Neuqua struggles vs. St. Charles North

We'll start with the good news for Neuqua Valley in Friday's 49-33 girls basketball loss to visiting Upstate Eight Conference rival St. Charles North.

The Wildcats outscored the North Stars reserves 14-5 in the fourth quarter. Also, the Neuqua defense forced 24 St. Charles North turnovers.

However, the North Stars gave the Wildcats a beating holding them to single digits in the first three quarters and leading 44-19 going into that final period.

""We did exactly what we knew we had to do against a good team like Neuqua," said St. Charles North coach Katie Sauber. "We were patient on offense, aggressive on defense and we broke the press. Our goal in every game is also to hold the opposition under 40 points."

Six-foot-four junior center Kelsey Smith led the scoring with 15 points, and she also had 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, but her teammates were just as effective in the early going as St. Charles North (6-2, 2-1) pretty much put the game away in the first half with a 31-13 lead.

"Coach Sauber said this was the first time we've ever beaten Neuqua Valley," said senior guard Nika Sircher. "This was a huge win for us, and it felt great to be a part of it. We were really prepared. We have an opportunity to become something big and it showed."

Sophomore point guard Kiley Hackbarth, who scored 10 was the only other North Star to hit double digits in a balanced attack.

"Kelsey is a great player," Sircher said. "But if she's double- or triple-teamed, we can shoot and we can dish. We have a four-guard lineup and we can play the perimeter. Our transition game and breaking the press were the keys."

The North Stars were also 12 of 13 from the foul line.

Neuqua Valley (5-5, 0-2) struggled against a strong St. Charles North defense as coach Mike Williams shuffled all 14 of his players in and out throughout the game trying to find the right combinations.

"We're a young team and our schedule doesn't allow us to have any breakdowns," Williams said. "Right now we're having a lot of breakdowns. We just have to go through the growing pains and come out of this in time to get it going again."

He pointed to St. Charles North's experience as the big difference in the two teams in Friday's game.

"They're a mature team. The starters all have varsity experience," Williams said. "We're still putting groups together to see what we have to do from this point on."

Viv Kindt led the Wildcats scoring with 7 points. McKenzie Hughes pulled down 6 rebounds and Raquel Davis came up with 4 steals.

The game told Sauber what she already knew about her North Stars.

"They're a tough group," Sauber said. "They work well together and we have great team chemistry. Our goal is to win conference and go as far as we can."

-- Neil Shalin

Waubonsie Valley 61, Streamwood 23:ŒWaubonsie Valley stayed perfect while getting plenty of playing time for its bench in an easy Upstate Eight Conference road victory.

The Warriors (9-0, 2-0) broke on top 15-5 after one quarter, then ended any suspense by outscoring the Sabres (0-8, 0-2) 22-3 in the second quarter.

"They're a really good team and they're going to do that," Streamwood coach Geogre Rosner said. " I mean, they're the best team I've seen this year, really good. So if we're going to try to have a game with them, we have to play a lot better than we did."

Twelve Warriors cracked the scoring column, led by 10 points from Danielle Brown and 7 points apiece by Rachel Bostick and Catherine McClellan.

"I was pretty happy how we conducted ourselves today," Waubonsie Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. "It's always a very physical game when we come into Streamwood."

Schmidt and Krissy Kunavich each scored 7 points to lead Streamwood.

-- Jerry Fitzpatrick

Lake Park 63, Bartlett 40:ŒAfter one quarter was in the books, it looked like an upset might be in the works, but Lake Park quickly changed that as it defeated Bartlett 63-40 in Upstate Eight Conference girls basketball action.

Trailing 20-16 after the first eight minutes, the Lancers (8-1, 2-0) looked like they might have a difficult road ahead.

"The first quarter Bartlett came out to beat us," said Lancers coach Lisa Smith. "Denise (Sarna) coaches them really well, and we just couldn't answer them. We were just giving them easy layups and open looks."

However, by the end of the first half the Lancers held the Hawks (1-7, 0-2) to only 4 second-quarter points while entering the break with a commanding 40-24 lead.

"We exerted a lot of energy in the first quarter," Sarna said. "We have speed and we did a pretty good job of not turning the ball over, but Lake Park is a really good team and they started pressuring us really well."

For the Lancers it was 6-foot-4 forward Samantha Arnold who started an 11-0 run in the second quarter with two quick baskets to give Lake Park the lead for good as Arnold finished the game with 24 points leading the team.

"She scored 29 on us last year," Sarna said. "We know she's their big gun and our eyes were on her. But they have a lot of other girls who can score."

"Just as a team, we came out more prepared in the second quarter," Arnold said. "I think we just focused ourselves and did a good job defending them after the first quarter."

The Lancers had three other girls finish in double digits: Jenna Aloia, Devin Johnston and Lynsey Ciezki finished with 10 points each, Aloia and Ciezki draining a couple 3-pointers.

