Harper women to face Milwaukee

The third-seeded Harper College women’s basketball team will meet a familiar foe on Tuesday night as the Hawks (15-11) open Region IV tournament play with a home game against sixth-seeded Milwakee Area Technical College.

This will be the third meeting between the schools this season. The Hawks won both previous meetings.

“They are struggling right now,” Harper coach Mark Smith said of Tuesday’s opponent.

While the Storm only have one win this season, Smith is trying to make sure his team doesn’t take Milwaukee lightly.

“It’s tough to beat a team three times in a year,” he said.

If the Hawks are fortunate enough to advance, they’ll play Joliet Junior College in the second round at Milwaukee Area Technical College, according to the NJCAA website.

“The key against Joliet,” said Smith, “is to hold them to one shot.”

Smith is hoping the Hawks can cut down on turnovers and have better consistency on offense.

“I like the way our lineup looks,” he said.

Leading scorers Anna Kirchoff (Barrington) and Sara Kellermeyer (Schaumburg) have been solid in recent games, and the rebounding presence of freshman Larissa Aguero (Wheeling) has been a big help. In the Hawks’ 63-26 victory over Triton, Aguero had a double double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.