Career night for St. Edward's Kerr
Tuesday was a night that St. Edward senior guard Maddie Kerr will never forget.
Kerr scored her 1,000th career point in the third quarter of the Green Wave's 66-47 victory over Coal City in the opening round of the annual Holiday Cage Classic at Lisle High School.
Kerr was showered with gifts from her teammates and family following the game, and she couldn't have been happier to attain such an exclusive feat.
"It felt awesome," she said. "(Senior guard Callie Johnson) is also really close to getting it. It's nice to be a part of that history not a lot of girls from our school have reached that accomplishment."
St. Edward assistant coach Dennis Butzow served as head coach for the game, as head coach Michelle Dawson was off with a milestone of her own the birth of a son last week. Butzow, a former standout basketball player at St. Edward himself, was proud to be part of St. Edward history.
"I've been with her since she came here as a freshman," said Butzow. "She's a hardworking kid, and she deserves it. She does so much in the off-season to get herself ready. Not a lot of kids reach (1,000 points). It's a special night."
The Wave (10-3) dominated the entire game and held the Coalers to just 4 points in the first quarter. St. Edward led by 26 points heading into the fourth quarter.
St. Edward will face Newark in today's 8 p.m. quarterfinal.
After having a week off in between games, Kerr knew her team was well rested and ready to get back to competition.
"We were hungry to get back out there and play," she said. "We wanted to get up fast so the girls who don't normally get in could get in. That's always our goal."
Kerr finished the evening with 12 points, while Johnson led the way for the Wave with 19.
Junior guard Brittany Crawford led Coal City with 10 points, and sophomore guard Emily Halliday had 9.
Kerr's milestone will go on in Wave history, and she knows she couldn't have done it without her teammates.
"They're the ones who give me all my points," Kerr said. "They're the ones who pass me the ball and give me opportunities to score. They're a huge part of it. I couldn't have done it by myself."
South Elgin 61, Plainfield East 49: Becca Smith poured in 20 points to lead the Storm (9-4) to a victory at the Oswego East Holiday Tournament. Savanah Uveges also recorded double-digits with 12 points while Kennede Miller chipped in 9 points.
"We hadn't played in 13 days so I was a little worried about how we'd come out today but we played well," said South Elgin coach Tim Prendergast. "The first game of the Chirstmas tournament is a trap game but we did well."
The Storm will take on top-seeded Downers Grove South in a 6:30 p.m. quarterfinal today.
Jacobs 43, Downers Grove North 38: The Golden Eagles (2-11) battled tough to earn a victory over Downers Grove North at the Wheaton North Bill Neibch Falcon Classic. Jessica Tennant was the lone Golden Eagle in double-figures with 12 points while Tori Tamburrino and Amy Becker recorded 7 and 6 points, respectively.
Hinsdale Central 52, Elgin 24: The Maroons (0-13) struggled offensively as they fell to the Red Devils in the Wheaton North Bill Neibch Falcon Classic. Maggie Powers led the Maroons with 6 points while Kristin Tayag added 5 points.
Christian Liberty Academy 39, Harvest Christian 29: Sydney Doby led the Lions (7-3) with 19 points but it was not enough as they fell in the Alden-Hebron Christmas Tournament. Kylee Knox added 5 points for the Lions.
John Radtke and Courtney LaFerle contributed to this report