Girls Basketball: Madden, Barrington hang on to tip Schaumburg

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Barrington's Nicole Collins shoots over the defense of Wheaton St. Francis' Sophia Koslowski at the Suburban Holiday Showcase at Loyola Academy on Wednesday December 28, 2011. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 27, 2012 8:30AM

She’s really Katherine D. Madden, but everyone knows her as KD Madden.

And on that snowy night, Friday, the Barrington girls basketball player was tearing it up at home. Schaumburg was in town, and after one quarter, it was Saxons 8, Madden 8. At halftime, Madden had 12 of her team’s 24 points. Barrington (10-12) hung on for a 53-50 victory.

The second half wasn’t as successful for Madden, however, and she found a seat on the bench. There was no complaining about it from the senior.

“She’s all about the team,” said Barrington coach Babbi Barriero. “She’s such a team-oriented athlete.”

Well, it seems that she’s always been “about the team.” That comes with being born on the same day as two sisters and a brother. Yes, she’s a quadruplet. Those other Maddens sharing a birthday go by the names of Melissa, Christa and John.

“They have a long history of athletes in that family,” Barriero noted.

At 6-foot-1, KD Madden gives the softball team a tall infielder. That height helps the basketball team as well.

“She’s played travel basketball,” Barriero said. “She has very, very long arms. And she has a nice touch around the basket.”

A season ago, she watched a veteran Fillies team from the bench.

“She didn’t see much time last year,” Barriero said. “She was basically a JV player for us. But, again, she gave us no attitude. She was out there trying to push her teammates.”

Barriero knows she can’t rest Madden much this season. She realizes this is a player who does the little things for a team.

“It’s hard to put a finger on,” Barriero said. “She does things quietly. It’s her defense and rebounding. We can’t sit her very long.”

Despite the weather conditions on Friday, there actually were fans on hand to watch the action at Schaumburg.

“We are hearty here in the MSL,” Barriero joked.

And the crowd witnessed a back-and-forth game, with both teams taking leads.

“The game was very exciting,” Barriero said. “It was a game of runs.”

There was big help from the bench. Natasha Singh fired in a huge three-pointer. But, in the end, star point guard Nicole Collins took over. Madden’s 12 points dominated the first half, and Collins’ 18 second-half points stood out. She led all scorers with 24 points.

The Fillies played without the services of junior center Alexa Resch (ankle). Barrington hopes to have her back quickly.

The Sweet 16 Tournament continues at Lake Zurich on Saturday, with doubleheaders. Barrington plays Marist at 11:30 a.m. and Fenwick at 7:30 p.m.

It’s never too early to think about the postseason. Barrington will be part of the Palatine Sectional next month. Barriero figured her team would get a, “middle of the road” seed when votes are counted today (Thursday). Libertyville, Lake Zurich, Fremd and Warren are also in the sectional. Regional sites will be at Hersey, Warren, Lake Zurich and Libertyville.