Large turnout provides outstanding atmosphere for girls basketball
A busy parking lot. An almost-packed gym. The band.
No, I wasn't at a boys basketball game Friday night -- I was at Batavia to see the Bulldogs and rival Geneva battle it out for the top spot in the Western Sun Conference.
Both teams entered the contest undefeated, which made the rivalry that much more exciting and unpredictable.
Although the game was close with both sides taking turns with the lead, it was the Bulldogs who walked away with the 59-50 win in the playoff-like atmosphere and improved to 8-0.
"It was great to see such a great crowd, " Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "That's wonderful for girls basketball, no matter the outcome. Obviously, records aside, the rivalry always creates great games between us."
It definitely was one of the better girls basketball games this season. It started on time and ended right before 8:30 p.m., which may have given both sides just enough time to jet across town to Geneva to see the end of the boys game (another close one with the Vikings winning it, 73-70).
Prior to the fourth quarter, neither team led by more than 7 points. Momentum shifted. Each team went on a run here and there. It was the furthest thing from a blowout. It was what everyone came to see.
"That's my favorite type of game," Batavia guard Sara Fruendt said. "I'd much rather play in a close game than a blowout game because I'm really competitive."
Not to say the Vikings (9-1) were the favorite, but they are the two-time defending conference champs who haven't lost a conference game since the 2004-05 season.
The Vikings always had the Bulldogs' number -- until Friday.
"Obviously, we know Geneva is a great team, but we knew if we played to the best of our potential, we could handle it," Fruendt said.
"It was so exciting," Batavia's Melissa Norville added. "We knew that if we played really well as a team, we'd have a chance to beat them, and that's what happened."
Both teams don't have too much time to think about the game. Both have to turn around today and play in Oswego's Holiday Classic.
Geneva has Minooka at 1:30 p.m. followed by Batavia's 3 p.m. outing against Rosary.
"We don't have time to hang our heads," Nolan said. "We have a busy week ahead of us. We have to put this behind us quickly and come back."
The Vikings and Bulldogs are far from done with each other this year. They play again next Friday at 7:45 p.m.
What will happen? I'm guessing Geneva will come back really fired up, determined not to let its rivals get them again.
On Batavia's side, the Bulldogs will want to prove their win was no fluke.
"I told the girls, if you are going to split with these guys, I want this one tonight (because) it's a home conference game," Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. "Obviously, we are not going into next Friday to lose, I'm just saying, if I wanted to get Geneva one time in the next week, it was tonight. Tournaments are nice to win, but conference is better, and right now, we are sitting in the first place seat. We are going to try to protect that to the best of our ability."
Should be a good game, once again.
cbolin@dailyherald.com