Jacobs holds off Dundee-Crown
Jacobs' guard Nicole Millard proved it is quality and not quantity of minutes played.
Known as a defensive stopper, Millard played less than 2 minutes during the Golden Eagles' Fox Valley Conference Valley Division girls basketball matchup at Dundee-Crown Wednesday.
The senior made a game-clinching steal in the closing seconds to boost Jacobs to a 48-46 win over the Chargers (6-13, 1-2). The victory marks the third in the last 5 games for Jacobs (3-13, 2-4), which opened its season with 8 straight losses.
“I saw it coming,” said Millard, who followed up the steal by splitting a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left in the game. “It's my job to defend. It doesn't matter how many minutes I get, when I do stuff like this.”
Millard's steal came after Jacobs' Lauren Grady had missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Chargers' forward Diamond Williams grabbed the rebound. But Millard was able to stop the ball before it advanced into shooting-range for the Chargers and was then immediately fouled.
“Nicole understands what her role is,” Golden Eagles coach Keith Chuipek said. “She's the best defender ball on ball person. She kind of stepped up. She kind of saved everyone for not rebounding with that interception.”
Williams helped Dundee-Crown cut the Chargers' deficit to 47-46 when she found Dana Ewert for on outside shot with 18 seconds remaining. Trailing 47-44, Ewert (9 points) was about 3 feet inside the 3-point line on her shot.
Jacobs had extended its 45-44 lead when Melanie Schwerdtmann drove the lane and connected on a layup with 45 seconds left. Schwerdtmann, who led all players with 13 points, finished with 4 inside points in the final quarter. Jessica Tennant added 4 of her 10 points in the final period including breaking a 43-all tie with a drive and layup with 1:17 left to play.
Grady gave Jacobs the lead back at 43-42 after the Chargers went up 42-41 off an old-fashioned 3-point play from Alexis Holm. Holm's basket was set up off an offensive rebound. The Chargers grabbed 8 offensive boards in the second half and finished with 9 second-chance points in the second half.
Williams converted a bucket to cut Jacobs' lead to 37-34 at the end of the third quarter on a play in which Dundee-Crown was given 3 extra shots from offensive rebounds.
The Chargers held a 30-20 edge on the glass and Williams finished with 11 rebounds (6 offensive) Ali Sanders led D-C with 12 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter and Haley Hofman added 5 assists for Jacobs.
South Elgin 86, Elgin 50: The Storm won its fifth game in a row, placing five players in double figures in this Upstate Eight crossover game. Lania Robinson led the way with 21 points, while Becca Smith had 20, Savannah Uveges 13 and Andriella Patterson and Nicole Lewis 10 each for the Storm (9-8). Briana Hamilton had 20 points for the Maroons (0-17) and Anna Edwards added 8.
Lake Forest Academy 44, Elgin Academy 39: Caitlin Ward had 13 points and Bridget Keslinke added 12 but the Hilltoppers (2-16, 1-4) came up short in the Independent School League.
McHenry 59, CL South 41: Brittany Pittas had 24 points to lead CL South (2-16, 0-5) in this Fox Valley Conference Valley Division loss.
John Radtke contributed to this report