Stoklosa flips senior leadership switch to ‘on’
Bellarmine-bound senior forward finds voice during shortened season, excels for Lincoln-Way Central
When Lincoln-Way Central senior Haley Stoklosa came home from a club tournament this summer in Indianapolis, she felt she had done her best.
A surprise phone call a short time later brought some welcome confirmation.
It was from Bellarmine.
“It had been really hard this year with the COVID, finding schools to talk to,” Stoklosa said. “Their phone call came out of nowhere. They said they saw me at Indy.”
And just what impressed them so much?
“I’m not sure,” Stoklosa said, smiling. “It’s weird, because you’re there and you don’t realize people are watching you. There are no spectators really, but they are watching you online.
“I don’t know which game they watched. They talked about my defense, so I must have had some good blocks.”
Stoklosa has also been bringing her best as one of the leaders for Lincoln-Way Central.
The 5-foot-11 forward is averaging 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. She scored in double figures in 13 games, including 24 points against Kankakee and 23 against Marist.
Not lost on Knights coach Dave Campanile’s stat sheet is her versatility on offense. A dominator inside, she has burned more than a few opponents from beyond the arc.
Stoklosa, who hit four 3-pointers in the first half of a game against Lincoln-Way West, is shooting 36.7% for the season.
“I think her experience on varsity has really shown in this last season,” Campanile said. “She flipped a switch a little bit. We saw the growth and maturity the last few years. Now, going into a captain’s role and kind of getting out of Regan LoConte’s shadow, she has adopted it with a calm presence.
“Once she signed at Bellarmine, I saw a maturity level and an understanding of the game emerge in a big way. She started making suggestions at practice, and does a great job for us overall.”
Making a mark: St. Laurence had one of its biggest nights in program history on March 8, beating Mother McAuley 51-45.
It was the first victory for St. Laurence over McAuley. Vikings coach George Shimko ended a personal 0-for-10 streak going back to his coaching time at Queen of Peace.
“I was happy for the kids,” Shimko said. “They played their hearts out from the beginning of the game to the end. I was really proud of them. Playing a quality team like that on the road is tough. But the kids weathered the storm.”
The Vikings, who rallied from a 45-42 deficit in the final minutes, were led by Rylie Galvin and Clare Allison, who scored 11 points apiece.
“Rylie, without a doubt, has been solid for us all season,” Shimko said. “I’ve received a couple of texts from people telling me how fun it has been, watching her develop
into a leader.
“She has been taking the freshmen and sophomores under her wing. She’s been very special for us, really, since her freshman season.”
Galvin, a 5-7 junior, is at the top of the chart in most categories, averaging 8.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals.
“Her and I talk about it,” Shimko said. “I tell her, ‘You’re leading us in every category, but we’re going to get to the point where we’ll have more people stepping up.’ But right now she is doing a lot of things for us.
“And she is playing out of position, really. She should be a two-guard, but for us she has to play the four because we just don’t have any size. She works really hard.”
Call her the first “face” of St. Laurence girls basketball.
“Yes, without a doubt,” Shimko said. “From day one when she came in as a starter, she has just flourished. She has battled through everything. I’m really happy for her.”
Did you know? Hillcrest graduate Shavonna Hunter would be a good candidate for the most unselfish player in Southland history. From 1995 to 1999, she compiled a total of 710 assists — 10th on the Illinois High School Association’s all-time list. Hunter, who played in college at Illinois, ranks No. 1 in IHSA history with 752 career steals, including 243 during the 199899 season.