Kaneland rolls over Morris

Once the Kaneland girls basketball team stepped on the gas, it never let up.

Leading just 10-6 after one quarter, the Knights turned up the defensive pressure and outscored Morris 44-15 in the middle two quarters.

They limited the Redskins to just 9 field goals overall and improved to 5-0 with a convincing 69-23 Northern Illinois Big 12 victory in their home opener.

Seniors Vanessa Gould and Camri Conley combined to shoot 12-for-15 from the field, sharing game-high scoring honors with 12 points each.

Morgan Weber and Jenni Weber both hit two 3-pointers and tallied 11 and 8 points, respectively, while Meg Cohrs added 7 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

Playing without its top two guards, Morris (1-5, 0-1) turned the ball over 29 times against the Knights' relentless trapping defense.

"Once we got our defense going, it seemed like we played with a lot more energy," said Knights' coach Ernie Colombe.

Kaneland received strong play from junior Kylie Modaff (5 points) and sophomore Jamie Martens (4 points, 7 rebounds). Carley Elliott and Nicole Koczka also contributed 3-pointers.

"All the girls are working hard and it's always fun to get everyone in," Colombe said.

The Knights received more good news as injured 6-foot-3 starting center Bailey Crimmins got her walking boot off and hopes to rejoin the lineup in the next few weeks.

"We don't want to rush it, but she'll be a nice addition for us," Colombe said.