For the past several months, Thursday nights typically have been all about volleyball for Homewood-Flossmoor’s Ihuoma Ozoh. The Clemson recruit, though, still wanted to play basketball. She worked with H-F coach Anthony Smith to attend club practice with 1st Alliance while missing Thursdays and an y other games for out-of-state tournaments. “I love both sports,” Ozoh said about juggling her winter commitments. “But I have to stay committed to the sport I’m going to college for. I’m glad my coaches have been so supportive. “Coach Smith and I have known each other for years. I love him with all of my heart that I can still play basketball.” This Thursday night, however, was all about basketball. Ozoh missed volleyball practice, scoring nine points and hauling down 16 rebounds to help lead fourth-seeded H-F to a 58-48 win over second-seeded Marist in the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional championship game in Chicago. Homewood Flossmoor’s Ihuoma Ozoh (25) shoots the ball over Marist’s Grace Harmon (11) during the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional championship game in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) Laila Williams paced H-F (24-9) with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Toniya Brady scored 13 points, while Ziko Okolo had nine points — all in the first half — and five rebounds. It’s the eighth sectional title for the Vikings and sixth since Smith took over in 2013. “No volleyball tonight,” Smith said, smiling. “We needed everything (Ozoh) could give us.” Olivia Cosme and Caroline Flynn each scored 17 points for Marist (26-9), with Flynn adding six rebounds and four steals. Lily Porter, who scored 30 points in Tuesday’s 68-61 semifinal win over Bloom, played less than six minutes Thursday because she was in constant foul trouble. Homewood Flossmoor’s Ihuoma Ozoh (25) goes up for a layup as Marist’s Lucy Cosme (15) defends during the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional championship game in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) The 6-foot-3 Ozoh, meanwhile, confirmed that she hasn’t been feeling right about her defense in recent games. But that all changed for the senior forward against the RedHawks. “This was like a reset for me,” Ozoh said. “I was really glad I could step up for my team. The last few games I was doing OK but there was something missing. I needed to get that back. “I was a lot better on my placement, and I was able to read the angles of the shots and getting there before it hits the rim.” And she likes mixing it up in traffic in the lane. Homewood Flossmoor’s Ihuoma Ozoh (25) shoots a free throw against Marist during the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional championship game in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) “I’m not scared of being hit or being pushed around,” she said. Brady also was happy to have Ozoh on the basketball court for H-F, which advanced to a 7 p.m. Monday game in the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional in Bloomington against Belleville East (26-5), which beat Peoria Richwoods 58-48 for the sectional title. “We need her out there,” Brady said of Ozoh. “She brings a lot for us on the offensive end.” Ozoh is confident H-F will be ready for the supersectional. The Vikings have come a long way from Dec. 18 when they lost 55-17 to the San Jose’s Archbishop Mitty during a showcase game in Phoenix. Homewood Flossmoor’s Ihuoma Ozoh (25) celebrates after the Vikings defeat Marist in the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional championship game in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) Archbishop Mitty was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time by The Sporting News. “We didn’t have the confidence that we needed,” Ozoh said. “We got scared of the big name. We could have challenged them a whole lot more than we did. “Since then, we spent more time together and working together. We lost, but at the same time, we saw the reasons we lost. The second we got back home, we started changing those things.” Ozoh missed her junior season in basketball with a knee injury. Smith is glad that she’s able to play her final high school season, even if it means sharing her with 1st Alliance. “She can be a special basketball player, too,” Smith said of Ozoh. “She wanted to play basketball with us and we worked with her all year long to be able to do that. “Much respect to her.” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. ...read more read less