Willowbrook gets 'great win' in prime time

Willowbrook warmed up shootout fans with a stirring comeback Friday.

In the opening game of the 20th annual McDonald's Shootout in their home gym, the Warriors came back from down 9 to beat Regina Dominican 40-37.

"This is a great win for us," Willowbrook coach Terry Harrell said. "The girls played very well. I couldn't be more happy for them."

A Nicole Interrante stickback pushed the Warriors ahead 38-37 with 37 seconds left. Interrante then blocked a Regina shot at the other end and Willowbrook's Louisa Reese hit 2 free throws. Regina missed a tying 3-pointer in the final seconds.

"When we were down coach pulled us out for a timeout and said, 'Run the offense, pass the ball and we'll find the open spots,'" Interrante said. "We did it, and we found open spots.

"We haven't had a good record this year. This win means a lot."

That Willowbrook (5-13) scored its eventual game-winning basket off an offensive rebound was fitting. The Warriors pounded Regina on the boards to the tune of 36-17. Seventeen of Willowbrook's rebounds came on the offensive end.

"I thought the key to the game was the rebounding," Regina coach Jim Russo said. "They just dominated us on the boards. They did a really good job of boxing out and getting second- and third-chance opportunities."

Mary Flood had 10 boards to go with 11 points, one of several Warriors a step quicker than their opponents on loose balls.

"They showed a lot of hustle," Harrell said. "They pounded the backboard."

Willowbrook led 18-13 midway through the second quarter, but Regina (4-15) forged ahead 19-18 at the break. The Panthers pushed the lead to 31-22 with 2:20 left in the third quarter, and it was 31-26 heading into the fourth.

A Reese 3-pointer tied it at 31-31 with 4:16 left, and Ellen Wright came free on a backdoor layup on Willowbrook's next trip down to push the Warriors ahead 33-32.

Regina reclaimed the lead on a Francine Pasquale 3-pointer, but free throws proved the Panthers' undoing. Regina missed both ends of two 2-shot fouls in the fourth quarter and the front end of a 1-on-1 clinging to a 37-36 lead with 1:20 left.

Reese scored 9 points, Wright and Interrante 6 for Willowbrook. Anne Wallenberg led Regina with 15.

"This is the best we've run our offense all year," Harrell said. "We've run our offense in spurts but never for four quarters. Tonight we ran our offense very well."