Warriors freshmen playing like seniors

Keiera Ray didn't forecast this big of an impact for her freshman year.

"It's not what I expected," Waubonsie Valley's 5-foot-9 forward said.

With the Warriors' lineup in flux the first five weeks of the season, Ray and fellow freshman Tami Morice have delivered beyond their years. Ray scored 16 points and pulled down 7 rebounds, 6 of them offensive, in No. 2 seed Waubonsie Valley's 63-46 first-round win over Schaumburg on Monday at Wheaton North's Bill Neibch Falcon Holiday Classic.

"Those young kids have done a great job stepping in to fill some pretty big shoes," Warriors coach Kris Kalivas said. "Keiera does many things for us. She plays very hard."

The Warriors' fluid rotation got a shot in the arm with the return of Rachel Bostick. The senior center, who missed three games with a dislocated shoulder, was cleared to play Monday morning and had 6 points and 2 rebounds.

Waubonsie Valley (10-1) has guards Kiki McClellan and Hannah Klancic back after the two missed four games playing in an out-of-state soccer tournament. Senior guard Jessica Morice, though, will remain out several more weeks with a fractured bone above her right ankle.

"We're trying to get Rachel used to having two shoulder braces on," Kalivas said. "As she gets more comfortable she'll be back to being Rachel Bostic. Just her presence on the court is important for us."

Ray seemingly has a nose for the ball. She had two straight stickbacks midway through the second quarter, the second she turned into a three-point play that gave Waubonsie Valley the lead for good at 21-18.

"I just go get it," Ray said. "After the shot goes up I find myself in front of the defensive player."

Waubonsie Valley, who suffered its first loss on Saturday night at South Elgin, didn't put away Schaumburg easy. The Saxons trailed just 43-37 after three quarters. But the Warriors scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter, including back-breaking 3-pointers by Tami Morice and Tanysha Walls on consecutive possessions to make it 49-37. Brittany Upshaw, who scored 16 points, also had two baskets in the key stretch.

"We just had to put that South Elgin game behind us," Ray said, "and just worry about this game."

McClellan added 11 points for Waubonsie Valley. Sarah Kellermeyer had 15 points and 7 rebounds and Sarah McGinn 10 points for Schaumburg.