ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Lady Hub varsity basketball team ran into a buzz saw when the top-seeded Sycamore Spartans came to town for the IHSA 3A Rochelle Regional Semifinals on Monday.

Despite a strong effort against Plano in the quarterfinal round, Rochelle was outmatched by the Spartans, who exploded for a 21-2 run to open the semifinal matchup and showed why they’re the fourth-ranked team in the state with a 66-31 victory over the Lady Hubs. Senior Lucy Bunger scored eight points to lead Rochelle (15-17, 7-7 Interstate 8) in the loss, while senior Josie Lundquist added seven points on offense.

“Our seniors worked really hard over the last four years and it really paid off for them,” head coach Ryan McQuade said. “The way our girls were able to buy in this season, especially considering they’d have a new coach with a new program… It’s not ideal for the seniors, but it shows the kind of character they have and I’m so excited and proud that I had the opportunity to coach them. I’m looking forward to their futures.”

Sycamore flustered the Lady Hubs with its full-court pressure on defense, deflecting several inbounds passes and forcing multiple traps that led directly to turnovers and easy layups for the Spartans. Sycamore’s Faith Feuerbach shined in the half-court setting, drilling six 3-pointers in the game and using her perimeter shooting to attack off the dribble. Feuerbach led all scorers with 29 points in the semifinal game.

“There’s a lot of talent on that club,” McQuade said. “If I were a betting man, I’d put money on them winning the state title this year. They’re incredibly well coached and I’ve seen them three times this season. They’re a tough team to beat… What I’ve told our girls is this is where we want to be in the future. We want to be the team like Sycamore that’s competing for regional and sectional titles every year. The only way we can do that is through hard work during the offseason. That’s where championship teams are made.”

The Spartans also looked for 6-foot-4 forward Evyn Carrier, who responded with nine of her 10 points in the first half to increase the Sycamore lead. Despite the tough start, Rochelle kept pace with the Spartans over the second and third quarters, trailing 44-20 at halftime and 59-29 after three quarters. Sophomore Alivia Henkel totaled six points, while seniors Zoey Tabor and Adriannah Davis-Carter each finished with four.