Four years ago, Trinity High School basketball seniors Zaria Goins and Chloe Santos were part of a top-seeded Blazers squad that lost to visiting Fenwick in a sectional final. Following two more losses in the sectional round, the duo is finally heading to the state finals.
Goins and Santos each turned in big-time efforts against Glenbard South in the IHSA Class 3A Concordia University Supersectional in River Forest, Monday night, to lead Trinity to a 50-36 victory which punched a ticket to state. This marks the first time since 2016 – and the fourth time overall in program history – that the Blazers will be playing on the season’s final weekend.
“It feels amazing. We’ve been training for this since freshman year,” said Santos, who finished with a team-high 14 points and six rebounds. “We’ve been wanting this and we’re finally here.”
“It feels like a big accomplishment that’s well-deserved,” said Goins, who had eight points, six rebounds, and four assists. “I’ve been waiting to do this for all four years since that loss against Fenwick at Trinity my first year. Chloe and I talked before the game. We just knew this was something we’d been chasing for a long time. I told her to just be her, and I’m proud she did it with no hesitation.”
Goins set the tone early in the first quarter with a rainbow three from the right corner that gave Trinity (25-10) a 3-2 lead. The Blazers added four more points for a 7-0 run and stayed ahead throughout the remainder of the contest.
Trinity led 17-10 at halftime thanks to a suffocating defense that posed problems for Glenbard South (29-5). The Blazers’ athleticism and length severely disrupted the Raiders on offense as they made just 3-of-19 shots in the first half.
Trailing 30-23 going into the fourth quarter, Glenbard South made a push to cut Trinity’s lead to four points. But the Blazers had a strong response, going on another 7-0 run that gave them a 37-26 lead with 4:59 remaining. Afterward, the Raiders could come no closer than nine.
“We just played together and we had to keep our composure,” said Trinity freshman Jazmyn Ratliff (six points). “We needed to make good decisions and trust each other.”
Keyera Gamble had 10 points and 16 rebounds and Destiny Sacluti added eight points for Trinity.
Trinity coach Kim Coleman has been building the program back up to a championship level and was emotional after the game.
“I can’t even put it into words,” she said. “It’s been eight long years of pushing these kids, not just this group but the groups that came before them. There are so many people who put so much work into this program. They believed in the vision.”
Coleman said she wasn’t surprised with the terrific performances she received from Goins and Santos.
“I didn’t expect anything different. They knew what was at stake, they knew what it felt like their freshman year when we lost in a sectional final,” Coleman said. “They understood the assignment, they put us on their backs, and we followed their lead.”
Trinity may not have been in Monday’s supersectional if it weren’t for the effort of Ratliff. Against Fenwick in the Trinity Sectional title game, Feb. 26, her three-pointer with 6.2 seconds left gave the Blazers a thrilling 39-36 victory that resulted in an emotional court storm by Trinity students, parents, and fans. The shot was shown the following day on ABC 7, Fox 32, and WGN.
“I was ready for it. I was ready to shoot and I knew it was going in,” said Ratliff, who had a team-high 12 points against Fenwick.
Avani Williams had a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Friars (16-16), who had rallied from nine down early in the fourth quarter to take the lead with :59 remaining – only to see Gamble tie it off an offensive rebound, then Ratliff apply the dagger.
“Tough loss, tough pill to take,” said Fenwick coach Lenae Fergerson. “Our girls played so hard and fought back. It came down to securing a rebound and we came up short.”
Fenwick loses seven seniors to graduation, but sophomores Williams, Eleanor Gibson and Lucy McAllister give the Friars a solid nucleus the next two years.
“I’m excited about next year. We have a strong sophomore class with some of them playing heavy minutes,” Fergerson said.
Trinity will meet Chatham Glenwood in the 3A semifinal at CEFCU Arena in Normal, March 6, at 10 a.m. The game can be seen locally on The U, Channel 26.
“Let’s get down there and enjoy the moment. Let’s go win one,” Coleman said. “We’re blessed with so much gratitude for our school, our parents, our athletic director [Ken Trendel], and my family and friends. It takes a village; everyone has a hand in this.”