New Trier gets past Buffalo Grove

If you want to take a measure of just how improved Buffalo Grove's girls basketball team is this season, just take a look at Thursday night's 34-29 loss to New Trier in the Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown.

The Bison, despite shooting just 10-of-28 from the floor and 2-of-8 on 3-pointers through three quarters, forged from behind to carve out a 24-19 lead after three by holding New Trier to 2 field goals in the quarter and limiting the Trevians to just 7 shot attempts.

"We pride ourselves on defense," said BG coach Stephen Kolodziej, who starts three juniors and brings two off the bench as his first subs.

But against a well-drilled, veteran team like New Trier, it just didn't hold up in the fourth quarter.

The Bison didn't even score in the fourth quarter until there were 3 minutes left and by then the Trevians (12-3) had scored 7 straight points to storm ahead, the go-ahead bucket a killer 3-pointer by center Liv Becker. But the dagger came from guard Cassie Fix, a press-breaking, driving 3-point play for a 32-29 lead after Macy Floro (9 points) had put BG ahead for the last time at 29-27 on a drive. Taite Ryan had responded to tie it. Free throws by Jessica Kalis sealed it for New Trier.

But Kolodziej is no less proud of his kids and their effort as Alyssa Ramos (7 points), Kendra Lee and Sydney Fortman took turns coming up with big baskets, steals, rebounds and even a few blocked shots in backing up high-scorer Floro.

"These girls won just five games all last year," he noted after the game. "We did a good job," on defense, limiting New Trier to 5 points in the third quarter, a quarter which has been a bugaboo for the Bison of late. "We disrupted them. They're a good basketball team, well coached."

The Bison (9-5) like to think they are too and are showing the improvement to back it.

"It's a process," said Kolodziej, whose club meets Maine South in a fifth-place bracket game Friday afternoon