Neuqua Valley bears down against South Elgin
It seemed fitting that Mike Williams wore a Chicago Bears tie Friday.
Like the Bears, Williams’ Neuqua Valley team hit a rough patch midseason.
Like the Bears have often this season, the Wildcats perhaps caught a break Friday with South Elgin star Becca Smith injured.
Just like the Bears, though, Neuqua may have found its stride at the right time.
There was no disputing it Friday, as the No. 19 Wildcats had little trouble dispatching the Smith-less Storm 52-22 in Naperville.
“I know Becca’s not with them and that makes a big difference,” Williams said, “but they’re still a pretty good team. We’re starting to get our rhythm back. I’m excited with how we’re playing right now.”
Smith hurt her knee on Tuesday against Bartlett, an injury diagnosed as a strained meniscus. Without her 20 points a game, Neuqua’s 1-3-1 zone trap smothered the Storm.
Neuqua (16-4, 6-2 Upstate Eight Valley) led 15-3 after a quarter, and it was 21-3 a minute into the second after an Alexa Wilde driving layup.
“Defensively, earlier in the year we were tenacious,” Williams said. “Tonight I saw us flying around.”
Neuqua’s lead was 30-7 by half, a half in which South Elgin turned the ball over 22 times.
“We didn’t do a good job of executing. It took us forever to pass the ball,” South Elgin coach Tim Prendergast said. “We knew they were going to play a 1-3-1 zone. It wasn’t anything that they did that we didn’t think they were going to do.”
Prendergast said Smith has been fitted for a brace and expects his junior guard to be back in the lineup for next Thursday’s game at Lake Park. Lania Robinson scored 11 points on Friday for South Elgin (10-10, 3-5).
“First game that Becca’s missed since she’s been at South Elgin,” Prendergast said. “You don’t realize how much a player means to you until you don’t have her out there.”
Neuqua did Friday many of the things that helped the Wildcats win 12 of their first 13 games this season.
The Wildcats’ defense held South Elgin to a season-low in points, Malia Smith coming up with 5 steals, Megan Doody 4 and Wilde 2. The Wildcats pounded the glass, outrebounding South Elgin 48-33 with 20 offensive rebounds. Guard Najee Smith had 7 of those offensive rebounds, Amber Smith 3 and Nikki Lazar 3.
And the Wildcats passed well in the halfcourt.
Doody, Wilde and Najee Smith all scored 8 points for Neuqua, whose schedule stiffens again the next two weeks with games against Bartlett and Waubonsie.
“I thought we came out ready to play, ready to defend our home court,” Amber Smith said. “We wanted to make a statement tonight. Regardless of whether Becca would have played tonight or not, I think we would have come out with the same intensity.”