Bulldogs' reserves make key contributions in win at Kaneland

The final field goal provided an appropriate snapshot for the Batavia girls basketball team.

Fayesha Cole found Kim Anderson all alone for the Bulldogs' final basket, and the bench production was all but complete.

Batavia produced the first 21 points of its Western Sun Conference game against Kaneland Friday night in Maple Park, and the reserves' collective play spelled the difference.

With the 55-43 victory, Batavia improved to 11-2 overall and 5-1 with its second straight league win; Kaneland fell to 4-9, 1-5.

Batavia misfired on 11 of its 15 first-quarter field-goal attempts, but Liz Barnes was the Bulldogs' igniter in the second.

"I usually don't come in until after halftime," the junior said.

Barnes' back-to-back 3-point plays late in the quarter, augmenting an earlier 3-point field goal, gave Batavia a 29-18 lead with less than a minute to play before the intermission.

Barnes failed to tally again, but her 9 points in a four-minute span helped Batavia, which never trailed, into a comfortable position at the break, leading 29-20.

"I feel like when I'm ready to go in, I know what I have to do," Barnes said. "I felt like I did was I was supposed to."

Barnes' play was infectious: fellow reserve Katie Rueffer had a pair of critical putbacks; backup center Kelsey Stone had 6 rebounds in the second quarter alone, and Kelsey Oswald added a 3-pointer to aid the Bulldogs' cause.

"I think Liz Barnes had the best game off the bench tonight," Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. "Barnes has shown that she that kind of talent."

Sophomore Andie Strang had consecutive field goals to bring Kaneland within 29-24 to start the third quarter, but Batavia starters Melissa Norville, Natalie Tarter and Kara Lydon scored on the ensuing three possessions to extend the spread back to double digits.

Brianna Hurst, who led the Knights with 10 points, converted two from the free-throw line to bring Kaneland to within seven late in the third quarter. It was, however, as close as Kaneland would come the rest of the game.

Second-chance points created more separation by the start of the fourth quarter, and Tarter, fighting the effects of a virus, had a 3-point play to extend the Bulldogs' lead to 53-35.

The Cole-Anderson collaboration was the final imprint.

"(The reserves) brought their game, and that's what we need from them," said Tarter, who led all players with 11 points.

"(Batavia) is a good team, and we expected that (from its bench)," Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe said. "I thought we did a good job, considering our best player (Katie Hatch, out with a calf injury) didn't play."