Tough opener for Huntley

With all-team leading scorer Ali Andrews along with reliable starters Kayla Barreto and Paige Renkosik graduated, veteran Huntley girls basketball coach Steve Raethz will certainly have to have patience finding the right combinations during the early portions of the 2016-2017 season.

That patience was tested Wednesday night as Rockford Boylan cruised past the inexperienced Red Raiders 54-19 in opening round action of the Dundee-Crown Girls Basketball Thanksgiving Tournament at Huntley.

"Boylan has an excellent team with an excellent program," said Raethz. "They came out with great intensity and energy and we just didn't match it. The things we could control like ballhandling and defending, we didn't do very well in those areas. With the great players we lost to graduation we need to reestablish roles and cohesiveness on this team."

The Red Raiders (0-1) started fast as Brown University recruit Morgan Clausen nailed a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner to give the hosts an early 3-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter.

Those would be the only points Huntley would score for the next 6 minutes, 8 seconds as Boylan (1-0) ripped off 17 straight points.

The main contributor for the Titans during the pivotal surge was freshman center Peyton Kennedy, who was 4-for-4 from the field and scored 9 points. Ashley Reyes scored 4 points and the Titans led 17-3 with 1:22 left in the initial quarter.

Huntley, which committed 28 turnovers and shot 20 percent (6-for-30) for the game, scored the final 3 points of the quarter on free throws by Clausen to make the score 17-6 after 8 minutes of play.

Boylan made sure there wouldn't be a comeback by the Red Raiders as it started the second quarter on a 13-4 run to lead 30-10 with 4:08 remaining before intermission.

McKenzie Brown and Emily Horgan each scored 5 points including a 3-pointer each during the second quarter run.

Boylan, which led 40-13 at halftime, enjoyed its biggest cushion of the game at 54-18 after a putback by Bridget Bishop with 1:18 left in the game.

"I like the way we started the game with a lot of energy," said Boylan coach Paul Perrone. "Our press was effective and we were able to get some turnovers and easy baskets. For a first game, I liked the way we competed and played."

Brown and Kennedy (12 rebounds) paced the Titans with 11 points each. Reyes scored 9 and Horgan tallied 8 with a pair of treys.

Clausen was the lone Red Raider in double digits with 11 points.