Freshman Mia Gage shows 'no fear' as Nazareth beats Downers Grove North in 4A sectional final

As Nazareth celebrated after knocking off Downers Grove North 53-26 on Thursday in Hinsdale to win the 4A sectional championship, its players wandered around the floor, taking turns getting pictures with the championship plaque.

For many of the players, this is old hat as Nazareth is a perennial power. But for freshman Mia Gage, this is her first go-around. When it was her time to clutch that coveted championship, Nazareth fans serenaded her by yelling “Truth!”

“It’s amazing,” Gage said of hearing the chants.

Gage scored 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting with five rebounds and three steals.

“She has no fear,” said senior forward Stella Sakalas, who totaled 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. “Which is exactly what this team needs.”

In the third quarter, Gage made two correct reads to pick off passes and take them the other way for easy baskets. Gage, at 6-0, is very athletic and disruptive in passing lanes. She is a rugged and willing rebounder.

Nazareth (32-3) exploded out of the gate, suffocating the Trojans’ offense and holding them to just four points from senior forward Adysen Fanta in the first quarter. The Roadrunners set the tone on the defense and never relented.

“They were locked in all week,” coach Ed Stritzel said. “They knew that Downers had some shooters, and I thought our defense was just spectacular.”

The Roadrunners held Downers Grove North (30-3) to just seven baskets for the game and scored 23 points off their turnovers. Nazareth also thrived in transition with 24 fast-break points. When Nazareth can score off miscues, its a tough team to beat.

“We talk really well on defense, and it helps so much,” Gage said.

It’s not always easy being a freshman trying to navigate varsity basketball, particularly against Nazareth’s challenging schedule, but Gage has shown she’s up for the task.

“I’ve learned to play my role well, and we’ve all just played as a team,” Gage said. “And as the games have gone on, we’ve just played so much better together, and I think that’s showing at the right time.”

Junior guard Sophia Towne scored 10 points, and senior guard Lyla Shelton added 11. Towne and Sakalas, a BYU commit, are two of the best players in their respective grades, but the Roadrunners are a well-rounded group with multiple threats on the court. Gage’s development throughout the season gives Nazareth another threat.

“[Gage] doesn’t play like a freshman,” Stritzel said. “She’s only going to get better and better. She’s a raw talent, and she wants to be great. She’s so long on that wing, and our guards put so much pressure on the ball, and then Mia and Stella played a passing lane . . . it’s a tough defense to play against.”

But as Nazareth celebrated on the court, most of the players knew that there was still work to be done. They still have to win the supersectional game against Waubonsie Valley on Monday to advance in the IHSA state tournament. The Roadrunners haven’t lost since Dec. 30 — to an out-of-state team — and their last loss to an in-state opponent was Dec. 13 against Benet.

“We’ve been preparing for a long time, and we’re just thinking about winning seven games one time [to win the state championship],” Sakalas said. ‘‘[This was] just a team win. We played unselfish basketball, and that’s just what we want.”