Metea Valley getting on a roll

When Metea Valley visited Neuqua Valley on Dec. 1, starting senior Skye Lane was out because of strep throat and a fever.

"I was sick that whole week," Lane recalled. "I woke up and I was like, 'I could do it, but I wouldn't have been as effective.' I knew (I couldn't)."

In front of an enthusiastic home crowd and the school band, Lane and the Mustangs had no trouble finding energy Saturday night.

They led by double digits starting late in the first quarter en route to a 77-57 DuPage Valley Conference girls basketball victory.

Metea (9-10, 5-4) lost the first meeting to Neuqua 68-56 to fall to 1-6. The Mustangs now have won three straight and five of their last six.

"It's huge. We've been working all week to play Neuqua," Lane said. "I was excited to play them since it was my first time this year and we played really well so I'm really happy."

Tess Thompson came off the Metea Valley bench to score 22 points, a varsity high by 8 points. Sophomore Ashley Konkle had 16 points, Lane and Jamairrah Woods 11 each and Brianna Hall 9. Konkle also had 13 rebounds, adding to her handful of double-doubles this season.

The Mustangs used solid passing and their inside size advantage to lead 18-4 after the first quarter and opened their biggest lead at 34-11 with 2:21 left until halftime.

The Mustangs made 9 of their first 11 shots and were 17 of 23 with a 38-22 halftime advantage.

"I'll tell you, that's probably the best basketball game we've played all year," Metea coach Cedric Williams said. "We played hard. Our biggest thing was the opportunity to get the ball down and our bigs (inside players) finished. Our guards were able to handle the basketball and make the right decisions."

The Wildcats (6-12, 2-6) couldn't buy a bucket early, making just 1 of their first 16 shots.

Led by junior guard Megan Callahan, just back from mononucleosis, they rallied and actually closed to 55-43 with 7:26 left. After missing a 3 to close to single digits, Woods answered with a downtown 3-pointer.

Callahan had 20 points and junior Rachael Tait had 15, both with three 3s, and they combined for 25 of the team's 35 second-half points. The Wildcats were minus emotional leader Megan Keefer because of a family commitment and fellow starter Taylor Crowley, who injured her finger at Naperville North on Wednesday.

"We came out pretty flat today. We just seemed lost out there without any vocal leadership (like Keefer)," Neuqua assistant coach Dave Brouwer said.

"It took a pretty stern halftime talking to get them going. We were really proud of the way we played the second half. We kept telling them that it's going to be hard to come back and win, but we need to set the tone for the rest of the season."

Metea recorded 20 assists, including 14 of its first 21 baskets. After not taking a shot in the first quarter, Thompson was a big beneficiary as well as adding three baskets on putbacks.

"(My teammates) were really making it work," Thompson said. "We started off the season with some poor passing. We've been working on it. Finally it showed today."

Thompson had 8 points in the second and third quarters. She had two three-point plays toward the end of the third quarter to keep the Mustangs ahead 55-39, the second off a pass by Janiece Thomas.

"I just kept building on (my points), got some and-ones (three-point plays). And then I looked at the scoreboard. I was like, 'Wow,' " Thompson said.

"(Passing is) what we focused on all last week," Williams said. "(Thompson) put herself in the right position at the right time, especially when the ball comes off the rim. That's a quiet 22 points, and she's a quiet person, too."