By Noah Poser

In basketball, the biggest games often come down to which team’s stars shine the brightest, and Tuesday’s matchup between Kenwood and St. Ignatius proved to be no exception.

The game of the night in Illinois high school girls basketball featured a pair of Top 10 teams looking for a statement win to add to their resume.

And after 90 minutes of play, it was ultimately the dominance of the Broncos’ dynamic backcourt duo of senior Ariella Henigan and junior Danielle Brooks that allowed Kenwood (16-1) to secure a victory in their home gym, defeating St. Ignatius 71-50.

“It’s a high-quality win,” Broncos coach Andre Lewis said. “That’s a very good team and they’re very disciplined. I’ve watched them several times this year. Coach (Cara) Doyle is a friend of mine and we’ve always had battles, but to beat a team that’s high quality with quality wins on their ledger shows we’re moving in the right direction. 

“At different points in the year, you want to make a statement, and to beat that team says a lot about who we are and shows that we can show up in big games.”

Henigan led the charge for the Broncos, scoring 11 of her 24 points in the first quarter to give her team the early lead. Despite her best efforts, St. Ignatius (13-3) hung around and the game remained close through the first half. 

Then, a passionate halftime message shared by fellow senior captain Icesis Thomas reignited the Broncos fire.

“Icesis during the halftime break gave a very valuable speech,” Henigan said. “She said we need to pick it up and that we need to have a dog in us. She reminded us that they (St. Ignatius) aren’t better than us and that only we can beat ourselves.”

The response? A 10-0 Kenwood run to start the second half to take a 39-20 lead.

The Wolfpack were able to get back within 10 late in the third quarter, but Henigan and Brooks quickly shut the door on the comeback attempt. Henigan, a Howard commit, would finish the game with 24 points and six rebounds, while Brooks finished with 22 points and five assists. 

For the Wolfpack, senior forward Reganne Reardon led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

The victory over a big-time opponent was cause for celebration for the Broncos, but it wasn’t the only reason for festivities on what was an extra special night for the team’s two stars. 

After the game, both Brooks and Henigan were celebrated for reaching milestone marks, with Brooks being honored with a golden basketball as an acknowledgement of her surpassing the 1,000 career-point barrier, while Henigan was celebrated for surpassing 1,500 career points.

Meanwhile, their coach was left to reflect on Henigan’s career as the end of her senior season draws ever closer.

“The best thing about the player she is now is that I’ve watched her grow over three and a half years,” Lewis said. “She’s gone from somebody who I asked to do only the minimal stuff to now being a leader of this team. Just to have watched her develop as a basketball player is incredible. She loves the game, she’s a gym rat and she’s always in the gym trying to get better.

“But the most important thing is that she really cares about her teammates. She leads them and when she demands certain things from them, they know it’s coming from a genuine place.”

Meanwhile, while her coach was looking back, Henigan’s eyes were focused on what’s ahead for a Broncos team that just won its 12th game in a row.

“This win means that we are here and we are here to stay,” Henigan said. “We’re looking to win it all this year, city and state.”

Photos by Ashley Harris/OSA