Lake Zurich 68, Grant 53
How good were things for the Lake Zurich girls basketball team in the second half of Friday's 68-53 home victory over Grant?
Even when the Bears made a mistake, everything worked out.
Take the end of the third quarter, for instance.
Lake Zurich inbounded the ball from halfcourt with 1.4 seconds left. The play was designed to go to the left wing, but instead sophomore Gabby Chapa ended up with it at halfcourt.
Her overhand line-drive heave went straight into the basket to give Lake Zurich a 47-37 lead. This was just one of ten 3-pointers for the Bears.
"I put some Frisbee spin on it," Chapa said with a smile. "Everyone went crazy."
Added senior Peggie Parhas: "I saw it from the bench and I just had a feeling. It was a perfect buzzer-beater."
Lake Zurich coach Chris Bennett will have to watch the videotape. He did not see the shot live.
"We ran the wrong play so I was too busy getting mad," he said.
Lake Zurich (16-8) scored its most points of the season despite playing without junior Lydia Bauer. Earlier in the week, Bennett said Bauer had season-ending surgery on her right shoulder.
Grant (22-3) also was not at full strength. The Bulldogs played without starters Jamie Swanson (flu) and Heather Ruetsche (shoulder).
In the first half, Lake Zurich turned the ball over 12 times. The Bears were a different team in the second half, scoring 23 and 21 points in the third and fourth quarter, respectively.
Parhas (19 points) hit all five of her 3-pointers in the second half. Chapa's four 3-pointers accounted for 12 of her 13 points.
Sophomore Aubrey Bauer scored a team-high 20 points and was Lake Zurich's main threat in the paint.
"She did a nice job in the post of demanding the basketball," Bennett said.
Senior Tori Ziegler (23 points) led the way for Grant.
Junior guard Gina Cellucci provided Grant with a bright spot in the fourth quarter. At one point, she hit three consecutive 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.
Lake Zurich's victory snapped a three-game losing streak. The Bears play Naperville Central at 8:30 a.m. and Maine South at 7 p.m. today at home in the Sweet 16.