Quick start lifts D-C past Larkin
Dundee-Crown girl's basketball team thought it would try something new.
The Chargers, usually playing from behind early on in games, jumped out to a 12-2 lead against visiting Larkin Thursday night.
Dundee-Crown found getting a lead and holding it two completely different things, though the Chargers did hold on for a 43-39 victory to snap a 3-game losing streak.
"We came out ready to go," said Chargers' guard Melissa Summaria, who finished with 9 points, 10 steals and 5 assists. "We're sick of fighting back (Then) we kind of sunk down. We took it too lightly."
The Chargers (2-4) led by 10 points four different times in the game, with the latest coming when Summaria nabbed a steal and ran the length of the court to put Dundee-Crown up 37-27.
Larkin (1-4) wouldn't go away as Jessica Harris (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals) scored 8 of the Royals' 10 third-quarter points. Harris eventually put Larkin within 42-34 with 5:26 left to play with a jumper. Lindsey Casebeer (5 points, 7 rebounds) split a pair of free throws and Stacie Beaver scored to make it a 5-point game (42-37) with 2:44 on the clock.
"We started coming together for a while and everything was flowing good," Harris said. "Then we'd throw the ball away."
Dundee-Crown forced 10 Larkin turnovers in the final period and did not allow the Royals to get a shot off for over 2 minutes after Beaver's basket. Larkin missed its next 3 shots before Nadiyah Spencer made an uncontested layup with 29 seconds to bring the Royals within 42-39.
"We had a chance," Larkin coach Amy Silverman said. "You do the job on defense and then go down and throw it away on offense. It breaks your back."
Needing to foul, Larkin sent Summaria to the line and she made it 43-39 with 14 seconds left. The free throw came after the senior had missed the front end of a 1-and-1 twice in the final minute of play.
"I'm happy with the start, but not the ending," Dundee-Crown coach Michelle Russell said. "It comes with experience. We were lucky to squeeze the win out."
Russell could not have asked for a better start to the game.
After Larkin went up 2-0, the Chargers scored the next 12 points, including back-to-back baskets off steals from Megan Fasanella (8 points, 2 steals) and Alex Lococo (4 points, 2 steals, 2 assists). Ashley Bartelt scored 5 points off the bench in the opening period for the Chargers, who led 29-21 at the half. D-C also got 2 blocks and 2 steals from Tori Scarpelli and 9 points from Lindsay Mosher.