"I was really pleased with Lynsey Ciezki's performance. She did a really nice job for us tonight," Smith said. "But we have a well-rounded team. Anyone can score at any time."

-- Seth Hancock

Rosary 45, Driscoll 42:ŒFor three quarters neither Rosary nor Driscoll could buy a bucket with a gift certificate and their parents' credit cards.

Actually, Rosary's Jordan Rettig started her own shopping spree in the third period in Addison.

Rettig scored 10 points in the third quarter to spark Rosary to a 45-42 girls basketball victory in a battle of up and coming Suburban Catholic Conference teams.

"That was a big game," Rosary coach Dave Beebe said. "We knew they were going to be tough. They were an undefeated team. They're a strong team."

Starting the second half tied at 16, Driscoll (6-1, 0-1) got a 3-pointer from junior guard Gigi DiGrazia. But the Royals (8-3, 4-0) went on a 16-2 Rettig-led run to take an 11-point lead with eight minutes to play. Rettig finished with team-highs 13 points and 7 rebounds.

"We needed that because she struggled in the first half," Beebe said. "She was getting her shot blocked, she wasn't playing real strong offensively and defensively. We sat her almost the whole second quarter. The third quarter she came out and made a statement."

Rosary scored only 1 field goal in the fourth quarter, but 11 free throws were enough to hold back the suddenly hot Highlanders.

"Our kids really stepped up at the end," Beebe said.

Struggling to score up close, the Highlanders stepped back, DiGrazia leading with the way with 3 more 3-pointers and a 2-pointer. She finished with a game-high 14 points.

"DiGrazia hit some big baskets in the fourth quarter," Beebe said.

"We really wanted a spark," Driscoll coach Steve McCuiston said. "We wanted her to sit behind the screen-and-rolls and knock down some 3s, and she was able to do that. And really that's the kind of spark you need. In a low-scoring game two 3s can get you right back in it."

The fourth quarter was Driscoll's best, with the Highlanders hitting 8 of 16 shots, 4 of them from behind the arc. For the game they made just 15 of 51 shots after coming off a 10-day layoff. Rosary made 12 of 54.

"They took us out of what we typically like to do, they did a nice job," McCuiston said. "And we weren't getting the looks we've been getting in the first six games, and we took away a lot of things they like to do too."

-- Orrin Schwarz

Batavia 56, Glenbard South 51, OT:ŒWhen it came time to find a go-to player, Batavia went to its 6-foot senior -- and Tracy Ferguson did not let down her teammates.

But after Batavia's 56-51 overtime victory over intrepid Glenbard South, Ferguson turned the credit back on the rest of her white-clad squad members.

"I think it was more our team," Ferguson said. "We talked it out at halftime and I think that's what got me going during the last half of the game and the overtime."

While a force rebounding, Ferguson had a quiet game offensively through most of regulation play. As the overtime began in the Western Sun Conference game with the teams tied 45-45, she had 6 points and 10 rebounds.

But in the extra four minutes, Ferguson scored 5 points, added another 2 rebounds and was a definite key in the hosts' victory.

"Tracy Ferguson in overtime was huge," Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. "It's nice to see our inside game step up."

The win continues Batavia's undefeated start to the season. The Bulldogs are 7-0 and have won their first four WSC contests.

"I'm kind of happy and I know the team is happy," Ferguson said. "It's a good day for me, and it's a great day for the team."

The contest had a somewhat plodding pace through the first three quarters. The halftime score was 18-18 and Glenbard South (8-3, 2-2) led 31-29 entering the fourth quarter.

"We did a lot of little things right tonight," Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said. "We did a lot of little things wrong tonight. We'll get better. We'll use this to build on."

In fact, the contest didn't truly spring to life until 2:36 remained when Batavia's Natalie Tarter hit a rebound layup. Tarter led all scorers with 22 points.

From that point the game achieved a pace and a verve that had yet to be seen.

"We're an intense team and Batavia's an intense team and we both came out a little flat," Fonda said. "Once everyone kicked it into gear, it got to be an intense game."

Batavia edged ahead 45-43 with six seconds left on a pair of Tarter free throws. Glenbard South gained a chance to tie when Kim Schwerdtmann was fouled as time expired.

Schwerdtmann nailed both free throws to force overtime.

"The kid's got ice in her veins," Fonda said. "She is one of our best free-throw shooters. She just went up there and did what she had to do."

Simpson led Glenbard South with 16 points. Alicia Engelhardt added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

-- Darryl Mellema

Montini 68, St. Francis 36:ŒAlison Seberger scored 23 points, 12 of them from behind the 3-point arc, as the Broncos (5-4, 2-0) won in the Suburban Catholic Conference. Michala Johnson added 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Cootie Leeberg scored 15 points. Catherine Culligan led St. Francis with 15 points.

York 62, Downers Grove North 51:ŒCourtney Owens scored 17 points for the Dukes in a West Suburban Silver game. Missy Blazej led the Trojans with 19.