Wachal's big shot lifts Conant past Cary-Grove in OT

The final play of overtime was designed to set up a screen for Jorie Wachal, who already had scored 19 points for Conant's girls basketball teak in the first 35 minutes.

While it didn't quite go as planned, Wachal did end up with the ball being tapped her way near the 3-point arc.

The junior guard then drove to the basket and calmly hit a running 12-footer in the lane with 3.3 seconds left.

That game-high 21st point proved to be the margin of difference in the Cougars' 41-39 nonconference victory over Cary-Grove, which missed on a 3-pointer as time expired.

"It was supposed to be a screen up top," said Wachal (13 rebounds, 2 steals), a three-year varsity player who notched her first game-winning shot. "But the ball got tipped to me so I just went to the basket because I knew time was running down."

Wachal, who scored a career-high 40 points and also had a 36-point effort earlier this season, helped the Cougars erase an 18-8 deficit. She hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 10-0 run that tied the game at 18-18 with 2:55 left in the second quarter.

Sophomore Cate Fitzgerald (2 assist) made four straight free throws during the 10-0 rally.

"Forty four (Wachal) is heck of a player," said Cary-Grove coach Rod Saffert, whose team is 1-11. "We were trying hard not to let her score, but she's good."

It was a good win for Conant which improved to 3-7.

"It's a good confidence-builder for us," Wachal said. "Our record isn't as great as we would like but we keep playing harder every game and come back that much stronger."

"These kids have almost gotten more motivated after each loss." said Conant coach Deirdre Naughton. "I haven't once seen an ounce of negativity after any loss. They just want to get better. They have a great attitude going into Christmas."

Cary-Grove also showed a great attitude on Tuesday, hustling all over the floor to keep the hosts on their toes.

A perfect example was when junior Becca Kendeigh went all-out, sliding to keep a ball from going out of bounds and slapped it back in play to a teammate.

Moments later, it was Kendeigh with a big baseline drive for layup that gave the Trojans a 36-29 lead early in the third quarter.

Trojans senior Olivia Miller scored a team-high 15 points, including a big hustle play to start the final quarter.

Miller rebounded her own miss and then drove under the basket for a reverse layup that brought the Trojans back to within 39-38 after they had fallen behind for the first time late in the third quarter.

"Things have been kind of snowballing for us but this was certainly a much better game than we have been playing," Saffert said. "The whole team played well. Girls off the bench played well, too."

Kendeigh added 9 points for Cary-Grove while Maddie Gorz had 8, including 2 big baskets in the final quarter.

Wachal's layup with 2:12 left in regulation made it 34-32 before Cary-Grove tied it when Gorz hit a 16-footer with 47 seconds left.

Conant was working for a final shot on its next possession when Miller stripped the ball away from a Cougar in the lane with 3.4 seconds and the game eventually went to OT.

With 1:30 left in the extra session, junior guard Brit Laskero (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) followed a Wachal layup by hitting a 3-pointer to give Conant a 39-34 lead.

But Cary-Grove received a 6-foot turnaround jumper by Miller with 1:25 left to make it 39-36.

After a couple of missed free throw by Conant with 1:06, Miller's 3-point play at 59 seconds tied the sore at 39-39, the way it stood when Wachal hit the game-winner.

"She's a great player and somehow found a way to get to the basket," Naughton said. "She's hit lot a lot big shots for us but never a game-winner like that."

"We knew they (Cary-Grove) were a strong team which played hard and loves to drive," Wachal said. "We had to stop that. We started out slow but we got it together."

Junior guard Michelle Benson, who had a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, added 5 points for Conant with 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

Senior guard Karli Heneghan also had a 3-pointer.

"We have a bunch of guards and try to use that to our advantage," said the 5-foot- 10 Wachal who won the opening jump in regulation and overtime. "We try to expose bigger teams with our quickness as guards."