NORMAL, Ill. — For the first time in program history, the Mater Dei Knights are champions in girls basketball.
Mater Dei topped Byron 62-46 to claim the Illinois 2A state crown in Normal, Illinois, on Saturday.
The Knights' star sophomore center had a performance for the ages in the state championship.
Alyssa Koerkenmeier registered a triple-double, with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks to lead Mater Dei to the title.
It was a 27-2 season for the Knights on their way to the title, which comes in the program's first-ever trip to state.
Mater Dei wasn't the only impressive performance on the Illinois girls' hoops scene at state. O'Fallon won the title at 4A, and Okawville won at 1A. There are only four levels of girls' basketball in Illinois, so the Metro East claimed three of four possible state championships.