Daily Herald
Posted January 07, 2026 7:54 am
By Craig Brueske
The list of holiday tournament championship winners included several area powers — Benet Academy, Naperville Central, Waubonsie Valley, Glenbard West, and St. Edward.
At Lisle, St. Edward repeated as holiday tournament champions in resounding fashion, opening with decisive victories over Walther Christian (78-19) and Lemont (50-29).
In the semifinals, the Green Wave defeated Resurrection, 65-50, behind a 33-point performance from all-state junior guard Savannah Lynch. Senior Jordin Sauls chipped in with 12 points.
St. Edward returned home with the title trophy following a 54-35 triumph over Evergreen Park on Dec. 30.
Senior forward Sanaii McPherson, a transfer from Larkin, surpassed a high school milestone with her 1,000th career point on the way to being named to the all-tournament team.
“Sanaii is an extremely valuable player,” said St. Edward coach Michelle Dawson, who guided the Green Wave to a fourth-place Class 1A state finish last season. “She has a calming presence on the court that keeps her teammates locked in. Along with Jordin Sauls and Ginger Younger, she brings communication and senior leadership to our team.”
Lynch earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors for the Green Wave, who received contributions from senior guard Younger, junior guard Sarah Gurley, junior forward Taylor Dawson, and Sauls.
Dawson beefed up her team’s schedule, which included early season matchups against state-ranked Class 4A St. Charles North and perennial small school powers Stillman Valley and Rockford Lutheran.
While the Green Wave lost all 3 games — two by 3 points each, they quickly rebounded with their title-winning effort at Lisle.
“Playing a tough schedule is crucial to us improving and performing at a high level,” said the coach. “We are learning hot to battle through adversity, play to our strengths, make in-game adjustments, and pick up our defensive intensity.”
St. Edward (10-6), which stretched its winning streak to 6 with Saturday’s 70-26 victory over Woodstock, should return to full strength later this month.
“We expect to have Layne (Dawson) back in the next 1-2 weeks,” said the coach. “Sarah Gurley and Taylor Dawson have done a tremendous job stepping up in her absence. They have been key contributors both on offense and defense.”