Trinity, Fenwick celebrate Sweet 16

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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:35AM

For Jade Owens, the final day of the Sweet 16 tournament feels like playing AAU ball.

The reality for AAU players is being able to compete in more than one game in a single day. In the Sweet 16 finale, each team plays twice. The action goes on all day at Lake Zurich, which is able to handle all the games due to the school’s two full-court facilities with its main gymnasium and fieldhouse.

The Sweet 16 was created more than a decade ago by Maine West coach Derril Kipp, who devised the format when the IHSA formerly had basketball teams play twice in the finale of the state tournament. Though the IHSA has changed its format, the Sweet 16’s remains.

Before or after Saturday’s doubleheaders, Sweet 16 teams play random games against other Sweet 16 teams during the season.

“Last year was weird,” said Owens, who played in her first Sweet 16 in 2011. “I’m used to playing AAU or summer league games two games in a row. (At Sweet 16), you would play a game and then had a long rest period between games.”

Last year, the Friars had enough time to go to teammate Maggie Reilly’s house in Western Springs between games to work on decorations for Fenwick’s upcoming Senior Night celebration.

Owens said she doesn’t know what this year’s plan is for Saturday. The Friars play the host Bears at 2:30 p.m. and then Barrington at 7:30 p.m. Owens said she would prefer to go home to River Forest to take a nap between games.

Saturday’s doubleheaders will end a run of six games in seven days for Fenwick, which will play nine games in the last two week of January.

“We’re ready,” said Owens, a sophomore guard. “We’ve been playing in streaks often. At Saturday’s game, we’ll pick up what we need to do.”

For the mathematically challenged, this year’s Sweet 16 tournament actually features 14 teams. The field features six ranked teams: No. 3 Trinity (19-1), No. 4 Marist (21-1), No. 8 Maine South (20-3), No. 11 Lincoln-Way East (16-2), No. 13 Fenwick (16-5) and No. 17 Marian Catholic (15-8).

Trinity, which plays Maine South at 1 p.m. and New Trier at 7:30 p.m., will make its first appearance in the Sweet 16 finale. Blazers coach Ed Stritzel dropped out of a Thanksgiving tournament to be able to play in the Sweet 16. Unlike many other teams, Trinity’s conference, the GCAC Red, plays a season-ending tournament, which counts toward the allotted three tournaments his basketball team is allowed to play in.

Without a Thanksgiving tournament, the Blazers took 14 days off between its season opener against Oak Park-River Forest and their second game against Morgan Park.

By playing in the Sweet 16, Trinity gets to play a team it normally doesn’t see such as Marian Catholic, its opponent Tuesday night at home.

The GCAC Red tournament for Trinity starts Jan. 30 in River Forest.