BG’s big comeback falls short

Playing in the consolation championship of the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic, Buffalo Grove’s girls basketball team made a championship comeback.

After trailing 17-1, the Bison came all the way back to tie the game in the final minute before falling 39-38 to Mother McAuley.

BG senior guard Andrea DiPrima dramatically tied the game at 34-34 with 48.1 seconds left.

Mother McAuley’s Brennan Nolan and Molly Stasaitis hit 2 free throws apiece for a 38-34 lead with 16 seconds left.

BG came back again as senior guard Emily Cho wove through defenders for a layup with 10.6 seconds cutting the deficit to 38-36.

The Bison got the ball back on a quick turnover, missed a free throw with nine seconds and then Nolan hit 1 of 2 free throws for a 39-36 lead with 7.6 seconds left.

BG missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds before sophomore Bailey North hit a layup at the buzzer to make it 39-38.

North led the Bison with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

“She was relentless,” said BG coach Pat Dudle. “We need that attitude from all five of our players on the floor.”

Emily Georgoulis chipped in 8 points with 5 rebounds.

Bison senior guard KC Dunne, who had the game-winning bucket against Johnsburg on Tuesday, handed out 7 assists with her 5 points and 2 steals.

BG (4-10) finished 2-2 in the tourney, getting its first back-to-back wins this season.

“The one thing we learned here is that we need an all-out effort to win games,” said Bison coach Pat Dudle. “Today, we played three quarters and that is not enough. I’m proud of the kids coming back but you can’t win games the way we shot free throws (14 of 25) and our intensity on defense was not there all the way.”

Maine West 55, Regina 49: Junior guard Amanda Hoye scored a career-high 24 points with 5 assists and 4 rebounds in the 15th-place game of the Charger Classic.

Hoye had 17 points the night before in a 71-62 loss to Johnsburg.

“Amanda is coming on,” said Warriors coach Derril Kipp, whose team improved to 4-13 and meets Glenbrook North next Friday in Des Plaines when Central Suburban North action resumes.

Freshman forward Brittany Collins added 14 points and 9 rebounds for West while senior forward Katherine Kusner chipped in 7 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists.