Larkin turns the tables on Elgin
Larkin senior Allison Driskill said she cried herself to sleep after the Royals' first meeting with Elgin.
When asked figuratively or literallym Driskill just smiled and laughed.
She certainly slept better Tuesday night.
Driskill scored a team-high 17 points, including seven in the first quarter, to help Larkin avenge an earlier loss to its crosstown rival Elgin with a 57-41 Upstate Eight River girls basketball victory.
"So much better (of a feeling)," Driskill said.
In the first matchup of the season less than three weeks ago the Maroons snapped a 45-game losing streak with a 51-49 victory. On Tuesday, the Royals (4-19, 1-9) took control quickly.
Driskill scored seven straight points for Larkin midway through the first quarter as the Royals took a 12-6 lead with 3:14 remaining in the first quarter. Larkin increased the lead to 18-10 after the first quarter.
"I really wanted it a lot more than usual, I guess," said Driskill, who went 8-for-11 from the floor. "It's Elgin. It's our rival. We had to win."
The lead was in double figures for nearly 7 minutes in the second quarter and the Royals led 30-19 at halftime.
Bri Hamilton, who scored 30 points in Elgin's earlier victory, had only 2 points at halftime. The senior scored 12 seconds into the third quarter to cut the deficit to 9, 30-21. That would be the last time the Maroons (1-22, 1-9) got within 10.
Jill Casebeer hit a 3-pointer less than 15 seconds after Hamilton's basket to spark an 8-0 run that gave Larkin a 38-21 lead with 4:54 left in the third.
"We've been working on just being patience with our offense," Larkin coach Tissanie Simmons said. "That makes a difference when you play these type of games."
Hamilton finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Melanie Berg added 9 points off the bench for the Maroons, who lost their sixth straight since the victory over Larkin.
Casebeer scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Victoria Patterson had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Maggie Hofmann added 9 points.
The teams will play a third time on Feb. 13 in the play-in game of the Class 4A South Elgin regional.
"That's nice. That's what it's all about," Elgin coach Nick Bumbales said. "It's a rivalry. It gives the kids incentive to keep playing, both for them and for us."