Buffalo Grove seniors bid home floor farewell
Buffalo Grove's seniors took their own floor for the final time of their high school girls basketball careers on Thursday night.
"Sad, very sad," said senior tri-captain Morgan Angotti after the Bison dropped a 47-35 decision to York.
"lt's still something we're trying to process," said three-year varsity performer Emily Cho of her final home game. "And it's different from last year because after our last regular-season game we still had the regional on our home floor."
This time, the No. 15-seeded Bison will head north to Gurnee on Monday night for the Class 4A Warren regional and face No. 18 Waukegan in a play-in game at 7:30 p.m.
"We've been working really hard so all we want to do is keep that up," Angotti said. "And then hopefully everything will fall in place."
Baskets were falling about equally for both teams through the first 13 minutes of Thursday's nonconference regular-season finale.
Despite trailing 15-9 after one quarter, BG (5-24) got to within 15-14 with three minutes left in the half when Cho made 2 free throws.
But York (17-12) went on a 12-1 run and never looked back.
Bison coach Pat Dudle said all-conference center Bailey North hyperextended her elbow while reaching for a rebound in the first quarter. The 6-foot junior did not play the rest of the game.
Cho's floor time was limited by a knee ailment but she still managed 13 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
Both players are hoping to be ready Monday night.
Angotti chipped in 6 points for BG while sophomore Courtney Meyer had 6 (1 3-pointer) and junior Alyssa Mills 4.
"Morgan has been a great spiritual leader and stepped up this game giving us good minutes," Dudle said. "We've played a great schedule and we have been battle-tested. I hope it pays dividends in the regional."
"Playing with a lot of energy is our biggest priority," Cho said. "That sets the tone for our defense."
York coach Jason Reinecke, whose team also played Conant and Prospect this season, stressed the Bison defense.
"Any time you get a chance to play a Mid-Suburban League team it's a great experience because you know you are going to have a good tough defensive test," he said. "That's always good for our girls."
York 5-5 junior guard AnnaBell Lansdowne (13 ppg) scored a game-high 19 points, including 4 3-pointers, along with a career-high 8 rebounds, 3 assist and 1 steal.
"That's what we hope she does on a nightly basis," Reinecke said of his two-year varsity performer. "I thought in the first quarter when we were kind of flat, she was definitely out there playing hard and setting the tone for us."