Addison Trail has enough to turn back Streamwood

Monday night's nonconference girls basketball game between Streamwood and Addison Trail felt a little bit like a boxing match.

At times, both teams had their opponent against the ropes, but couldn't quite deliver the knockout punch.

After watching Streamwood claw its way back into the game, the Blazers finally settled down in the fourth quarter, outscoring Streamwood 16-6 on their way to a 53-43 victory in Addison.

Addison Trail (4-8) saw a 27-20 halftime lead evaporate in a single quarter, as the Sabres poured in 17 third-quarter points. Emma Schmidt's layup with 3 seconds remaining in the third period knotted the game at 37-37 heading into the fourth.

Addison Trail coach Rob Schader decided to turn up the defensive pressure over the last eight minutes, which played a big role in the Blazers' survival.

"We got a little more aggressive on the offensive end, but I think our ability to pressure them helped us out big time in the fourth quarter," Schader said. "In the fourth quarter we kind of figured it out a little bit."

While the Blazers forced just 4 turnovers in the game's final period, they limited Streamwood to just 3-for-19 shooting from the floor.

After seeing his team fight back from an 11-point deficit midway through the second quarter, Streamwood coach George Rosner felt disappointed his team couldn't find the bottom of the basket at the end.

"(It was) our game," Rosner said. "No way we can lose the game at that point. We didn't have it, we didn't want to finish it, and we lost it.

"When we come back from that far down to tie the game at 37-37, and we have them on their backs, and their scrambling, you have to win the game."

After Schmidt's buzzer-beating layup evened the score, Streamwood (2-5) failed to keep the momentum train moving. The Blazers scored the quarter's first five points, building a 42-37 lead and never looked back.

"We went four possessions without a basket with the game tied, and I thought that was the key," Rosner said. "We got maybe one good shot, and the others were not good attempts.

"We held them four times, but on the fifth time they scored, they come back, they scored again, and now you're chasing."

Sophomore Marissa Pezzopane admitted Addison Trail's confidence may have been shaken after Schmidt's layup, but the Blazers refused to hit the canvas.

"We brought back up our confidence," Pezzopane said. "We said we're going to win this, we're going to pull it through and that's what happened. "I'm very proud of all the girls."

Schmidt had 16 points to lead the Sabres, while Michelle Tomczak added 10. Pezzopane led the Blazers with a game-high 22 points.