Gofron makes Antioch’s day
Minutes after a smiling Antioch girls basketball coach Tim Borries declared that “it looks like Lindsey’s back,” Lindsey Gofron fought back pain that was trying to ruin her joy.
The senior guard emerged from a gym, where she and her teammates had gathered following their thrilling 36-35 win over visiting Lakes on Saturday night, with enough ice wrapped around her left ankle to fill a Gatorade jug.
She limped and cringed.
“Dead,” she said, describing how her Achilles felt.
The four-year varsity starter is eight months removed from surgery that repaired a torn Achilles tendon, which kept her from playing a single minute of AAU basketball or high school summer ball. She returned to the court about a month earlier than Borries expected. She hasn’t missed a contest this season.
“Intense games” intensify the pain, she said, as does playing games on back-to-back days. Antioch (4-7, 3-1) had beaten Grant on Friday night.
“My speed is nowhere near back,” Gofron said. “It’ll be back in April — 100 percent, the doctor said. It’s getting there. I’ve been doing physical therapy.”
Physical therapy can’t simulate what Gofron did in the final seconds of Saturday night’s North Suburban Prairie Division game between District 117 rivals.
After sophomore Samantha Ney of Lakes (3-6, 3-1) sank a free throw to put the Eagles up 35-33 with 10.2 seconds left, Gofron dribbled upcourt, backed down her defender and twisted up a shot in the lane that swished in, while she was being fouled with 2.4 seconds on the clock.
After a timeout, Gofron sank the free throw, with a spirited crowd becoming even larger and louder as fans started entering the gym in anticipation of the boys game that was following.
“I went to the free-throw line,” Gofron said, “and thought, ‘OK, we’ve made these shots every single day at practice.’ We put ourselves in these situations in practice. I knew I could do it. I imagined the ball going in.”
“That was awesome,” Antioch sophomore Paige Gallimore, who had a big game herself, said of Gofron’s heroics. “I was so excited for her.”
Gofron finished with a season-high 18 points (9 in the fourth), 6 rebounds and 2 steals. An early-third quarter offensive rebound was particularly impressive. She missed a left-wing 3-pointer and hustled down the rebound — on the right side of the court.#147;She hustled,#148; Borries said, #147;100 percent.#148;The same was true of the varsity rookie Gallimore. She and Gofron scored all 16 of Antioch#146;s fourth-quarter points, helping the Sequoits rally from a 24-20 deficit after three.Gallimore scored 7 of her season-high 14 points in the fourth. She finished with 5 rebounds and 4 steals, as well.#147;She#146;s a gritty little player,#148; Borries said. #147;She#146;ll put her nose in anything. She#146;s one of those players that will run through a brick wall if you ask her.#148;In a game where points were hard to come by, Gallimore played fearlessly in the fourth, twice dribbling into the lane to sink shots.#147;Playing up (on varsity) is really a great honor, especially with Lindsey,#148; Gallimore said. #147;It was really tough today. I was nervous the whole time, but you have to fight through everything and just give it your best, no matter how tired you are.#148;Lakes was determined to stop sweet-shooting Megan Borries from scoring, and Nicole Mogged succeeded. Borries attempted only 3 shots and didn#146;t score.#147;I challenged them at halftime,#148; Tim Borries said of his Sequoits, who trailed 17-12 at the break. #147;(Lakes) took Megan out. They had (Mogged) front her the whole game. More or less, it was four on four, half court.#147;Lindsey and Paige, they stepped up. They played really aggressive.#148;Terese McMahon led Lakes with 9 points and 5 rebounds, while Ashlee Cunningham had 8 points, including a 3-pointer, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Amanda Smith, whose spinning layup put the Eagles up 34-33 with 34 seconds left, had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.The foul line killed Lakes. The Eagles went 9 of 19 from the stripe, including 5 of 14 in the fourth quarter.#147;My kids worked hard but we did not play very smart,#148; Lakes coach Pete Schneider said. #147;Offensively, we stood around and thought we had to make opportunities by dribbling instead of moving the ball.#148;When it was over, with ice cooling her achy Achilles, Gofron could reflect and appreciate what she did and how far she#146;s come.#147;From not being able to play all summer to this,#148; she said, smiling, #147;it#146;s pretty exciting.#148;