Trevians’ season, Rodgers’ career end with a heartbreaker

The hall-of-fame coaching career of Teri Rodgers came to an end on Thursday, Feb. 20, when New Trier lost to Glenbrook South 56-50 in overtime in an IHSA regional championship game at Niles West.

A three-point shot from the left corner by Glenbrook South’s Gina Davorija at the buzzer sent the game into overtime with the scored tied at 46.

After falling seven points behind early in the fourth quarter the Trevians rallied to take a 45-42 lead with 2:14 to play on a three-point shot by Victoria Wainscott.

Gina Davorija’s free throw reduced the GB deficit to 45-43 but a free throw by Carolina Rossman put the Trevians in front 46-43 with 38 seconds remaining in regulation.

“We left it all out there,” said the crestfallen Rodgers, who won more than 600 games in her career after becoming the Trevians’ head coach in 1998.

The Duke graduate began her career by spending three years as the freshman coach at Niles North and then came to New Trier where she spent three seasons as the late hall-of-fame coach John Schneiter’s assistant before succeeding him.

“I’m really, really proud of this group,” Rodgers went on. “They battled. They fought hard.”

What will Rodgers remember most about her distinguished coaching career?

“The kids,” she answered. “They’ve been awesome.”

GBS coach Scott Nemecek called the game “a typical New Trier-GBS regional final; we’ve had three in a row against each other and they’ve all been nip-and-tuck. Sometimes you just have your best player make a great play and Gina did that (to send it into overtime).”

After experiencing the thrill of victory Gina Davorija couldn’t help but remember the agony of defeat a year earlier.

“Last year when we lost to New Trier in the regional I had the last shot from the right corner and I missed it,” said the DePaul bound senior. “This time I made it.”

In overtime, she scored seven of the Titans’ 10 points, finding the basket on a drive-in shot, a three-pointer and two free throws in finishing with a game-high 23 points. Gina’s freshman sister, Niki, also made an impact, scoring 12 points.

The Trevians were led by senior Anna Rivera’s 19 points.

“Anna is a fabulous player,” Rodgers said.

The coach also praised the performance of sophomore Dami Balogun, who came off the bench early in the first quarter after Gina Davorija scored the first four points on turnover-preceded layups.

Balogun proceeded to score two baskets — one coming on a steal — as the Trevians counterattacked to go on top 5-4.

“She plays with so much energy,” Rodgers said. “She changes games. She’s going to have a good career.”

“It has been a lot of fun playing for coach Rodgers for my first varsity season.” Balogun said. “It was a great feeling to be able to play at this high level.”

Rivera said Rodgers’ coaching was a significant factor in her successful high school career: “She helped me gain confidence and develop skills that would have been hard to develop on my own.”

New Trier finished Rodgers’ final season with a 16-15 record, while Central Suburban League champion GBS advanced to next week’s Sectional matchup with Glenbrook North with a 24-10 composite.

Not only is Rodgers ending her coaching career she also is retiring as a social studies teacher at New Trier to “become a full-time mom” for her daughter, Norah, a sophomore at Libertyville High School.

Like her mother, who played basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer at Libertyville, Norah is a basketball player who also has a multi-sport resume that includes soccer, softball and swimming.

Although Rodgers didn’t get much playing time on the Duke basketball team she said she “learned how to coach” through her interaction with the Blue Devils’ iconic men’s coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

“Getting to see how he ran his practices, getting to see how he interacted with his kids is what led me to my success,” she reflected.

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