WW South gets defensive against Maine West
With 16 seconds remaining in the first half, it was still anybody's ball game.
And then Wheaton Warrenville South's defense just took over.
The host Tigers (11-4) trailed Maine West 15-14, when Hannah Credille and Heidi Ansiel each scored in the waning seconds to put Wheaton Warrenville South ahead 18-15 at the break.
And the Tigers never looked back as they went on to overwhelm the Warriors (6-12) 45-24.
"Our team defense just keeps growing and getting better," said Ansiel, who led the Tigers balanced attack with 11 points, and also grabbed 9 rebounds, 7 off the offensive board. "We were getting a lot of steals and our pressure on defense just pumped us up. It made our offense."
"When we play defense like that we're tough to beat," said Tigers coach Rob Kroehnke. "That's been our identity this year, and we take pride in that. It makes everything easier when you can stop people like that."
According to Kroehnke, the Tigers, who have won their last five games, have given up 40 points or more only three times this year and opponents have been scoring just 33 points a game on the season.
Wheaton Warrenville outscored the Warriors 27-9 in the second half. They caused numerous turnovers and held the Warriors to single-digit scoring in every period.
In the second half, the Tigers offense, which came out of Christmas break a little rusty, got it going as well, with sharp passes that set up easy layups.
"We're comfortable with everyone handling the ball on the perimeter," Kroehnke said. "We don't really have set positions. We don't have anybody averaging in double figures and someone different steps up and scores every night."
Monday's victory also pleased Kroehnke because it gives the Tigers momentum going into the meat of the DuPage Valley Conference schedule, which starts Thursday against Wheaton North and continues Saturday against Wheaton North. The Tigers are currently 2-1 in the DVC
Katie Ottolin was next in line in the scoring with 9, and she also came up with 5 steals.
"Katie had one of her better games," Kroehnke said. "From the foul line, from the field, rebounding, steals. She had an all-around game."
Annie Shain and Credille added 8 points apiece.
Samantha Acosta led the Warriors with 9 points.
"We beat ourselves in every game," said Maine West coach Derril Kipp. "When you turn the ball over more times than you have points, you're not going to win any games. This is a team we should be able to play with, but they just beat us up and we quit. We're shooting 18 percent. It's not the other team that's been beating us the last five games, it's our own non-production ."