Hersey Girls Basketball Wins Fourth Straight Regional Title

Kate Donovan leads Huskies to victory over Buffalo Grove

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Hersey High School girls basketball team won their fourth consecutive regional championship, defeating Buffalo Grove 64-37. Kate Donovan, a senior leader for the Huskies, scored a game-high 16 points and dished out close to double-digit assists. Hersey will advance to the sectional semifinals next week.

Why it matters

Hersey's girls basketball program has established itself as a consistent powerhouse, winning four straight regional titles. This continued success highlights the strength of the program and the development of talented players like Kate Donovan, who have helped maintain the Huskies' dominance in the postseason.

The details

Hersey jumped out to an early 11-4 lead and never looked back, extending their advantage to 24-15 by halftime. Buffalo Grove made a run to get within 27-21 in the third quarter, but the Huskies pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Bison 37-16 over the final two periods. Donovan was the catalyst for Hersey, scoring 16 points and facilitating the offense with her playmaking ability.

  • Hersey won its 23rd regional crown and fourth straight on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • The Huskies will face the winner of the Fremd regional final against Barrington in the sectional semifinals next Tuesday.

The players

Kate Donovan

A senior leader for the Hersey Huskies, Donovan scored a game-high 16 points and had close to double-digit assists in the regional final victory.

Courtney Ludois

The head coach of the Hersey Huskies, Ludois is in her third year leading the program after serving as an assistant under the late Dave Yates.

Olivia Hill

A 6-foot-2 sophomore for Buffalo Grove, Hill scored 8 points in the regional final loss.

Hannah Weber

A 6-foot-2 senior for Buffalo Grove, Weber scored 11 points and received a standing ovation from the crowd in her final high school game.

Martha Kelly

The head coach of the Buffalo Grove Bison, Kelly praised her young team's growth and experience gained this season.

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What they’re saying

“I learned from the best, Dave Yates. And he taught me that you never take regionals for granted. You don't win them every year. We appreciate them and look forward to another week.”

— Courtney Ludois, Head Coach, Hersey Huskies (dailyherald.com)

“So I knew this could happen. Hersey is a really good program so we expect to go far every season in the tournament. It's always been a good program.”

— Kate Donovan (dailyherald.com)

“We made a couple of big runs twice but each time they'd go on big runs. We just couldn't get caught up.”

— Martha Kelly, Head Coach, Buffalo Grove Bison (dailyherald.com)

“One thing we always say is that Hannah is a player who left the program better than she found it when she got here. As a sophomore, her team won five games, as a junior 12 and now 22.”

— Martha Kelly, Head Coach, Buffalo Grove Bison (dailyherald.com)

What’s next

Hersey will face the winner of the Fremd regional final against Barrington in the sectional semifinals next Tuesday.

The takeaway

Hersey's girls basketball program has established itself as a consistent powerhouse in the region, winning four straight regional titles. The Huskies' continued success is a testament to the development of talented players like Kate Donovan and the strong coaching leadership of Courtney Ludois.