After a 55-43 victory against the Glenbrook South Spartans, the Niles North Boys Basketball team has made it to the sectional round. Their odds are good, but the field is tough: Loyola, Evanston, and Lane Tech all have something to say, and they are all well-equipped to walk the walk after talking their talk.
#5 Lane Tech Champions (20-11)
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Lane Tech. They came into the season with high expectations that were immediately justified with two wins in the Battle of the Bridge Thanksgiving tournament they co-hosted with DePaul Prep, before losing to their rivals down across it 39-53. Since then, the Champions have had varied success, finishing the job on teams they were expected to beat while falling short against programs they weren’t supposed to have a shot at.
The only time Lane Tech has truly surpassed expectations was in their regional final match this past Friday, defeating 4th-seed New Trier 69-59.
#2 Loyola Academy Ramblers (25-8)
The Ramblers did not have an ideal start to the season. Though they opened 2-0, they quickly fell to New Trier and Lake Forest by small margins. The Ramblers opened December with a 20 point win against Catholic League rivals Montini Catholic, but were taken down by the 3A 4th-ranked Brother Rice Crusaders. A switch was flipped in the locker room on Lake, and Loyola followed this disappointing beginning with a 9 game streak, including at a tournament in Florida.
Ever since, Loyola has been keeping up with the competition well and will come into the sectional hot after a 55-45 win against Glenbrook North to qualify.
#1 Evanston Township Wildkits (27-5)
Evanston has surpassed expectations this year. After suffering an early 40-46 loss to the Deerfield Warriors, the Wildkits traveled down to the Centralia Holiday Tournament with impressive showings in a win against the Dyett Eagles and a loss from the 3A 5th-ranked hosts. The rest of their season has been all green, with three more losses dotting the schedule from 3A 7th-ranked Metamora, Mid-Suburban League champions Rolling Meadows, and Niles North (more on that later).
Given that E-Town had earned the 1st seed in the sectional overall, their path to this point was pretty simple: a 60 point win over Leyden and 64-32 rally against Highland Park.
#3 Niles North Vikings (27-6)
Niles North has played every competitor that has made it to the sectional round, giving them both a film and motivation advantage over other teams in the tournament.
Lane Tech met the Vikings for the first time this season during both teams’ second game. Lane had won their first against Phillips, while Niles North had come off an intense 67-62 loss to 3A favorites DePaul Prep. North couldn’t stop the Champions’ momentum and lost in another tight match: 62-64. However, they got their get-back at the close of 2024 to the tune of 64-58.
North and Loyola faced each other at the Rambler-hosted Danny Did charity event. Niles tried to match the speed of the Ramblers, but they couldn’t maintain it. Loyola kept a ten point lead for most of the game, and by the end they sent the Vikings back home 68-63.
Every Viking fan knows all too well the threat that Evanston poses. The teams have met twice this season, first resulting in a 68-64 victory for the Wildkits. The later contest, to secure the Central Suburban League title, received a big asterisk placed by head coach Mike Ellis before the game. The Vikings took this one 57-52, but second- and third-string players notably ran the court for Evanston while Niles North had its starters in for three quarters. Should both teams make it through the sectional semifinal round and into the final, emotions will be high and bleed into the play of both programs.
Evanston will play Lane Tech on Tuesday, March 4, at 6:00 pm, while Niles North will take on Loyola Academy Wednesday, March 5, at 6:00 pm. The winners of both games will battle for the sectional title at New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus on Friday, March 7, at 7:00 pm.
