Fast start, strong finish lifts St. Charles North over Schaumburg
Trying to rally late in the fourth quarter in a nonconference game at St. Charles North Tuesday night, Schaumburg needed a little help from the North Stars with missed free throws.
St. Charles North did just that, going 5 for 12 in the final 1:31.
Unfortunately for the Saxons, they had trouble keeping Anna Davern, Annie Tate and Caroline Jakaitis off the boards all night, and twice those missed free throws turned into offensive rebounds for the North Stars.
St. Charles North was able to take more time off the clock and make just enough at the line for a 53-48 victory.
Davern led both teams with 15 rebounds, Jakaitis grabbed 7 and Tate 6.
"I just knew we needed that rebound to seal that game and I wanted it and I think I wanted it more than the other players," said Tate, a physical player inside for the North Stars who credits her dad Matt and brothers Gabe and Michael for her aggressive play.
"My dad is so competitive," Annie Tate said. "I play against him and he gives me bloody noses. We go at it, so I get competitiveness from him. We play in the driveway, at the gym, we play every day with them."
It didn't seem early like the game would be on the line late. The North Stars (7-5) opened the game with a 12-2 run and led 16-6 after the first quarter.
Jakaitis hit two quick jumpers and Tate scored twice inside while getting fouled.
The first of those baskets for Tate came after Jakaitis dove for a loose ball on the defensive end, got a pass to Emma Helsel who assisted Tate.
"She's physical, she's a hard-nosed player, she is definitely a big part of what we want to do," North Stars coach Mike Tomczak said of Tate. "She brings that physicality down low that we haven't always had in the past.
"Jakaitis was amazing in the first quarter. Best quarter she's played as a varsity player. She was an animal on the boards, she was finishing, shooting with confidence. Without her performance in the first quarter I think we have a different result."
Schaumburg (1-13) rallied late in the second quarter and early in the third, using an 18-2 run that included the first 12 points of the second half to erase a 12-point deficit and take a brief 31-27 lead.
Ariana Doroskin drained a pair of 3-point baskets, Kendall Fredrickson scored on a transition layup off her own steal and Vicky Aguirre's layup on an assist from Emma Aguilar put Schaumburg ahead for the first time.
The North Stars responded with an 18-4 run from the end of the third quarter to the early fourth. Megan Gunnink swished three 3-pointers including one that put St. Charles North ahead to stay, and Tate scored the final 6 points of the surge - two of the baskets coming on offensive rebounds.
"Gunnink bailed us out in the third quarter," Tomczak said. "We got stagnant, we got flat. Megan responded. She was huge for us tonight."
Tate and Davern both scored 17 points.
Kayla Patterson led the Saxons with 12 points and 4 steals. Doroskin scored 11.
"We talked about it at halftime, we were getting the shots we wanted to get," Schaumburg coach Jacqie Storm said. "We just couldn't finish. We cleaned that up in the third quarter. They came out ready to play. We fell apart at the end but at least they fought back.
"We've had a tough season. If you watch any of our games, our record does not tell our story. We're getting there."