Wrap: Aurora Christian takes it to Westminster again
The Aurora Christian boys basketball team has Westminster Christian's number.
Westminster has lost just 7 games dating back to last January with Aurora Christian now responsible for 3 of those losses.
The Eagles beat the Warriors 73-52 on Jan. 12 of last year and subsequently ended Westminster's 2006-07 season with a 62-48 win in a regional semifinal.
Coach Don Davidson's Eagles continued their mastery of the Warriors Tuesday night, dominating them from start to finish to earn a 53-29 Private School League victory in Elgin.
"This is big because we've been struggling lately," said Aurora Christian's Nate Hill, who led all scorers with 14 points. "It feels good to come out and get a blowout here. It's been a while since we beat somebody up."
The Eagles (9-7, 2-3) held Westminster senior forward Joel Benson to 8 points on 3-of-10 shooting, far below his season average of 20.1. Benson grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out with 4:16 left in the game.
"Defensively, I thought we really put the clamps on people," Davidson said. "We felt we could help on Benson. (Senior guard David) Campbell especially was critical as far as helping on Benson, doing a good job of doubling down. After he scored a couple of early baskets, we did a very good job of doubling him every time he caught the ball."
Said Campbell: "That came from good team defense. If I rotated to help, someone else had me. We just played really well as a team and took what coach said to heart."
With Benson's production effectively diminished, the Warriors were unable to find another consistent scoring threat. They trailed 19-10 after a quarter and trailed 31-22 at halftime. Things only spiraled downward for Westminster Christian (13-5, 4-2) following the intermission.
The Warriors were held to 7 points in the second half on 3-of-17 shooting (17.6 percent), and they turned the ball over 10 more times for a game total of 16.
"When a team doubles (Benson) our four-man has to step up," Westminster coach Bruce Firchau said. "And when he did step up, we didn't see him. We didn't get the ball to what 3-point shooters we have with any consistency that they could knock it down and keep them honest.
"They were well-prepared for us tonight. They really had us down pat. Tonight was a lesson in humility."
Joe Redmond sank three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 11 for the Eagles, who also received 9 points from senior T.J. McNelis and 7 from junior Jordan Roberts.
Cory Hodge scored 7 points for the Warriors while Tyler Beachler and Dan Graves finished with 6 points apiece.
Boys basketball
Maine East 78, Streamwood 44: Streamwood (3-15) fell to Maine East in non-conference play. The Sabres were led by Tem Esikiel with 15 points.
Richmond 45, Burlington Central 40: BC (12-5, 4-1) had a 14-game Big Northern East winning streak snapped with this loss on the road. Richmond (9-10, 4-1) tied for the BN-East lead with the win.
Girls basketball
Burlington Central 52, Richmond-Burton 21: Holding Richmond-Burton to just single digit scoring in each of the four quarters, Burlington Central (15-6, 5-1) dominated in this Big Northern East Conference win.
Melanie Laird led the Burlington offense with 14 points. Cory Bazany (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists), Jordan Maisto (11 points) and Brianna Conran (5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) contributed.
Cary-Grove 46, Woodstock 43: Jamie Kuhl led the way for her team and colledcted 20 points in the Cary-Grove (19-3, 4-0) victory over Woodstock in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division play. Danielle Smith added 10 points while Liz Bart had 7 for Cary-Grove.
Hampshire 52, Marengo 46: Behind a strong presence inside from freshman Alex Dumoulin (15 points) and sophomore Chrissy Heine (8 points), Hampshire (14-7, 6-1) nabbed this Big Northern East Conference win. Mallory Koster added 11 points for the Whip-Purs.
Crystal Lake South 57, McHenry 45: With help from Michelle Gaede, who scored 12 points, Crystal Lake South defeated McHenry in FVC Valley play. Katie Burton added 10 points while Jessica Taldone had 9 and Carly Juliano 8 for the Gators (15-6, 3-2).
Wheaton Academy 52, Streamwood 44: Despite taking the nonconference loss, Streamwood (3-18) was led offensively by Krissy Kunavich with 16 points. Melissa Oehlerking and Ryanne Mark each had 7 points apiece for the Sabres.
Huntley 50, Grayslake Central 38: Outscoring Grayslake Central 16-9 in the second quarter, Huntley (13-9, 3-2) never looked back en route to this 50-38 Fox Valley Conference Fox Division win. Daisy Jara (12 points) and Megan Martinez (10 points) led the Red Raider offense.
Conant 56, Larkin 34: Alyssa Burns had 10 points and Lindsey Casebeer 8 for Larkin (3-17) in this nonconference loss.
Hoffman Estates 51, Schaumburg 50: Quitting was not an option for Hoffman Estates girls basketball team on Tuesday. In a game that would come down to the wire the Hawks powered past Schaumburg for a 51-50 Mid-Suburban League home win.
"We've been close a couple of times against good teams like Schaumburg," said Hoffman coach Michael Nocella. "To get this win is a big feather in our cap."
The Hawks (17-6, 2-5) set the tone early not allowing the Saxons to take over in the paint. Tight defense and strong outside shooting allowed Hoffman to take a 18-16 lead after the first quarter. 5-foot-10 junior Megan Fischer had 11 of her game-high 21 points in the first for the Hawks.
"This was an excellent win for us because our two schools have such a big rivalry," said Fischer.
Schaumburg's defense would begin to find its groove though in the second quarter as they held Hoffman to 10 points and tied the game at 28 at halftime.
Despite giving up their lead at the break, the Hawks came out firing yet again in the second half. Stepping up big in the third quarter was senior guard Melissa Douglas with 7 points. Douglas would finish with 13 on the night.
"Going into this game coach told us we had nothing to lose and to just have fun," said Douglas. "I think that really helped how we approached Schaumburg."
The final four minutes of the game saw four lead changes. After Schaumburg tied the game Douglas hit her second three-pointer in a row with two minutes remaining to give Hoffman a 49-46 lead. The Saxons (20-3, 5-2) quickly stormed back as seniors Drewann Pancratz (17 points) sank a short-range jumper and Gabrielle Blackwell (13 points) scored in the key. With just over a minute to play the Saxons held a 50-49 lead.
After a Schaumburg timeout the Hawks held the ball until Fischer powered her way in for a layup with 20 seconds remaining giving Hoffman the lead. With one final possession the Saxons were unable to convert on two chances as the Hawks defense stood tall.
"These kids finally played to what I think our potential is," said Nocella.
If there was any doubt that the win isn't leaving Hoffman in a good mood, Fischer summed it up best.
"I probably won't get to bed until 4 a.m. because I'll still be smiling," she said.
-- Todd Mrowice