Prospect 68, Hersey 51
Welcome back to the win column.
After opening the season with seven consecutive victories, Prospect rebounded from back-to-back losses to Wheeling and Maine South in the past week to win its first game in 10 days. The Knights (8-2, 1-1) scored 16 of the final 18 points on Friday night at Jean Walker Field House to defeat Hersey 68-51 in the Mid-Suburban East.
"It was very important to get a conference game," said Prospect senior Megan Murray, after leading the Knights with 17 points.
And it was a complete team effort as 9 of 10 Knights who saw action scored.
"We have so many people we can go to on the bench," said Prospect junior Katy Schaffer. "Usually teams worry about going to the bench, but we just keep playing like we always do."
The way they always play -- with high effort and effectiveness on the glass -- didn't show itself in the first quarter. With Hersey senior Emma Kuhns grabbing 7 of her 9 rebounds, the Huskies outrebounded Prospect 12-3 in the first eight minutes to take an 18-15 lead.
"In the first quarter, (rebounding) was killing us," said Prospect coach Martha Kelly. "They were getting the boards, we weren't. Katy Schaffer and Marietta Smith stepped up big."
Even with Murray, last year's only returning starter, watching from the bench for most of the second quarter with 3 fouls, the Knights went on a pivotal 14-2 run. Sophomore Lexi Glennon (13 points) opened the streak with 2 free throws and freshman Sarah Winans finished it off with a 3-pointer from the left corner.
Rachel Hunt scored 14, Danielle Brucci had 8 and Alyssa Glennon scored 4 for Prospect.
The Huskies (3-6, 1-1), winners of three in a row heading into Friday's contest, lost the ball 20 times on Friday -- 8 as they were outscored 20-12 in the second quarter.
"We were always close enough; then it was just turnovers," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley. "We're better ball-handlers than we showed tonight."
Despite Hersey shooting a frigid 26 percent (17-of-63) from the field, 5-foot-9 senior guard Sarah Stoltzner was on fire, scoring a game-high 27 points, including 15 of the Huskies' 21 second-half points. Junior Kelly Rogowski (12 points) scored the other 6.
"She's a great player," Kelly said of Stoltzner. "Some of her baskets just looked like she threw it up and it went in."
With Hersey missing its first 6 shots of the second half and trailing 38-30, Stoltzner single-handedly pulled the Huskies even with a 3-pointer, 3-point play and a layup. Not one for moral victories, she was visibly upset that her team could never grab the lead or get any closer in the fourth quarter than the 52-49 deficit it faced after she sank a pair of free throws.
"It's just disappointing to lose because we're much better than we showed," she said.