Batavia shoots past St. Charles North in 2nd half
St. Charles North dared Batavia to beat it from the outside in an Upstate Eight Conference River Division matchup Saturday night in Batavia, and for a half it worked.
In the second half Jess Koch and Hailey Orman made the North Stars pay.
Koch and Orman combined for six 3-point baskets in the second half, and Batavia went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter as it turned a 16-15 halftime deficit into a 53-38 victory.
No. 6 Batavia (17-5, 6-1) stayed a game behind Geneva in the River race with a meeting remaining with the Vikings on Feb. 5.
"I go out there to shoot and I just keep doing what I have to do," said Koch, who also drew 3 charges. "The first half and second half felt like two different games. I think we wore them down in the second half. I felt more confident, I was more open. I always have to remind myself that even if I'm a little off I can come back like that."
No. 14 St. Charles North (12-7, 4-4) started its big lineup with Anna Davern joining Morgan Rosencrants and Claire Jakaitis. The North Stars packed their 2-3 zone around Hannah Frazier.
The St. Louis-bound Frazier only made 2 field goals but still contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds with 11-of-12 free-throw shooting.
"I'll do that every time," North Stars coach Sean Masoncup said. "I never let Hannah Frazier (beat me), she is too dang talented."
Neither team got anything going in the first half, combining to sink just 8 of their 44 field goal attempts (18.2 percent).
That changed quickly in the third quarter for Batavia. Koch drained back-to-back 3s for a 21-16 lead, then Elena Cabrera and Frazier sank 4 straight free throws.
The North Stars fought back within 30-27 after three quarters as Rosencrants scored the final 4 points both times on assists from Jakaitis.
Cabrera began the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, and after Bethany Orman drove for a basket while getting fouled, Koch made consecutive 3s to open a 41-31 lead. Then it was Hailey Orman's turn to heat up, and her two straight triples made it a 47-34 game.
"They have done one of the better jobs in two games of guarding Hannah but it has been two losses for them and two wins for us and we've had great perimeter play in both games," Batavia coach Kevin Jensen said.
Koch scored 14 points and Cabrera had 10 to join Frazier in double figures while Bethany Orman added 4 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Rosencrants grabbed 13 rebounds for the North Stars who outrebounded Batavia 39-29 but turned the ball over 18 times.
"We have to figure out something offensively," Masoncup said. "I'm stunned when somebody plays us man and we only score 38 but you have to give it to Batavia.
"It was a tight game back and forth. We just have to take care of the ball a couple possessions and it's a different ballgame. We have to finish a game."