Lake Park 64, Glenbard West 42

So much for devoting extra defensive attention to Lake Park's Samantha Arnold.

The 6-foot-4 junior forward poured in a game-high 27 points to lead the sixth-seeded Lancers to a 64-42 triumph over No. 11 seed Glenbard West in the girls basketball Class 4A Willowbrook regional semifinals Wednesday night in Villa Park.

Glenbard West (14-15) came out with a plan to deny Arnold the ball, but the Michigan recruit quickly thwarted it. She scored the first points of the game on a putback and a 3-pointer in the opening minute en route to scoring 13 points in the first half before she missed a shot.

"We were happy with what we thought was a good game plan," Hilltoppers coach Mike Hofland said. "With a great player like that, if she's going to go off, what can you do? She's tough."

Lake Park (22-7) jumped ahead 14-3 and took a 31-18 halftime advantage as Arnold's teammates quickly got into a scoring groove themselves.

"As soon as we saw the defense we just knew we had to move the ball," Arnold said. "We'd create open shots for ourselves and everyone was shooting the ball. By shooting the ball we pulled them out of their defense and then it made me more open and everyone else open."

The Lancers opened a 44-22 lead late in the third quarter before Glenbard West mounted a comeback. Led throughout the evening by the outside shooting of junior forward Kathryn Lux, the Hilltoppers reeled off a 14-1 run to pull within 45-36 with 6:31 left.

But Lake Park scored 10 of the next 12 points to move ahead 55-38 as Arnold drained 6 free throws in less than a minute.

"We had some fight," Hofland said. "We told the girls in the beginning of the game, 'No matter what happens tonight, make sure you give your best effort,' and I thought they did. We just ran out of gas."

Lux drained five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points.

Lake Park's Lynsey Ciezki netted 13 points and Marissa Pasquini totaled 11.

"I'm pleased with how we performed as a team," Lancers coach Lisa Smith said. "I thought they moved the ball really well."

Lake Park advances to Friday's 7:30 p.m. final against West Suburban Gold champion Proviso East and the Western Michigan-bound Giden sisters, Miame and Robin, who stand 5-11 and 6-0, respectively.

"I know Robin and Miame," Arnold said. "It should be a good game."

Arnold said her team can keep up with the Gidens' height.

"I actually think it's good because I think we always play better when we play against bigger teams," she said. "I think we play with more intensity and it actually works out in our favor."