By Randy Whalen

Natalie Clemente epitomized the attitude of the Joliet West girls' basketball team.

Get knocked down, but keep battling. 

Clemente went down with an injury late in the third quarter of the Tigers' final game. But, true to the fortitude she had all season, the senior forward got up and was able to play again in her final high school game. 

"I was out for six weeks earlier in the season with an ankle injury," Clemente said. "I went to physical therapy, and I was fighting my hardest to come back. It was the same in the game. I aggravated the injury, but I wanted to come back, and I did.

"Even though our record wasn't the greatest, I'm really proud that none of the team gave up."

No, they didn't. But the Tigers couldn't keep up with the host Indians and lost 61-28 on Tuesday, February 17, in the second semifinal of the Class 4A Minooka Regional. 

Minooka (23-9), which was the No. 2 seed in its part of the Peoria Richwoods Sub-Sectional, went on to lose 57-49  on Thursday, February 19, to No. 3-seeded Moline in the regional title game. In the sectional semifinals, on Tuesday, February 23, host Richwoods defeated Moline 62-46. The Maroons finished 25-8. 

The Knights faced the No. 2 seed from the other sub-sectional, Belleville East (27-5), a 45-40 winner over No. 1-seeded Alton (28-3) in the second semifinal, on Thursday, February 26, at 6 PM for the sectional title. There, the Lancers upset Richwoods (24-5) by the score of 58-48. 

Belleville East (28-5) will face Homewood-Flossmoor, which rallied to defeat Marist 58-48 in the title game of the Mother McAuley Supersectional, at 7 PM on Monday, March 2, at the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

Joliet West (3-26) finished the season with 16 straight losses. The Tigers, who finished 1-11 overall in the Southwest Prairie Conference, lost their league game at Minooka by almost the same score, 62-32, on Tuesday, January 6.

In the regional game, Minooka led the whole way. Ahead 4-2 midway through the first quarter, senior guard Madelyn Kiper scored eight of her game-high 19 points in a 12-0 run. Senior guard Kendall Thomas hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, as the Indians extended to a 24-8 lead after one quarter. 

It was 42-15 at halftime and 55-20 after three. Sophomore guard Sadie Webb scored 14 points, while senior forwards Jaelle Hamilton (8 points, 5 rebounds) and Clare O'Brien (6 points, 10 rebounds) also contributed for Minooka. 

"No matter what, through the wins and losses, I'm glad for my time at Joliet West," senior forward Jada Thompson said. "I'm thankful for Coach Bre and everyone for my progress. I'll remember the atmosphere, it's been awesome."

Thompson led Joliet West with 15 points. Maya Zanzola added five points, and Clemente had four points and 10 rebounds despite leaving the game with 2:04 left in the third quarter and playing sparingly after that.

"I just wanted to keep doing what I could to help the team and keep doing that, no matter what," Zanzola said. "I'll just remember the atmosphere and the people I met. I grew so much as a player and as a person."

The Tigers graduate five seniors. They are Clemente, Temperance Jackson, Anaiya Robinson, Thompson, and Zanzola. 

"It does hit home because I came in with a lot of these girls," said Joliet West coach Breanna "Bre" Blackmon, who completed her third season as head coach. "The outcome on the floor wasn't what we wanted this season, but we built family, and that's what matters. 

"I never focus on wins and losses. The focus was on how much progress we made. It's all about wisdom and lessons."