Arlington Heights, IL - Usually, when a team ends their season with a win, hardware follows.

That theory rang true last week at South Middle School as the Girls Basketball team grabbed third place in the state tournament, a feat no other SMS girl's team has done.

"Individually, they put in the work," Coach Scott McTague said. "They trained very hard and committed themselves to being a team. I do not think they would be where they are without their teammates."

His squad agreed.

"Playing as a team was the key," one player said. "We played unselfish and always made the extra pass."

And these Cardinals couldn't stop talking about their teammates.

"It really helped that we were really close friends and that helped us bond [on the court]," another agreed.