At the start of the 2021-22 basketball season, the Cyclones were excited to get some games on record and feel normal again.
While still working through certain limitations and precautions due to the ongoing pandemic, the Cyclones played a complete season while improving every game. They finished with an overall 16-15 record and went 6-6 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference, competing their last game of the season in the NJCAA Region IV semifinals against Black Hawk College on Feb. 26.
Head Coach Delwyn Jones, finishing his 22nd year leading the program, saw how much his players and team improved throughout the season. The team's winning gaps grew larger, and their losing deficiencies became smaller as the season progressed. As he noted, they were a much better team in March than they were in November.
"I am very proud of this team in how we bounced back from the ramifications of COVID-19. We started out slow and then found a way to grow as individuals and as a team," said Jones, who earned his 400th win this season. "We were working so well together and moving the ball by the end of the season. I believe we were a solid team by the end of the year with a solid chance to beat most teams in our region. To have a few more weeks to nail down that consistency would have helped a lot. We went down with a strong fight."
Completing her sophomore season, Katchie Savic (Lincoln-Way East) was the most complete player on the court, Jones said. She led the team in scoring (14.9/game), steals (94) and assists (5.3/game). She was ranked 11th in the NJCAA Division for steals, was 16th for assists (143) and 15th for free throws (115-146). At season's end, she was named to the All-Conference and All-Region first teams.
Third-year sophomore Briana Sanchez (Oak Lawn) became a player to reckon with under the basket. She led the team in rebounds (6/game with 186 total) and gave 100% in every game she played, Jones said. She did all the little things to help the Cyclones and fought for the ball when needed. Another third-year sophomore, Kirsten Kamholz (Orland Park), ultimately became the second leading scorer. She became a strong offensive addition to Savic and earned All-Conference honorable mention.
Sophomore Maggie Manthey (Sandburg) has been a solid defender, but this season showed she had more offensive skills to offer. She developed a mid-range shot and scored double digits in 10 games, including a season-high 19 points in the first playoff game. Kelsey Kelley (Stagg) brought some energy to the court and played various positions when needed, earning All-Conference honorable mention.
Among the freshmen, Janiyah Hilliard (South Shore) became a vital piece of the rotation during the playoffs with her solid defense and rebounding. Mary Chronopoulou (Reavis) also scored in key games and improved all year.
After a full season under their belt, the Cyclones are hoping to continue this momentum to build an even stronger team, recruit, develop skills in the offseason and increase wins in 2022-23.
2021-22 Women's Basketball season
