Jacobs takes down St. Charles East

Jacobs could not have had a much worse start to its holiday tournament.

With more turnovers than combined points and shots attempted in the opening quarter against St. Charles East at the Bill Neibch Classic at Wheaton North, Jacobs' girls basketball team was in an early hole. But the Golden Eagles rallied to tie the game by halftime, and two more decisive runs in the third and fourth quarters proved the difference in their 57-47 victory over the Saints Monday morning.

Jacobs (11-3), unseeded in the 16-team field, advances to meet No. 3 seed Glenbrook South (9-2), which defeated West Aurora 64-40, in the first quarterfinal this afternoon.

Sixth-seeded St. Charles East fell to 6-3.

"We finally started to pick (the intensity) up," Jacobs coach Ed Haugens said. "We came out sluggish."

St. Charles East forced 9 turnovers in the opening quarter, and Jacobs missed 6 of its 7 shots in falling behind 10-2 after the first. But Jacobs' balanced attack paid dividends in the second quarter; the club went 8-for10 from the field, and Keri Bultman had consecutive buckets to forge a 21-21 tie at the break.

St. Charles East had a 9-point unanswered burst to start the third quarter, but Jacobs' Sam Vojtsek drained a 3-pointer to launch a 13-3 Golden Eagles salvo that Hailey Cnota culminated with her second consecutive field goal from beyond the arc. Jacobs' subsequent 34-33 lead was its first of the game.

"We knew we had to pick it up," Vojtsek said. "I'm too short to play in the post. I love 3-point shots. I stay on the outside and shoot."

The senior guard closed out the quarter with another field goal to increase Jacobs' lead to 38-34, but St. Charles East, which had four players -Natasha Lalos, Lexi Baltes, Jaime Rust and Kara Schnier - score 11 points apiece, resumed its attack. Rust hit a 3-pointer to inaugurate three consecutive lead changes, and Baltes' last field goal gave St. Charles East its final lead at 43-42.

Unfortunately for the Saints, though, Cnota had a 5-point personal run and Vojtsek drained another 3-pointer to up Jacobs' lead to 50-43. The Saints' comeback hopes were then dashed as Rust, Baltes and Stephanie Roan all fouled out with the game still in the balance.

Cnota had 18 points to lead all scorers. "I definitely try my hardest to be an all-around player," the junior forward said.

Jacobs' Katy Cook added a game-high 11 rebounds.

"I think (the difference) was rebounding," Rust said. "We just weren't getting in there for offensive boards."