Fremd surprises Cary-Grove
Cary-Grove girls basketball coach Rod Saffert just needed to look at the turnover column on the stat sheet to see why his Trojans lost Monday night.
Committing 27 turnovers, the Trojans dropped a 45-41 decision to Fremd in action at the Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving Tournament in a game played at Lake Zurich.
“They were the most aggressive team we have played this season,” said Saffert of Fremd. “I don't mind the hustle or physical turnovers, but we had too many unforced turnovers off mental mistakes. Sometimes you learn more from a loss. St Viator was a very good team, Fremd played well tonight and I am sure Lake Zurich will test us (Tuesday) night.”
Fremd (4-0) won the game at the free throw line, connecting on 13 of 14 from the line in the final 3:39 of the game. The Vikings' final 13 points came from the charity stripe. Ashley McConnell converted 7 of 8 and Megan Gray made all 6 of her free throws as Fremd held on for a 4-point win.
“We have a number of kids who can make big free throws down the stretch,” said Fremd coach Dave Yates. “Megan and Ashley were certainly two kids we wanted at the line. They stepped up and made them down the stretch. This is a big win against a very good Cary-Grove team. I am very proud of the girls.”
The Trojans (3-1) seemed to be in control of the game midway through the third quarter. Cary-Grove broke an 18-18 tie with 6 straight points. Claire Jakubicek scored a pair of baskets while Olivia Jakubicek converted a putback as the Trojans led 24-18 with 4:53 left.
After a timeout by Yates, the Vikes responded with a 9-0 run to turn a 6-point deficit into a 3-point advantage. A layup along with a 3-pointer by McConnell and 2 putbacks from Gray helped Fremd take a 27-24 lead with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter.
“During the timeout we told the kids to relax and they responded,” said Yates. “That was a crucial part of the game. If Cary-Grove goes up 10 or 12 the game is over.”
Claire Jakubicek paced the Trojans with 12 while Meg Straumann netted 10 including a pair of 3-pointers. Jessi Wiedemann led the Vikings with 14. McConnell scored 13 and Gray had 12 with 10 rebounds.