Cary-Grove tops Grayslake Central
It was the summer of 2010, and Cary-Grove Athletic Director Bruce Kay contacted the school’s girls basketball coach, Rod Saffert.
The Trojans needed to add a game to their 2010-11 schedule, in early- to mid-February.
“I hear Grayslake Central is going to be good,” Saffert said to Kay, back when it was approximately 100 degrees warmer outside. “Give me Grayslake Central.”
He got Grayslake Central, which would be much better than good. The Rams skipped to 22 straight victories and won the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division regular-season title.
C-G?
It topped the FVC Valley Division.
They clashed at Central on Wednesday night, for the unofficial FVC championship.
“What a coincidence, huh?” Rams coach Steve Ikenn said 10 minutes before the tip. “The two division champs playing each other, right before the playoffs.”
C-G beat Central 51-44, as Trojans senior guard/forward Claire Jakubicek (25 points, 13 rebounds) fell a half-point shy of becoming Miss 50 Percent.
Grayslake Lake Central’s last loss was to Libertyville on Nov. 21 – or when families were thinking about what size turkey to purchase for Thanksgiving.
Afterward, C-G and Central both sat with 24-3 marks.
“A perfect game to play before the start of the postseason,” said Saffert. “Steve thought it was perfect, too.”
The Rams owned a 27-20 advantage, with 42 seconds left in the first half. Jakubicek hit a free throw and, 6 seconds later, a field goal. CG reserve Joslyn Nicholson, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward, followed with bucket after a Paige Lincicum steal.
And just like that, Central led only 27-25 at the break.
“I was disappointed in our play in the first half,” Saffert admitted.
“We allowed way too many offensive rebounds, and we didn’t make the shots we normally make. Second half, our goal was to take charges, outrebound them, mix up our defenses.
“Grayslake Central,” he added, “is going to do very well in the playoffs.”
Rams junior guard/forward Skyler Jessop poured in 9 of her team-high 14 points in the first half, including the night’s lone trey.
Her assessment of the contest began with one syllable:
“Claire,” she said. “(Jakubicek) is unreal. She can do everything. Rebound, post up, handle the ball, hit her free throws – everything. So good; she is so good.”
She was this good in the third quarter: 11 points, 3 boards, 2 steals. The rest of her team tallied 4 points.
A Jakubicek steal paved the way to a Jakubicek lay-up, tying matters at 36-36.
The game was tied once more, at 40-40 in the first minute of the final frame. Nicholson (8 points) and sophomore Olivia Jakubicek (6 points) each netted 4 points in the quarter.
Central did not score in the final 3:39.
“We did not execute well on offense,” Ikenn said. “And we committed turnovers we didn’t need to have. We had the ball, down by three (47-44), and we just couldn’t get things going. Execute – we needed to execute better than we did.”
Central senior center/forward Rebekah Llorens struck for 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Rams senior Alex Scarbro, a thrilling and fearless guard, finished with 9 points and 5 boards and collected 4 of her 5 steals in the first quarter. She injured a knee in a scary collision with C-G guard Megan Straumann (6 points) late in the third quarter. But the highly competitive hoopster returned to the court after sitting for a few minutes.
Supremacy in the FVC, albeit unofficial, was at stake, after all.
Boys basketball
Stevenson 61, Wauconda 39: Mike Fleming scored a season-high 23 points, including four 3-pointers, as the visiting Patriots won the North Suburban Conference crossover.
Ryan Chapman added 11 points for Stevenson (10-11).
Wauconda (6-18) was led by Kyle Ryan’s 13 points, which included a pair of 3s.