Just like that, Allen lifts LZ
Lake Zurich's girls basketball team needed a bucket.
Fast.
Fortunately for the Bears, they have a player who's an expert on "fast."
Up 16 points against visiting Stevenson early in the third quarter of the teams' second-round Suburban Holiday Showcase game, Lake Zurich found itself trailing midway through the fourth.
But Coryn Schmit scored on a putback to put the home team back in front, and then Olivia Allen took over.
The junior scored six straight points and Lake Zurich never looked back in capturing a 47-41 win Thursday night.
Allen finished with a career-high 18 points. While she played varsity as a sophomore last winter, she's known more for her speed on the track, as she's qualified for state the last two springs.
"Different games we've had different people step up," Bears coach Chris Bennett said. "We've had five kids who've scored in double figures throughout the year and I think on any given night any of them can."
Lydia Bauer (12 points) was the only player to score in double digits for Lake Zurich (12-2), which won its eighth straight game. Gabby Chapa added 9 points and 6 rebounds.
Bauer's 10 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers, help the Bears build a 33-19 advantage by halftime. Allen scored the first basket of the third quarter to make it a 16-point game, but back came Stevenson.
Anna Morrissey (team-high 11 points) and Claire Moller each scored 5 points in the third, and Lake Zurich turned the ball over eight times, as the Patriots cut their deficit to 37-36 entering the fourth.
Courtney Graber's baseline bucket extended Stevenson's run to 19-2, but that's where the Patriots ran out of steam.
Coach Trish Betthauser took no solace in her team's gutsy comeback.
It was the fifth loss in a row for Stevenson (4-11) and ninth in 10 games.
"I'm pleased with the play of Anna Morrissey, and I thought Courtney Graber (6 points) did a nice job coming in and hitting some shots," Betthauser said. "Those two, in my mind, rose to the challenge. But the inconsistency is tough to swallow. The only way this is going to change is if we do more -- if we work harder, if we do the extra stuff."
Schmit's basket gave Lake Zurich the lead for good at 39-38 with 4:34 left. Allen then sank 2 free throws, finished off a perfect bounce pass from Peggie Parhas and scored posting up after taking a feed from Audrey Bauer.
"We had to drive to get points so that's what I was doing," Allen said. "We just had to drive, penetrate and just take good shots."
While Lake Zurich and Stevenson will play each other twice after the new year in North Suburban Conference Lake Division play, Bennett said his team didn't treat Thursday's tournament game any differently.
"We talked about that before the game and I said, 'Do we want to try to not show them anything?' " he said. "We do what we do. We run motion offense, we play man-to-man (defense) halfcourt. We're in the same gym (as Stevenson) on Saturday (at Montini). We're in the same gym next Thursday (at Lake Park). We're in the same gym next Friday (at Loyola).
"They're going to see everything we got anyway, so you might as well just play the game."
Wheeling 54, Grayslake Central 25: Post up another win for Wheeling's girls basketball team.
Without its star post.
Illinois-bound center Lana Rukavina took Thursday's game off because of some soreness in her leg, according to Wildcats coach Shelly Wiegel.
But seniors Natasha Robinson (6-foot) and Lindsey Mills (6-2) helped picked up the slack in the middle along with junior Ashley Wilson, who scored 13 points and collected a game-high 8 steals as the Wildcats began the Warren tournament with a 54-25 triumph over Grayslake Central.
"It's a good start to the tournament," Wiegel said. "We'd certainly like to have Lana ready for (today vs. Hersey). We'll see how it goes."
Things went well for Wheeling (12-2) Thursday after a 2-2 tie.
The state-ranked Wildcats connected for three straight 3-pointers to pull away for an 11-2 lead and never looked back.
Grayslake has also lost to state ranked Buffalo Grove and Chicago-area ranked Maine South.
"Buffalo Grove is big but plays more of an outside game than Wheeling," said Grayslake coach Roger Lass. "But Wheeling is big, and they play more inside."
Except when they're hitting those 3s.
"I thought we were doing OK in our zone but then they hit those three 3s in four possessions. And all of sudden it's 11-2.
"Then they hit some layups and had some good fastbreaks. But we were playing good defense."
Sophomore Janelle Cannon (11 points, game-high 9 assists) started the 3-point barrage by hitting a pair, then Wilson popped in the third one.
Robinson, playing a post, also fired home a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Wildcats an 18-4 lead.
"I'll play anywhere," Robinson said.
"Natasha is real versatile." Wiegel said. "She started as our second post (with Wilson). She can play a 2, 3, 4 or 5 and we don't lose much."
Robinson finished with 6 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Teammate Jessie Smith contributed 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
Bianca Szafarowicz added 7 points while Tiffany Meier, Bridgette Gray, Stephanie Kuzmanic and Cheri Nolla also scored.
"Everyone got in and they all worked hard on offense and defense," said Wiegel, who played 15 girls. "We saw a lot of different people on the floor so that was good.
"Janelle did a good job distributing the ball. When she attacks, she likes to make a good pass."
Cannon says she is better known for her court vision.
"I'm not really a shooter," she said. "I'm used to passing because that's what I do for Full Package (her off-season) club)."
One of Cannon's assists went to Mills, who scored a fastbreak layup for a 13-4 lead in the opening quarter.
"We wanted to try and make up for not having Lana in the post," Mills said.
Junior Katelyn Putkonen led Grayslake Central with 8 points.
"I thought Laura Stark and Brianne Anderson played real hard," Lass added. "In the second half, they played real tough defense. They fought for balls and took the ball to the basket."
-- John Leusch