Panthers fall to W. Aurora
Playing basketball wasn't the only thing on Devin Vaughn's mind Wednesday.
Vaughn celebrated her 16th birthday in style, scoring 11 points to help lift West Aurora's girls basketball team to a 62-40 DuPage Valley Conference triumph over host Glenbard North in Carol Stream.
The Blackhawks (4-3, 1-0) fell behind by as many as 4 points early in the opening quarter and still trailed 10-9 before Vaughn canned a 3-pointer from the corner to put the visitors up 12-10.
Vaughn added a pair of baskets during a wild first quarter in which the teams combined for 39 points -- with the Blackhawks leading 22-17.
"I got my (driver's) license earlier in the day, so I was pumped up and ready to play," said Vaughn, who was serenaded by her teammates after the game.
West Aurora took control of the game by scoring the first 17 points of the second quarter, many of which were uncontested layups -- courtesy of its ball-hawking pressure defense.
"Forcing turnovers -- that's what we try to do," said Blackhawks coach Connie Siljendahl. "Our strength is our speed and quickness. We try to push the ball."
Misfiring on all 8 of its field-goal attempts and committing 11 second-quarter turnovers, the Panthers' only 3 points of the period were scored at the free-throw line by Brooke Stronsky with no time left on the clock.
"We knew they were pretty quick and we knew we'd have to handle the press," said Panthers coach Mark Glenn.
Things didn't get much better for the Panthers (1-6, 0-1) during a 9-point third quarter. Glenbard North trailed 51-29 after three quarters.
"I think right now, and I said it last week during the Glenbard East tournament," said Glenn, "you have to have confidence to play and we don't have that confidence right now.
"We came into the game averaging 21 turnovers, and I don't think it got any better tonight."
Glenn was right, as his team finished the game with 27 turnovers.
Playing the second of back-to-back weekday games, Kyra Watson paced the Blackhawks with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Kiara Towles chipped in with 16 points.
"Their legs were tired," Siljendahl said. "But I told them that they're going to have this during the holiday tournaments.
"The problem is we played four games in a row at the Thanksgiving tournament, then we had a little time off and we played these two games."
The only negative for the Blackhawks came when guard Tyronza McGowan suffered a sprained ankle in the opening minutes of the second quarter and did not return.
Amoni Reynolds led Glenbard North with 11 points.