Rising Stars ladies sport a celebration of Rockford's finest seniors – Rockford Register Star

The Rising Stars senior all-star basketball video games are as a lot a celebration as they’re contests.
“We’re all simply attempting to have enjoyable with one another,” Orangeville’s 6-foot-4 star Whitney Sullivan mentioned.
That was most evident by Sullivan dancing to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” in the course of the timeout earlier than the fourth quarter.
“I do know that music loads. I dance to that music at soccer video games,” Sullivan mentioned. “I’m simply attempting to have enjoyable. Dancing. Enjoying. It doesn’t matter.”
A lot of the enjoyable Saturday night time was the sport inside the sport between a pair of star facilities within the NIC-10 Women’ 66-61 victory over the All-Space Women at Rock Valley School.
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Sullivan, who has signed with Tulsa, led the All-Space ladies with 18 factors, 10 rebounds and two assists. However her good buddy was named MVP, with Boylan’s 6-3 Lily Esparza ending with 11 factors, 11 rebounds and three assists to guide the NIC-10 to victory. The NIC-10 Women at the moment are 15-11 all-time within the sequence.
Esparza may need clinched the win by getting again on protection with 30 seconds remaining and twice stopping Sullivan to maintain the NIC-10 forward by 4 factors.
“That was a giant cease for me,” mentioned Esparza, who has signed with NCAA Division I Denver. “It at all times makes me really feel good once I can cease Whitney as a result of she’s a powerhouse and she or he normally scores on me.
“She’s one in all my finest buddies, each on and off the courtroom. She couldn’t be my enemy if she tried. She’s simply the sweetest particular person and I look as much as her as a participant. It was a lot enjoyable to play in opposition to her.”
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Nothing is extra enjoyable in ladies basketball than making 3-pointers. The NIC-10 pulled out its win by making a dozen 3s to solely three for the All-Space Women. That included six 3s within the second quarter and one other 4 within the fourth to assist the NIC-10 rally from a 49-45 deficit.
Two of the largest 3s had been by Esparza’s former Boylan teammates. Alayna Petalber made a 3 from a pair toes behind the arc to wipe out the All-Space Women closing lead, placing the NIC-10 forward 52-51. And Kaylee Harter’s 3 put the NIC-10 forward to remain, 57-54 with 4 minutes left.
“You’ve received to begin taking pictures from that now that I’m shifting to the subsequent degree,” mentioned Petalber, who received loads of follow taking pictures long-distance 3s on a current three-week journey to the Philippines for a global event that used the worldwide and faculty line.
Rockford Christian’s Kaitlin Park had 14 factors for the All-Space Women and Stillman Valley’s Mya Janssen added 10 factors and 5 rebounds.
Esparza was the one NIC-10 participant in double figures. Hononegah’s Jordan Johnson had 9 factors, all on 3s, and 4 assists. And she or he additionally had the sport’s finest celebration, exchanging a flying chest bump with former Hononegah teammate Oliva Robinson (5 rebounds, 4 assists) after the ultimate buzzer.
“It’s our final sport and we went out with a bang, so that you’ve received to have fun,” Johnston mentioned.
Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has lined sports activities for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after earlier stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa Metropolis.

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