurt on a last second layup in the third quarter in the previous game against the Plainfield Central Wildcats.
“We’re still waiting on the results, but we think it’s a ACL or meniscus,” Smith said.
The Raiders finished its season (18-12, 8-2), but its record was a mirage.
Bolingbrook faced off against eight teams that were not in the state of Illinois, with those eight teams combined records of 136-41.
Smith’s crew didn’t have an easy start to the season as well as its tough non-conference schedule, facing off against the Simeon Wolverines who went 9-0 in conference in the 2018-19 season.
The Raiders put together a five game winning streak in the month of December starting off with Roger Bacon and finishing the streak against Naperville North.
Following the streak, the Raiders lost four consecutive games against York, Marist, Benet and Montverde Academy.
Smith said that even though the Raiders had a successful season making it far into the playoffs, missing four out of its top seven players was not easy to overcome.
“We don’t make excuses here at all, but when you miss four out of your top seven players it’s tough to have a lot of success,” Smith said. “
For the 2019-20 season, Bolingbrook’s future is looking very bright.
As for starters, Bolingbrook will only lose one senior, with Thompson and star guard Danyel Middleton coming back for their senior campaigns.
“My starting five only played two games together this year,” Smith said. “With the one senior, three juniors and a sophomore we are coming back next year with the chance to be something very special as long as we can stay healthy.”