Maine West answers conference call
Conference games have always been important to the Maine West girls basketball program.
The Warriors even won an IHSA record 110 consecutive games in the Central Suburban League under Hall of Fame coach Derril Kipp.
“Mr. Kipp said this (Thursday night at Highland Park) was really important being a conference game,” said Warriors senior guard Amanda Hoye.
Hoye sure played like it was important.
She and 6-foot-1 sophomore forward Brittany Collins each scored 17 points while junior Ashley Collins added 10 as the Warriors won 53-47 in the CSL North opener for both teams.
Maine West, which lost twice to the defending conference champion Giants (4-3, 0-1) last season, improved to 1-5 and 1-0.
“It was nice because this was a conference win,” said Kipp, who has guided West to 23 league titles and 721 wins in 30 seasons. “These are the ones you really want to get.”
The Warriors had not scored more than 35 points this season.
Six-foot Ashley Collins struck for 4 baskets in the first seven minutes and the Warriors erupted for 30 points in the first half.
They led by 3 points at intermission thanks to junior Alexia Prosperi’s (4 points, 3 rebounds) clutch 10-footer over a defender on the baseline.
“Ashley gave us a big boost by hitting those 4 shots in the first quarter,” Kipp said. “Then they couldn’t double down on Brittany (Collins).”
Hoye’s 17-footer to start the second half made it 32-27, the Warriors’ biggest lead of the third quarter.
The Giants, led by 5-8 junior Lena Munzer’s game-high 23 points, got to within 2 points late in the third quarter.
“She’s (Munzer) really good,” Hoye (4 rebounds) said of Munzer, who averages 28 points and had a career-high 45 earlier this season. “And she’s really a sweet girl, a real clean player.
“The key for us was our guards getting the ball inside because we knew they were smaller than us.”
West went on a 8-1 run — sparked by 3 buckets from the 6-foot-1 Brittany Collins — and led 46-37 with 5:05 left in the game.
“We just came out and knew we had to win this game,” said Brittany Collins, who also had 7 rebounds and 2 steals. “We played really hard.”
The Giants got to within 49-45 with 37 seconds left.
But Hoye helped seal the win with 4 free throws in the final 36 seconds.
“I was upset after missing my first two,” Hoye said. “I knew if I knocked those down at the end it could give us the game.”
Highland Park coach Jolie Bechtel said her team made to many turnovers (18 compared to 8 by West).
“We didn’t make smart decisions with the ball,” Bechtel said “And we didn’t do a good job defensively. You can’t give up 50 points. We talked about putting pressure on them on the perimeter and not letting them get the ball inside, but we didn’t do that well.”