Kosla, Saxons time it right against Pirates
It was clear early on in Friday's game between Palatine and Schaumburg that the team with the best timing would most likely grab a victory.
Well, timing was everything for the Saxons as they capitalized on offensive and defensive opportunities to take a 40-32 MSL home win.
Schaumburg scored, pulled in rebounds, got turnovers, and played hard-nosed defense when it mattered most. Even when the Pirates countered effectively, the Saxons answered with an even stronger reaction.
Leading the charge offensively for Schaumburg was junior Taylor Kosla, who finished with a game-high 15 points. Kosla also added 2 blocks to go along with a barrage of assists to carry the Saxons to a win.
"At times we were a little out of control on offense but we had spurts when we needed them," said Kosla. "Our goal every game is to keep our opponent under 40 points and we did that tonight."
Schaumburg's second leading scorer was Sarah Kellermeyer with 10 points. The senior's overall effect on the game was much greater than her scoring as she collected 8 rebounds and forced Palatine's main threat, Katie MacFabe, into early foul trouble.
Also having a productive night for the Saxons was senior Sarah McGinn who had 6 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Junior Rachel Kahan also finished with 6 points to go along with her 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
"These girls are learning every game and they work hard," said Saxons coach Bill Murmann. "I was happy with our defensive effort tonight. We have some work to do on offense, but we'll take care of that."
Palatine's leading scorer was junior Lauren Ottis with 11 points plus 6 rebounds. Sophomore Katie Scovic added 7 points for the Pirates and junior Heather Zimmerman had 6, including a 3-point buzzer-beater before the half.
The Pirates didn't let go of the game when they were faced with some of their biggest deficits. With less than four minutes remaining Palatine rattled off 8 unanswered points to cut Schaumburg's lead to 6. Scovic nailed a 3-pointer with just over a minute to play but the Saxons were able to re-claim control and close the game out.