Three cheers
Lincoln-Way West’s Gugliuzza scores game-high 26 points, Warriors roll to 4A championship game
NORMAL — The MVP chant by the Lincoln-Way West student section near the end of the game was loud and clear.
Senior guard Taylor Gugliuzza didn’t mind the noise, either.
“I always like hearing it,” Gugliuzza said. “It definitely helps my confidence, and it makes me realize how real all of this is.”
The Lewis University recruit certainly earned the cheers Friday night in leading the Warriors to a 68-57 victory over Bolingbrook in a Class 4A state semifinal at Redbird Arena in Normal.
Gugliuzza finished with 26 points for Lincoln-Way West (32-3).
Junior sister Tara Gugliuzza followed with 14 points and freshman sister Ava
Gugliuzza added 12.
Northern Illinois recruit Jayden Marable scored 18 points for Bolingbrook (25-8).
The Warriors will play Fremd (29-7) at 7:15 p.m. Saturday for the state title.
There wasn’t a player on the court Friday more ready to play for West than Taylor Gugliuzza.
She proved it over and over during the first half.
Off the bat, a 3-point play. Shortly thereafter, a 3-point basket.
Then, for good measure, an assist for a 3-point basket by Tara Gugliuzza.
That was all in the first quarter. “I’ve been wanting this for the past four years,” she said. “I just wanted to do everything I could to get us to where we are going.
“We’re going to the state championship game, and it’s the best feeling.”
Taylor Gugliuzza’s 18 points in the first half helped West build a 34-29 lead.
The second half belong to the littlest sister.
Ava Gugliuzza shot 0-for-7 in the first half. She went back-to-back with 3-pointers in the third quarter, though, to help extend West’s lead to nine points. She added one more 3-pointer in the fourth.
“It felt good,” Ava said. “I just had to forget about the past and keep shooting.
“I acted like it was a whole new game. I just went out there and restarted, pretty much.”
When push came to shove, it was back to big sister.
Down by as many as 12 points, Bolingbrook made a charge midway through the fourth quarter. A layup by Danyel Middleton cut the deficit to 55-49 with five minutes still remaining.
Making matters more dicey? Both Brianna Wooldridge and Tara Gugliuzza were on the bench with four fouls.
Taylor Gugliuzza gave the Warriors a gulp of momentum by grabbing a defensive rebound and going the length of the court for a layup.
Soon after, the starters returned and West sealed the deal, giving the Warriors — and coach Ryan White — its first shot at a state title.
“It’s a great feeling for our team, for our fans,” White said. “It was a whole group effort. The student section was awesome and gave us a lift.
“Since I have never experienced it before, I can’t really really explain the feeling. But it’s a good one.”
Saturday’s championship game against Fremd will have an added significance for Wooldridge. The sophomore forward was a solid contributor for Fremd last season. It’s not just another game. “Honestly, I just have to get out of my own head,” Wooldridge said with a smile. “Those are my old teammates. They know me, but I think I’ve gotten better.
“Hopefully, what they think I’m going to play like is different from what they’ll see. I’m excited to play them. It should be a really good game.”