Reed’s big shots send St. Charles East into Montini semifinals

St. Charles East junior forward Corinne Reed already was comfortable operating near the basket.

Now she’s getting to be that way away from it, and that’s making opposing defenses decidedly uncomfortable.

“People know that she loves to attack the basket and I think what she’s trying to do is make her game multidimensional,” St. Charles East coach Katie Claussner said. “She’s really been stepping up from the outside.”

The 5-foot-9 Reed did so on Wednesday, sinking a pair of clutch 3-pointers, including a tie-breaking trey late in the third quarter, to lift the Saints to a 52-43 victory over Louisville Assumption in the quarterfinals of the Montini Christmas Tournament. She led all scorers with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

St. Charles East (12-4) will play either York or St. Francis in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

“This is huge for our team’s confidence,” Reed said. “It’s something big for us.

“Last year, this is something we wouldn’t even imagine happening. Our mindset coming into this game would have been completely different. I think this is a big season for us.”

The Saints knew nothing about Assumption before the tournament. But Reed was in the stands when the Rockets (7-5) routed Burlington Central 61-26 in a preliminary round game on Monday.

What she saw made her forget about offense, at least at the start.

“I got to watch them play a little bit in their first game,” Reed said. “They were a very good offensive team and they hit a lot of shots.

“I don’t think I saw them miss one 3-pointer. So I was really focusing on that defensive aspect and then pushing the ball after a rebound and even a made basket, and getting up the court as fast as we can and not letting them set up.”

Seven different players scored in the first half as the Saints used a balanced attack and tough defense. They led by as many as nine points before settling for a 27-20 halftime edge, with Reed scoring on a drive to cap the scoring with 34 seconds left.

But Assumption star Kyleigh Hall, who was limited in the first half after picking up two quick fouls, scored nine of her team-high 13 points to spark the Rockets in the second half. T Morris added nine of her 11 points, including a drive that tied the game at 28.

Reed, who added five rebounds and two blocks, answered by taking a pass from Sofia O’Sullivan and draining a 3-pointer from the right wing at the 2:32 mark of the third quarter. That gave the Saints the lead for good.

“Especially going into college, that’s a big part of basketball, at least hitting open shots,” Reed said. “So over the past summer, for four or five months I just focused on shooting.

“I was already pretty good at the ball-handling and getting to the basket, but the big focus for me was being able to hit shots and being able to not just be a one-dimensional player. Compared to last year I feel so much more relaxed shooting the ball, so I’m a lot more confident in my shot.”

Reed drained another 3-pointer from the same spot, this time off a Sydney Axelsen assist, early in the fourth quarter. Carmen Aguilera followed with a tough inside basket to cap an 11-0 run and extend the lead to 42-30.

The Rockets twice got as close as five points after that, but Reed split two pairs of free throws, with Axelsen snaring offensive rebounds after both misses, after Assumption cut the gap to 46-41.

Lexi DiOrio, who was hampered by foul trouble throughout but still managed 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, sank two free throws with 45 seconds left after Assumption got within 48-43.

“Lexi is a great outside shooter and when she’s in foul trouble, we need that big-time (from Reed),” Claussner said. “She’s a great player. When she’s on, it helps us out big-time.”

Alyse Price added nine points off the bench and senior point guard Alexis Maridis had three points and four rebounds in relief of DiOrio. Maridis made two bullet entry passes that led to three St. Charles East points during the decisive run.

“She stepped it up big-time,” Claussner said of Maridis, who missed Monday’s 55-45 loss to Montini with an illness. “Her passes are fun to watch. The hard part is making sure her teammates are ready for them.

“She helps us break the press and she brings a sense of calmness out there.”