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Geneva throttles St. Charles North again

Second verse, same as the first.

Geneva's 55-43 victory over St. Charles North Tuesday night in Geneva wasn't that much different from the Vikings' 57-40 win seven days ago in St. Charles as the Vikings continue their grip on Upstate Eight Conference River supremacy.

"We obviously think we could have played better but you have to give it to Geneva," North Stars coach Sean Masoncup said. "Same story as last week though I thought we did a much job competing the entire time."

No. 5 Geneva (15-3, 6-0) put No. 14 St. Charles North (12-6, 4-3) away early, holding the North Stars to 5-of-22 shooting (22.7 percent) in the first half, forcing 13 turnovers and taking a 23-11 halftime lead.

The Vikings' 2-3 zone again frustrated the North Stars.

"We spent a ton of time on defense Monday at practice knowing which players shoot 3s, which players drive, what spots we need to be in and how we are going to play defense based on that," Geneva sophomore guard Margaret Whitley said.

The North Stars didn't get a shot off on their first 5 possessions. Masoncup took timeout down 6-0 after a baseline jumper from Taylor Williams and a pair of baskets by Maddy Yelle.

"First 5 possessions without a shot, that cannot happen," Masoncup said. "That absolutely cannot happen."

Kyla Helsel banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to keep the North Stars within 11-7 after a quarter. It was still a 15-11 game midway through the second after Morgan Rosencrants fed Lindsey Olsem inside.

Over the next 7 minutes spanning the second and third quarters, the North Stars scored 1 point on Rosencrants' free throw.

The Vikings scored 21 points in that same stretch, starting with a 3-pointer from Whitley. She had 10 points in the 21-1 run, Stephanie Hart scored 6, Grace Loberg 3 and Colleen Grady 2 while also drawing a charge as the Vikings turned their 4-point lead into a 36-12 blowout.

"It went from a 12-point lead to a 20-point lead like that," Masoncup said. "And that's what great teams do. They are a great basketball team, one of the top 10 teams in the state of Illinois."

Down 24, the North Stars finally got their offense going, generating some of it from a press that turned Geneva over 8 times in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Grace Quinn led with 10 points, and leading scorer Claire Jakaitis tallied 7 of her 9 in the second half.

"We knew the spots we wanted to make them work and our kids understood that and did a really nice job with pressure," Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said. "I feel like every game every week we are getting smarter and making better decisions. I think we are playing more together and making better decisions reading the defense and knowing where the ball should go next."

Whitley paced Geneva with 19 points. Yelle and Loberg both scored 9, and Loberg led both teams with 11 rebounds.

"I didn't shoot very well against them last Tuesday so I just tried to stay mentally strong to shoot as well as I could tonight," Whitley said. "Beating North was a big deal. Tonight we knew they were going to come out harder wanting to beat us. It was a good win."

Grace Loberg of Geneva, center, grabs a rebound from St. Charles North's Morgan Rosencrants, left, and Anna Davern, right, during a game at Geneva Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
St. Charles North's Camryn Pozna, left, and Taylor Williams of Geneva scramble for a loose ball during a game at Geneva Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
Margaret Whitley attempts a 3-pointer during a home game against St. Charles North Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
St. Charles North's Morgan Rosencrants, center, looks for an opening between a pair of Geneva defenders during a game Tuesday at Geneva. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
Geneva's Taylor Williams, left, grabs a rebound during a home game against St. Charles North Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
St. Charles North's Grace Quinn looks for a shot from under the basket during a game at Geneva Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
St. Charles North's Claire Jakaitis looks for a shot during a game at Geneva Tuesday. Sandy Bressner/Kane County Chronicle
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