Naperville Central falters in 2nd OT
Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum appreciated his team’s efforts.
Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for the Redhawks to post a victory.
Outscored by Mother McAuley 7-2 in the second overtime, the Redhawks fell to the Mighty Macs 67-62 in double overtime of the consolation championship of the 29th annual Charger Classic on Thursday afternoon at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.
“I am very pleased with how hard we played,” Nussbaum said. “I have no complaints with the effort of any of our girls. It’s not like any of them wanted to turn the ball over. We made some mistakes and committed some turnovers which hurt us. We didn’t get any breaks at all today, especially in overtime.
“How many tournaments would you have to play a team of the caliber of Mother McAuley in the consolation championship game? We always get a good test in this tournament, year after year.”
Naperville Central (8-7) looked to be in good shape when Emma Donahue canned a 5-footer with 1:54 left in the first overtime to give the Redhawks a 60-54 lead. Those were the last points Naperville Central scored during the first extra session.
The Mighty Macs (10-6) forged a tie as Alyssa Siwek hit a 3-pointer and 3 free throws, and the game was tied at 60 after one overtime.
Mother McAuley dominated the second overtime with Susie Durkin and Tiffany Fortune each scoring 3 points.
Siwek and Fortune paced the Mighty Macs with 19 apiece, while Durkin scored 11.
“These girls never quit,” said Mother McAuley coach Karen Ade. “We were sloppy at times, but we made some huge plays. This was a good win to end the tournament. These are great kids.”
Donahue paced the Redhawks with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Sarah Lang came off the bench to score a personal-high 14 points, including three 3-pointers.
“Emma Donahue had a great game and they had trouble stopping her,” Nussbaum said. “She was a force inside. This was the third straight game in the tournament she has played well. Sarah really shot the ball well and made some key shots. There were certainly positives we can take from this game and this tournament.”