Monroe shoots West Chicago past West Aurora
West Chicago junior guard Claire Monroe shot the lights out again Thursday at West Aurora, only this time she was able to enjoy it.
Monroe had drained all of her four 3-pointers in the Wildcats' previous game, an effort that came in vain when West Chicago lost the Oswego East tournament championship game to Andrew.
Monroe one-upped herself against the Blackhawks, canning her first five 3-pointers to rally West Chicago from an early 7-point deficit on their way to a 51-39 victory.
Monroe proved human when she finally missed a 3. She finished 5 of 7 from beyond the arc and scored 17 of her game-high 18 points in the first half.
“It's good to see,” West Chicago coach Kim Wallner said. “She's added some things to her game. I just think she's getting a little more confident on the floor.”
Monroe showed that confidence on her final 3, stealing the ball on one end and pulling up from a couple feet behind the 3-point line in transition.
“I was on kind of a streak, and when you are hot you should take your shots because they are bound to go in,” Monroe said.
West Chicago (13-3, 4-0) stayed perfect in the DuPage Valley Conference while snapping West Aurora's three-game winning streak.
The Wildcats, who avenged a loss to West Aurora last year in their first game of the new year, haven't won the DVC since 2001.
“We really think we are capable of winning conference if we keep playing hard,” Monroe said. “We really want it this year. We have a good team, and I think we are a good group of girls that play together.”
It was West Aurora (3-11, 0-4) playing together early, racing to a 17-15 lead when Alexis Nelson nailed a long 3-pointer to end the first quarter seconds after Monroe's 3-pointer had given West Chicago its first lead at 15-14.
The Wildcats only allowed 22 points over the final three quarters. They took the lead for good midway through the second quarter on Mary Connolly's layup.
“We didn't come out ready to defend,” Wallner said. “I thought we engaged much more inside, we didn't allow quite as much penetration. I thought we cleaned up our defense as the game went on.”
After Monroe carried the offense in building a 30-24 halftime lead, her teammates got going in the second half. Connolly finished with 10 points, Allie Tapanes 8 and Kelsey Myers 7.
Wallner complimented the bench even while the team played short-handed without top reserve Jordan Nickelson (ill).
“It seems like whenever someone keys on one person someone else steps up,” Monroe said. “Everyone can score.”
West Chicago led 38-29 after three quarters and was up by double figures almost the entire fourth quarter. The Blackhawks, after sinking 8 of 17 shots in the first quarter, made just 8 of 34 the rest of the night. They also went 5 of 12 at the free-throw line.
“We played really strong and followed the game plan and all of a sudden it kind of went haywire,” West Aurora coach Connie Siljendahl said. “We couldn't stop (Monroe), she's such a great player. Just got herself open so quick.”
Many of those misses came from point-blank range. The young Blackhawks start a pair of freshmen and only had one senior score.
“That's the easiest shot in the world,” Siljendahl said of the missed lay-ins. “You hear footsteps and panic. That comes from inexperience. Three, four freshmen on the floor, they hear steps.”
Freshman Liz Skaggs led West Aurora with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Nelson added 11 points, and Royalle Brown had 9 points and 7 rebounds.
West Chicago finishes the first half of DVC play against Wheaton Warrenville South on Saturday and the two Napervilles next week.
“We're excited, but we're not going to look too far ahead,” Wallner said. “We're not going to think that way. It's a marathon. You have to keep building confidence and working.”