Colby leads Burlington Central to win
Burlington Central's girls basketball team has yet to play a game with its full lineup.
While the Rockets welcomed back the return of senior Molly Turk against Lisle on Saturday, they were without junior point guard Jordan Maisto after she sprained her wrist in Friday's loss to Sycamore.
Without her in the lineup, Central knew it was going to need to get all the help it could from the rest of the lineup.
Taylor Colby provided the offense, finishing with 20 points in the Rockets' 42-39 victory over Lisle in the Central Thanksgiving Classic Basketball Tournament.
The entire team provided the defense, as Central held Lisle (0-1) to 1 of 14 from the floor in the fourth quarter and was able to gut out a victory after trailing 32-31 entering the fourth quarter.
"A lot of girls had to pick up the slack," said Colby, who added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. "Usually (Jordan) is a huge help. All of us picked it up."
After trailing 8-5 at the end of the first quarter, the Lions were the ones picking their shooting efforts up. Lisle went a combined 10 of 26 from the floor in the second and third quarters. Tara Sarb nailed three 3-pointers and Jackie Todd added 11 of her team-high 13 points in the stretch. Lisle coach Jeff Javior found out exactly what he was dealing with early into Lisle's first game.
"We found out real quick," he said. "Tara Sarb came off the bench and had a really good game. That's why she's here, to shoot. (Also) her overall game was pretty good."
For all of the damage that Todd and Sarb inflicted on Central, the Rockets didn't allow anything in the fourth quarter.
Sarb gave Lisle a 32-31 lead with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter, but it would be the Lions' last basket for over 6 minutes. Central did not allow a Lisle field goal for 6 minutes, 19 seconds while building a 37-32 lead by a pair of baskets from Alli Settanni (8 points, 7 rebounds) and a bucket by Colby.
Even after junior Colleen Drennan broke the drought with the Lions' lone basket of the fourth quarter, Colby responded with a 3-pointer on the Rockets' next trip down the floor to put Central ahead 40-34.
Todd had a chance to make bring Lisle with in a basket, but missed a pair of free thorws with 1:02 left. Overall, Lisle was 5 of 11 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
"I was real proud of everyone," Central coach Wade Maisto said. "They all stepped up a did a nice job. I was real pleased with our defensive intensity in the fourth quarter. Taylor had a huge game for us, she picked up some of the offense."
Maisto said he is hopeful his daughter can return to the lineup against Belvidere North on Tuesday, but also said it is possible that the right wrist sprain could keep her out for the entire Thanksgiving tournament.