Ray, Warriors don't sit still for Neuqua
How fast is Waubonsie Valley freshman Keiera Ray?
So fast she can rebound her own missed free throw and score again in the blink of any eye.
Ray did it twice, and the second time ended any hopes Neuqua Valley might have had of a comeback victory as the Warriors prevailed 60-41 Saturday afternoon in Naperville.
"I can just tell when I shoot it's off," Ray said, "so that I just try to go get the rebound instead of just sitting there."
The Wildcats (7-11, 1-3 Upstate Eight Conference) had cut a 12-point Warriors lead down to 5 when Ray scored and was fouled with 2:38 left in the game. She missed the rebound but ran down the lane without incurring a lane violation and lickety-split put the ball back in the basket for a 4-point play. Forty seconds later her lefty layup made the score 49-38, and the threat was over.
"We just had to come back strong and come back into the quarter with a couple of minutes left and not throw the ball away," Ray said.
The final score was a little deceptive, though Waubonsie (14-4, 3-1) took a 9-0 lead early and hit double figures just after halftime.
"I don't really think it's a 19-point loss," said Neuqua coach Mike Williams, who already is gearing his team toward the playoffs. "I think it's a 5-, 7-point game. Again, you take a look at it and you talk about some kids who are young, talk about some kids who are making some freshman and sophomore mistakes, and it turns into a 19-point loss."
Ray, Brittany Upshaw and Rachel Bostick each finished with 14 points for the Warriors. Ray added 14 rebounds and Bostick 8. Freshman Tami Morice scored 10 points.
"She continues to show us the way," Waubonsie Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. "She crashed (the boards) hard early. We built that lead right away and then we had to take her out and that's when they came back in the game. So she's such a key element for us to have on the floor at all times. Her energy and her hard work just continue to be such a spark for us."
The Wildcats didn't have anybody score in double figures, spreading the scoring among nine players, including junior Bria Williams, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury.
The injury front is mixed for Waubonsie Valley. Sophomore guard Hannah Klancic is done for the season with a knee injury that required surgery Friday, but senior guard Jessica Morice will begin working her way back from a long absence next week.
"The good news is she will be in practice clothes Monday, so it's a step in the right direction," Kalivas said.