Stevenson scores 18 straight in win over Huntley
One burst was all it took.
Trailing Huntley 12-10 in the second quarter, Stevenson rattled off 18 straight points to take control. From there, the Patriots rolled to a 49-33 win in the quarterfinals of the 40th Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown.
Emory Klatt scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Patriots (12-1) who will play New Trier, a 47-45 winner over St. Charles North, in Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. semifinal. Nisha Musunuri added 13 points.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, I don’t even know,” said Stevenson coach Regan Carmichael when asked who or what keyed the Patriots’ sudden rally. “Offensively, we’re better than what we showed, and defensively as well. And we were just trying to find our groove.”
Klatt thought that the ability to get out in transition fueled the run.
“Nisha (Musunuri) and Kendell (Williams), our guards, really emphasized pushing the tempo and getting some breakaway layups,” Klatt said. “We really valued our transition offense, and I think that’s what made us explosive in the second quarter.”
Stevenson started slowly in its halfcourt offense, missing 9 of its 11 first-quarter shots. But a steal and layup by Williams jump-started the rally. Then Klatt rebounded her own miss, Sydney Rosland drove the lane for a layup, Musunuri scored in transition and suddenly the Patriots led by 6. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Musunuri and Rosland pushed the lead to 26-12 just before halftime.
Huntley was led by 10 points by Yasmine Morsy. The Red Raiders found themselves shorthanded after Paula Strzelecki picked up three quick fouls and guard Anna Campanelli left with an injury in the second quarter.
With Strzelecki still in foul trouble, Madison Diaz gave Huntley a lift off the bench. She scored 8 points, all in the second half, for the Red Raiders. Campanelli finished with 6 points.
Before the game, Huntley coach Steve Raethz was recognized for his election to the IBCA Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rosland finished with 7 points for Stevenson. Williams grabbed 8 rebounds as the Patriots won the board battle 28-12.
The transition offense was ignited by a suddenly ramped up defense. The Patriots forced 9 turnovers in the big second quarter, in which they outscored Huntley 24-6, and 19 for the game.
The Red Raiders, who play St. Charles North on Thursday, made a brief run in the second half, getting as close as 43-29 after a bucket by Morsy.