Waubonsie prepares for Valley showdown

For the second week of December, this is a big one.

Waubonsie Valley coach Kim Connell need not be reminded.

"It's still early," Connell said, "but in the scope of things when you're talking about the conference it's us, Bartlett or Neuqua."

Connell's second-ranked Warriors, the preseason No. 1, travel to current No. 1 Bartlett tonight.

To the winner, a leg up in the Upstate Eight Valley Conference race. Defending champ Bartlett (10-0, 3-0) beat Neuqua Valley last Tuesday, has won 21 straight conference games and has beaten every opponent this year by at least 13 points while scoring 67.5 points per game.

Bartlett swept last year's two games with Waubonsie, although the 68-64 final at Bartlett was arguably one of the Warriors' better performances.

Indiana-bound Haley Videckis, one of five Hawks senior starters, is the top gun but far from the only threat.

"Their top seven can all score and they can all run," Connell said. "We have to limit their scoring and slow down their transition."

It would indeed behoove Waubonsie (7-0, 2-0) to keep this one in the halfcourt, where the physical Warriors do their best work defensively. Waubonsie surrenders just 40 points per game, and has given up greater than 40 just twice.

Key for the Warriors is staying out of foul trouble, because they are not a particularly deep team. The rotation has lengthened the last two games with the return of senior point guard Becky Williford from an ACL tear. Connell also said senior guard Tami Morice, who scored her 1,000th career point last week, has picked up her shooting of late.

"We want to hold teams under 40 points," Connell said. "That's a pretty lofty goal, but we feel one of our strengths is our halfcourt defense. We need to keep our starters on the floor and limit mistakes at both ends."

Tigers to be tested:

Wheaton Warrenville South (8-0, 2-0 DVC) is off to its best start in Rob Kroehnke's 11 years as head coach. The high-flying Tigers led by Meghan Waldron and Kasey Gassensmith are scoring just a tick under 60 points per game, and no opponent has come within 15 of them.

Things should get significantly tougher the next 10 days.

Tonight WW South hosts Naperville Central (5-4, 2-0) in a matchup between the only teams that haven't yet lost in the DVC. The two split the DVC championship last year, although Naperville Central swept the season series. WW South last beat the Redhawks in Wheaton in the 2007-08 season.

"Naperville Central is somebody we haven't been able to solve the last few years," Kroehnke admitted. "Whomever wins this one will have a nice edge going into next year, conference-wise."

It shapes up as an intriguing chess match of styles.

WW South, one of the fastest teams around, will want to speed up the tempo and run. Naperville Central is a much bigger, more physical team that starts four 6-footers led by 6-foot-3 Drake recruit Emma Donahue.

"They're big like they always are," Kroehnke said. "We're going to try to get them to go at our pace. Playing a halfcourt game with them will not work out."

Tonight's game is just the start of things for the Tigers.

This weekend WW South will get Benet, York and Geneva on consecutive nights at the Benet/Naperville North Tournament. WW South came into that tournament 7-2 last year, only to drop three in a row.

"We've done what we needed to do to get ready for this week," Kroehnke said, "but I've told our girls nothing is guaranteed to us. We have to work for it. This week will really tell us where we are."

A supersectional, literally:

Regional/sectional assignments are released Friday by the IHSA and the toughest supersectional in Class 4A is a no-brainer. The supersectional at Hinsdale Central includes defending 4A champion Bolingbrook, Whitney Young, Trinity, Fenwick and Proviso East, in addition to Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley, Benet and Naperville Central from this immediate area. Gulp.

With that in mind, WW South got a huge break this year, getting shipped north to the Elgin supersectional. The Tigers are in a sectional with Bartlett and Geneva. No slouches, but no Bolingbrook.

Panthers beat up, but still winning:

Glenbard North is off to a feel-good 5-3 start even if the Panthers' health is not optimal.

Amy Falson suffered a meniscus injury in November and missed a couple weeks, but returned last week to help Glenbard North beat Wheaton North and then scored 21 points in a win over Glenbard East. Falson is getting limited reps in practice, but is bracing the knee and playing through pain with assurances she can't further damage it. Then there is Teddi Govedarica, who has an abnormal heart rhythm that will require ablasion surgery after the season. Govedarica also has experienced pain in her side, had an MRI on her kidney that is still due back and is taking precautionary antibiotics.

"We're putting it together with tape and bandaids," Panthers coach John Chamberlain said. "If I can keep my five on the floor I feel like we got a pretty good group."

Glenbard North had won four of five heading into Monday's game, and drew a No. 7 seed at the 16-team Wheaton North tournament. Key is the development of 6-3 center Katie Wisniewski.

"We've joked to her that once she finds out how big and how good she is, look out," Chamberlain said. "She's starting to dominate in the paint and gives us nice balance."

The hub to the Panthers' wheel is senior guard Brianna Harn, who has been with Chamberlain for four years. She scored 15 points in the win at Wheaton North.

"She does everything we need her to do scores, handles the ball, breaks pressure," Chamberlain said. "Without her it would not work."

Buzzing about their Hornets:

Starting four seniors who played varsity as freshmen, Hinsdale South had big expectations for this season.

So far, so good.

The Hornets are 6-1 after a big 39-36 win over Downers Grove South on Saturday night. Senior center Uzo Okoro has fought through back issues to be a steady constant inside, and junior Toni Romiti has matured greatly this year.

Then there is the commitment of seniors Andrea McNally and Natalie Tomerlin, who second-year coach Jen Belmonte said both plan to play in college.

"Literally since the day basketball ended last year they were committed to playing on any team they could find," Belmonte said. "They are the glue."

The Hornets' bench players were key in the Downers Grove South win. Hinsdale South led 20-15 at half, only to go down by 2 heading into the fourth quarter. In a back-and-forth final eight minutes, Brittany DeClouette hit a late 3-pointer that gave Hinsdale South the lead for good.

The sledding only gets tougher the next two weeks.

Hinsdale South plays at Proviso East Friday, then goes to the Montini Tournament after Christmas.

"We have some challenges ahead for sure," Belmonte said. "We'll be busy."