Moraine Valley puts ECC's ISCC title hopes in jeopardy
The goal of winning the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference got a lot more difficult Thursday evening for the Elgin Community College women's basketball team.
The Spartans entered Thursday's game 11/2 behind Moraine Valley. ECC left the Spartan Events Center basically down 3 games after Moraine Valley beat the Spartans, 88-85.
"We definitely needed it. It's tough," ECC's Sophie Sterricker said.
Moraine Valley coach Delwyn Jones called the win "major" because the Cyclones are now 8-0 in the conference and hold the tiebreaker over ECC, which is 5-2, thanks to winning both regular-season meetings. The only Moraine Valley victory by less than 13 points, other than Thursday, was a three-overtime, one-point win over Prairie State College.
The Spartans tried to pound the ball inside early to Sterricker and Tracy Ferguson. The plan worked as the pair combined to score 23 first-half points to help ECC to a 44-41 halftime lead. There were 12 lead changes in the first half and the biggest lead was 6, 30-24 by the Cyclones.
The Cyclones started quickly in the second half and took a 51-46 lead with 17:11 remaining. A pair of free throws from Ferguson with 13:20 left tied the game at 57-57. Moraine Valley then went on a 14-3 run, capped by a steal and layup from Sharnita Lloyd with 11:11 remaining.
ECC trailed by 10, 80-70, with 6:14 left before a 6-0 run got the Spartans with 4, 80-76. The Spartans still trailed by 4, 88-84, with 53.5 seconds left. Sterricker hit 1 of 2 free throws to make the score 88-85. With 22 seconds left, the Cyclones' Nicole Wilk missed 2 free throws. After a turnover from each team, the ball was knocked out of bounds. The Spartans got the ball with 1.0 seconds remaining underneath Moraine Valley's basket. The pass inbounds went to Krissy Kunavich, who couldn't get a 3-pointer off.
"We wanted it. We really wanted it," Sterricker said. "We didn't hit some shots when we needed to."
Sterricker led all scorers with 28 points. Lauren Gabler added 21 for ECC. Ferguson finished with 18 and Brittany Armato had 10.
All five Cyclones starters finished with double figures in scoring. Ashley Teresiak had 19. Lloyd and Kristy Scialabba each had 18. Wilk added 17.