Basketball Hall of Fame

1980-81 Richwoods Girls Basketball Team

Coached by Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Famer Mary Kay Hungate and powered by 6-foot-3 center Kendra Gantt, the 1980-81 Richwoods Knights finished with a 30-2 record and earned second place in the IHSA Class AA state tournament. Gant, forward Allison Hart and guard Linda Martin earned first-team all-tournament honors.

The Knights lost only once during the regular season, to Peoria High, and avenged that loss with two subsequent wins over the Lions, including a 24-point romp in the sectional semifinals. Arriving at the Elite Eight, Richwoods ended defending champion East St. Louis Lincoln’s 60-game winning streak with a 50-43 victory. In the semifinals, the Knights used a tenacious full-court press to rally from a 10-point deficit, holding Chicago Marshall scoreless the final 6:20 to win, 44-38. The Knights fell to Elk Grove Village in the title game.