Neuqua Valley draws closer in DVC with win vs. WW South
After a rough week Neuqua Valley and its DuPage Valley Conference title hopes really needed its senior guards to step up big on Saturday.
Myia Starks and Kai Moon delivered, combining for 12 steals and just enough timely scoring as the Wildcats held off first-place Wheaton Warrenville South 31-25 to move within a half game of the league's top spot.
Neuqua Valley, now 15-6 overall and 9-3 in the DVC, stepped on the floor after back-to-back conference losses this week struck a major blow to their title hopes. But Starks and company got back into the race after the senior led her team with 13 points and after her sixth steal, with 22 seconds left and her team ahead 28-25, sealed the big win.
"After those two losses we came together and we were talking in the locker room," said Starks, who had the only two 3-pointers in the game. "We talked about what we need to do. We needed to come together and play for each other. Because for the seniors like myself, it's our last ride. We decided we have to play for each other and I think that's what we kind of did this game."
Starks hit her two 3s early on as the Wildcats went ahead 6-0, but both teams played superb defense from there and the hosts led 14-11 at halftime after a low-scoring first half. Wheaton Warrenville South (15-6, 9-2) saw its DVC lead trimmed to half a game over Neuqua Valley and one game over Naperville Central, which knocked off Waubonsie Valley on Saturday. But it was great defense that kept the Tigers in the contest throughout.
"We had some chances," Tigers coach Rob Kroehnke said. "They're a talented team. They're quick and they play good 'D.' Twenty-four turnovers isn't going to get it done, but we had 24 turnovers and we're still in the game. The only reason we were in the game is because we played defense."
Even while the turnovers made things tough on the Tigers, sophomore Jayla Johnson led the game with 16 points, with all five of her field goals coming in the second half. It was a fastbreak bucket by Johnson that tied the score at 20-20 with 3:23 left in the third quarter, before a steal and conversion by Moon put the Wildcats right back on top.
The game was a one- or two-possession affair the rest of the way, but clutch steals and free-throw shooting enabled Neuqua to pull out the win. The home team made 9 of 10 foul shots, while the visiting Tigers were 9 of 20.
"Both teams played great defense, and both teams missed a lot of shots," said Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams. "We got lucky enough to come out on the right end and we needed it. (Moon and Starks) made the plays when they needed to. They got some steals and they hit some free throws."