Batavia pulls away from Streamwood
By John Lemon
jlemon@dailyherald.com
Batavia headed to halftime Thursday night at Streamwood in a tie game, confident things would improve in the second half.
That they did. Five different players scored in a 13-0 run to end the third quarter.
Batavia shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half on its way to a 54-41 victory.
"At halftime we didn't feel that bad," Batavia coach Kevin Jensen said. "We just hadn't got a good flow going."
Batavia (6-3, 3-0 in the Upstate Eight Conference River) won its fourth straight game and sixth in the last seven.
Ava Sergio and Erin Golden both scored 14 points.
"We really tried to focus on getting the ball in the post because we had the height advantage and I could kick it out to our shooters," Sergio said. "We have a smaller team but we're all skilled players and we work together great."
With starting point guard Alison Newberry sidelined with a knee injury and Golden and Geddy Rerko in foul trouble in the first half, the Bulldogs struggled. They turned the ball over 7 times in the first quarter, which ended tied at 10.
Streamwood (1-9, 1-2) led 18-16 late in the second quarter until Paris Chaney sank a baseline jumper just before the buzzer.
The Sabres took their final lead at 26-25 midway through the third quarter on Mandy Mien's 3-point shot. Sergio, who hit 6 of her 8 free throws, converted a pair to put Batavia up 27-26 - the start of a 17-1 run to end the quarter with the Bulldogs up 42-27.
That stretch featured a Katherine Polick layup, Rerko's 3, Golden's basket inside, a Rerko putback, Chaney's bucket and a jumper from freshman Morgan Haug. Streamwood, after just 5 turnovers in the first half, had 8 in the third quarter.
"I thought we should have had a lead at the half," Streamwood coach George Rosner said. "I was a little worried with that.
"They picked up their defense, we didn't handle it well. They were making shots and we were turning it over."
The Sabres scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to pull within 42-34 on Andrea Bracy's 2 free throws. Bracy scored again moments later to make it 44-36 but Streamwood didn't get any closer.
Rerko added 10 points for Batavia, who won the rebound battle 32-24 led by Golden's 10 boards.
"It was a tough matchup for us inside because we don't have much size," Rosner said.
Bracy scored 15 points for the Sabres and Mien had 14. Maddi Exline, a 4-year starter, played in her first game of the year in her return from a hip injury and scored 2 points off the bench.