In a hotly contested first ever meeting between the two programs for a 3A sectional championship, the Sterling Golden Warriors came out on top of the Dixon Duchesses at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford by a final score of 39-30! This is the first sectional title since 2007 and the victory made the 2025-25 Sterling girls team set a new record for most wins in a season with 30, surpassing the old record set way back in 1979. The Duchesses were playing in the sectional final for the second year in a row but narrowly missed advancing to the super sectional for consecutive years.
Defense was expected to be key in this game and neither team disappointed as it was a low-scoring affair, particularly in the first half. Sterling led 6-2 after the first quarter and 13-8 at halftime.
The teams upped the scoring a bit in the second half but both teams played tough, physical defense throughout. Dixon battled mightily and tied the game or cut it a one possession lead by Sterling three separate times in the second half. However, each time Sterling went on a run of their own and Dixon could never fully close the gap to take a lead in the second half.
It was too much of senior division 1 recruit Madison Austin for the Duchesses, who finished with a game high 20 points and 10 rebounds with 15 of those points coming in the second half. Austin's length also led to altering some of Dixon's shots close to the rim to go along with several blocks. Senior Hallie Williamson led the Duchesses with 13 points in her final game with Dixon before joining Lincoln University of Missouri in college. Austin is committed to Illinois State University.
