Frazier closes in on Batavia scoring record
As she inches closer and closer to becoming Batavia's all-time leading scorer, there's really only one thing Hannah Frazier is focused on.
Her team.
The 6-foot-2 senior scored 19 points Saturday in the Bulldogs' 61-23 Upstate Eight River girls basketball win at Streamwood, leaving her 7 points away from tying Liza Fruendt's school record of 1,921 career points. Frazier will enter Tuesday's game at Larkin not only with 1,914 career points but also 987 career rebounds after her 10 on Saturday.
But what matters most to Frazier is her team continuing to play well as the postseason approaches.
"You don't want to think too much about it," said the St. Louis University recruit of the approaching milestone. "You just want to go out and play your hardest. It's about how good the team is. You just play your hardest and whatever happens happens. (The record) is not a focal point. We have other big goals and plans as a team that are more important."
Frazier does admit she'll feel a sense of relief when she does break the record.
"To get it behind you will be good," she said. "It'll be a nice thing to not worry about anymore."
Bulldogs' coach Kevin Jensen isn't putting any extra thought or actions into Frazier breaking the record, either.
"I don't know that she's all that worried about it and I'm not going to do anything different in the game," he said. "We haven't talked a lot about it. I put it out to anyone covering us so she can get the attention she deserves but she's humble and just wants to win and that's a positive thing for us."
Frazier scored 8 of her points in the first quarter Saturday as Batavia (20-5, 8-1) jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Streamwood scored midway through the quarter.
The Sabres (5-18, 3-7) showed some life in the final 4 minutes of the first quarter, cutting the deficit to 15-9 by the end of the period but Batavia went on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter. Baskets from Elena Cabrera (8 points, 5 steals), Bethany Orman (7 assists) and Emily Lasse and a 3-pointer from Jessica Koch (13 points) gave the Bulldogs a 24-9 lead with 4:26 left in the half. Streamwood got no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Streamwood played most of the game without its leading scorer, 6-2 junior Jenejah Williams, who suffered a minor concussion against Geneva on Jan. 22. Williams, who missed the Sabres' win over Larkin earlier this week, started Saturday's game but came out early in the first quarter and didn't return.
"She was cleared to play but she took a knock in warm-ups and another early in the game and just couldn't play," said Streamwood coach George Rosner.
"But I thought we did really well late in the first quarter staying in the game. We had some good opportunities but we didn't shoot well."
The Sabres were just 6 of 39 shooting for the game and had only 1 field goal in the second half, a fourth-quarter 3-pointer from sophomore Monica Brown. Batavia, meanwhile, was 23-for-56 and also won the rebounding battle 43-28. The Bulldogs also turned the ball over just 13 times while using a smothering defense to help Streamwood commit 23 miscues.
Sophomore guard Becky Roncone, who missed three days of practice with illness, led the Sabres with 7 points and senior Danielle Cavnar grabbed 7 rebounds.