Hosting a shootout doesn’t set Sandburg apart from all the other schools doing the same thing at this time of year.
Using the event to raise thousands of dollars for a worthy cause is what separates the Eagles from the rest.
Sandburg hosted the 12-team, six-game Shot Clock Shootout on Dec. 21 to support the Hardy Strong Foundation.
“It’s a great event,” Sandburg boys coach John Daniels said. “We are raising money for a good cause, so whatever happens is positive.”
Hardy Strong’s mission is to increase awareness and support of Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer, to provide resources that improve access to genetic testing for cancer risk and to honor the legacy of Justin Hardy through scholarships to exemplary scholar athletes.
Hardy played basketball at St. Charles East and was coached by Pat Woods, who’s now the athletic director at Bolingbrook. Both schools were among the teams that participated in the shootout.
This year’s event raised over $8,000 through offline and online support for the Hardy Strong Foundation.
One notable addition to this year’s shootout was Sandburg’s girls basketball program.
“We were interested in doing it this year,” Eagles junior Ellie Driscoll said. “Last year, we worked and helped out. But it was fun to join in and do our part and cheer on the boys as well as they cheered on us. It was really cool.”
Driscoll scored a game-high 18 points, including three 3-pointers, to go along with two assists and four rebounds in Sandburg’s 41-34 win over Hinsdale Central.
It was the second win in 24 hours for the Eagles (5-5) after a three-game losing streak.
“We have been battling all year,” coach Nick Fotopoulos said. “We are to the point where we want to stack some wins. Right now, we are playing with really good pace and energy.”
Monique Nkwogu helped bring the energy for the Eagles. She had nine points and 15 rebounds to go with four steals and three blocks in the win. The senior forward helped push the lead to 33-26 in the fourth quarter with a three-point play and Sandburg never looked back.
Nkwogu is a senior, but it is her first year on the Eagles varsity team. She previously only played basketball for her AAU team, Illinois Game Time.
“It’s new and something I had to get used to,” Nkwogu said. “But it’s like piecing together where I fit into the puzzle. I am a good rebounder, so that is the piece of the puzzle where I fit in.”
She’s not the only one who feels she has been the missing piece to this team.
“She gets so many rebounds for us,” Driscoll said. “She’s such a game-changer for us there. We are honestly so glad to have her this year.”
Daniels was happy to have the girls join in this year and continue to embrace the event. He hopes to make it a larger District 230 community event in the future.
“We wanted our girls program involved,” he said. “We got Stagg and us; hopefully we can add Andrew and make this a great local event for a good cause.”
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