The Trinity High School varsity basketball team entered the holidays on a roll, having won four of its previous five games.
At the State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington-Normal, the Blazers bounced back from a close loss in the opening round to snag three consecutive victories and bring home the large-school consolation championship.
“This was probably one of the best winter breaks we’ve had in my time here,” said Trinity coach Kim Coleman. “We got an opportunity to play downstate against elite competition and experience good officiating. We also had the opportunity to bond with the team and parents.”
Trinity (12-5) fell to Taylorville in the State Farm opening round, Dec. 26, 50-43. Senior Sofia Flynn had 16 points, six rebounds and three steals, and junior Chloe Santos had 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Blazers in defeat.
But Trinity responded with three consecutive wins. On Dec. 27, junior Armante Dambrauskas scored 16 points and Santos 15 points in a 50-35 win over Normal West. Then on Dec. 28, the Blazers pulled off the challenging task of winning two games in the same day.
In the morning, Trinity defeated Kankakee 45-36. Junior Zaria Goins had 15 points. Flynn added 13 points and six rebounds, and Dambrauskas 10 points and eight rebounds. In the evening, the Blazers edged past Wheaton-Warrenville South 36-32 to win the consolation title. Freshman Keyera Gamble led with nine points, six rebounds and two blocks. Goins (eight rebounds) and Flynn each scored eight points and Dambrauskas seven.
“Bringing home the consolation trophy, it’s a blessing,” Coleman said.
Trinity returned to the Chicago area to compete in the Grow the Game Invitational. On Jan. 3 at New Trier, Dambrauskas and Goins had 13 points apiece and Flynn — named Player of the Game — added 11 points, four rebounds and two steals in a 45-30 victory over Palatine. The next day at Highland Park, the Blazers lost 52-41 to St. Charles East. Dambrauskas, who took home Player of the Game honors, had 11 points and two steals. Sophomore Destiny Sacluti added eight points and Flynn seven points and six rebounds.
“The two games we lost [during the holidays] were winnable,” Coleman said. “We’re feeling very optimistic entering the second half of the season.”
Although no Trinity players made the State Farm All-Tournament Team, Coleman isn’t focused on that. Instead, she’s looking at the bigger picture.
“We just want to work to get better, prepare our kids for the next level, and compete for a state championship,” Coleman said. “We know who we’ve got and our kids know who they are, so we try not to put too much into [all-tournament honors].”
Trinity returns to action, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m., versus neighboring Fenwick at Dominican University in a key Girls Catholic Athletic Conference matchup.
“It’s always fun to play teams who are so close,” Coleman said. “It’s always a good time, but [Fenwick] is a conference game that we take seriously. Every game is big for us.
“I’m looking for us to continue to climb the ladder … ultimately we want to be peaking at the right time,” she added. “We’re not there yet, but this team is really talented and intelligent; they’re able to put things together as a group to get wins. It’s a matter of us continuing to grow, not making the same mistakes, and playing for each other. We do that, we’ll get the results we want.”