Lincoln's Kloe Froebe finishes second in Ms. Basketball voting
Lincoln girls basketball junior guard Kloe Froebe, who led the Railsplitters to a second-place trophy in last month's Class 3A state tournament, finished second in voting for Ms. Basketball of Illinois, the Chicago Tribune announced last week.
Froebe averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5.0 assists through 37 games for the Apollo Conference champions. Lincoln finished 36-1. In the Class 3A semifinal game, Froebe set an Illinois girls state basketball tournament record with 45 points to lead the Railers to a 76-56 win over Deerfield to reach the state championship game for the first time since 1978. It was Lincoln's first state tournament appearance since 1999 when the Railers were fourth.
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She was named The State Journal-Register's Large School Girls Player of the Year and the News-Gazette in Champaign named the Lincoln single-season scoring champion as its all-state girls player of the year as well.
“Kloe just had a phenomenal season,” Lincoln coach Taylor Rohrer said about Froebe in March. “Every night she stepped on the floor, she was just the best player she could be. For a 17-year-old kid to be able to step on the floor every single night and play the way she plays is really a tribute to the work she puts in and how much she loves this game and how much she wanted our team to succeed.”
Lisle Benet Academy’s Lenee Beaumont won the award, presented annually from the Tribune since 1986. Benet lost to O'Fallon in the Class 4A state tournament at CEFCU Arena in Normal.
Lincoln girls basketball chalks up litany of records in unforgettable run to second place
Froebe was asked about being in the discussion for the Ms. Basketball of Illinois award. Even being considered was humbling, she said.
“It is really cool,” she said. “I know there are some great players all throughout Illinois and to have people saying I’m even a candidate and the talk of even being compared to these other players is just really cool.”
Moline’s Brock Harding, who guided the Maroons to the Class 4A boys state championship in March, was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois. Joliet West guard Jeremy Fears was second after winning the Gatorade Illinois Basketball Player of the Year. The Tribune has awarded a Mr. Basketball winner annually since 1981.
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The Mr. and Ms. Basketball of Illinois awards are voted on by coaches and media, including The State Journal-Register, throughout the state.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Lincoln's Kloe Froebe places second in Illinois Ms. Basketball voting
