Lake Zurich snaps skid with 'Sweet' win over Maine West

After three straight 3-point losses, Lake Zurich's girls basketball team got just what the doctored ordered Wednesday night in the Sweet Sixteen tourney.

A 47-35 win.

"We're so excited to get back on the winning track," said Bears senior Audrey Bauer, who scored 21 points to share game scoring honors with Maine West's Megan O'Neill. "We definitely have struggled to finish games and get wins."

Wednesday's win came over a Maine West team which has had players busy with the doctor this winter.

The Warriors have four players on the sidelines, including all-area guard Sam Acosta, who missed her first game of the season due to a nagging knee injury.

The 5-foot 6 sharpshooter underwent an MRI on Wednesday and will get the result today.

Also a part of the positive results for Lake Zurich on Wednesday were 12 points from Gabby Chapa and 8 from Amanda Orchard.

"I thought Audrey and Amanda did a great job working in the post and getting each other open," said Bears coach Chris Bennett, whose team is 7-13. "And Gabby played well. She is a great shooter when she is in the rhythm. She is learning to play within the offense and getting better at that every week."

Lake Zurich led 10-9 after one quarter but pulled away in the second quarter by outscoring the Warriors 21-5.

The Navy-bound Bauer had 9 points in the period, including a 3-point play, a 17-footer and layup.

"Defensively, we didn't have an answer for Audrey," said Maine West coach Derril Kipp, whose team will try to snap a six-game losing streak Friday against Maine East. "And Chapa had a good game for them."

In addition to Acosta, West is also without 5-9 junior Katherine Kusner, 5-8 senior Courtney Insolia and 5-10 junior Kayla Kennelly.

"We'd like to get them all back as soon as possible but who knows?" Kipp said. "We just don't have the scoring power. We are playing not expecting to win. We turned the ball over way too much."

Alli Ellwood and Amanda Hoye each added 5 points for the Warriors.

Bennett also got offense from Dori Darras, Katherine Androns and Karlissa Skarb.

"We had a calmness that we sometimes lack," Bennett said about his team's offense, "We were moving the ball well and getting the shots we wanted."

Bauer was 5-for-5 at the free throw line, and Chapa went 2-for-3.

"We needed a win," said Bennett, whose team snapped a four-game losing streak (Barrington, Stevenson, Zion-Benton and Mundelein). In the second quarter, we started doing a good job taking care of the basketball and getting the ball where it needed to be."

"We were upset with our last three close conference losses," Bauer added. "This was a win we really wanted. We play some tough teams in the Sweet Sixteen (the Bears lost to Fremd in their first one). So it's going to be good to play some more and see what we can do."