Fast start keeps Hersey perfect in MSL East
Seniors from Hersey's girls basketball team showed their appreciation for a favorite teacher prior to Friday's game.
"It's hard to pick one," said Huskies senior guard Gina Miklasz. "We have so many great teachers here. Some come to a lot of the games and it's nice that others come out for this one."
The teachers on hand were able to give their student-athletes a hand right from the get-go of the Mid-Suburban League East game with visiting Buffalo Grove.
The Huskies (21-3, 8-0) raced out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back in a 54-36 triumph that kept them 1 game ahead of Rolling Meadows (18-6, 7-1) in the East with two to play.
Junior Erin McGrath (10 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) rebounded her own shot and converted it into a layup to start the 10-0 run, which also saw a fastbreak layup by Miklasz, 2 free throws and a basket from senior Claire Gritt and a 16-footer from senior Carly Cooper.
BG got on the board with 3:23 left in the period when senior guard Georgette Topalis hit a pair of free throws to make it 10-2.
"It doesn't help when you spot a good team like Hersey that 10-0 lead," said Bison coach Steve Kolodziej. "We fought back. We kind of hung in here. I'm proud of my girls. They played hard. I just wish we would play with more confidence."
Gritt led Hersey with a game-high 20 points while Miklasz, who earned the 'Huskies Award,' finished with 16 points and 5 assists.
"I didn't even notice we had that 10-0 lead," said the always-focused and hustling Miklasz, who will study engineering at Illinois. "We just did well as a team. We had our moments but we always bounce back and pick each other up."
The Bison offense picked up toward the end of the first quarter, and got to within 16-9 when Topalis hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left.
Senior Megan Gamber's 8-footer in the lane cut the deficit to 16-11 but Hersey built the lead back to 28-17 when Miklasz drove the right side for a layup with 17 seconds left in the half.
BG (12-13, 3-5) never got closer than 8 points in the second half.
"Credit Buffalo Grove," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley, who in her 19th season, won her 399th career game on Friday. "Every time I thought we might pull away we weren't able to. Buffalo Grove played tough, as Steve's teams always do."
Gritt was tough as usual, making 7 steals including one after her own miss. Her short jumper had been rebounded but Gritt took it away from the Bison and put up a reverse layup which made it 30-20.
"Everyone just combined to play as a whole team," said the Denver-bound Gritt. "Erin did a great job rebounding. Kelly (Weyhrich) did a great setting us up inside. Gina did a great job attacking offensively and defensively and Carly does a great job knocking down jumpers, which is always nice to have from her."
Weyhrich finished with 4 points and 4 assists while Maesyn Benjamin and Katie McGrath also had buckets for the Huskies. They host Wheeling on Tuesday and travel to Rolling Meadows on Friday.
"All that matters is that you get the wins and we take it one game at a time," Gritt added. "Conference games are always so tough so it was good that we came out and played well as a team tonight."
Gamber led BG with 12 points, including seven in the second quarter. Topalis, sophomore Sydney Fortman and freshman Kendra Lee each had 5 while sophomore Jackie Bickhaus and junior Alyssa Floros chipped in 4 points apiece.
"Hersey (ranked No. 9 in Class 4A) is a great team and we had a chance to make it close," Kolodziej said. "It was a great game for us to get ready for the state playoffs. We had nothing to lose. We played well defensively. We've just got to shore things up on the offensive end."