Geneva clinches Western Sun championship
So Taylor Whitley is human after all.
The fairy tale end to her final home game at Geneva would have been to clinch the Western Sun Conference title, and pour in a Michael Jordan-esque 61 points to give her an even 2,000 for her career.
OK, so Whitley isn't Jordan - even if she wears the same No. 23 and flies up and down the court getting to the basket like MJ. She is the Vikings' all-time leading scorer, and in her last home game of a brilliant four-year varsity career she hit her uniform number, scoring 23 points in Geneva's 62-21 win that wrapped up the Vikings third conference title in four years.
"It's really exciting but it's sad," Whitley said. "I love playing on that court. It has been a long journey but we are all really excited to go farther into the season."
Fellow seniors Emily Hinchman, Jeannie Cummings and Alison Clemmons joined Whitley in the starting lineup. DeKalb (12-14, 5-8) had been the only team to stay within 14 points of the Vikings (25-0, 13-0) this year, losing by 8 in the first meeting, but the rematch was a different story.
"When you score 21 points it is going to be more of a blowout game," DeKalb coach Debbie Whitman said. "Lately we just struggle to score. They go on a run and you miss a layup and they get 2 or 3. At our place we really defended well. Give credit to Geneva, there is a reason they are 25-0. They have a lot of firepower."
Whitley actually started the game cold, missing two layups and her first three free throws. That didn't last long. By halftime she had 8 points, then scored 15 more in the second half to finish with 23 points, 7 assists and 5 steals.
Kat Yelle hit three 3-pointers and scored 17 points. Kelsey Augustine blocked 4 shots.
The Vikings led 26-11 at halftime, then blitzed the Barbs 21-4 in the third quarter to go up by 32 points - a far cry from their 44-36 win in the first meeting.
"I thought we handled their defensive pressure a little bit better tonight," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "We kind of let it dictate our offense a little more the first time. We're much better than we were back then so I think that showed tonight. We had our better offensive flow."
The biggest cheer of the night might have been in the fourth quarter when Cummings and Clemmons both scored.
"To have all four seniors out there on the floor together to start the game was nice," Nolan said. "They are all real close and to see them win a conference championship together is just awesome."