Fox girls basketball notes: Carlson reaches 2,000 heading into Batavia-Geneva rematch

A photo finish appears to be in the works in the DuKane Conference.

Both Geneva and Batavia started the week with 8-1 league marks and will butt heads again Friday in Batavia. Geneva won the first bout 52-44 at home. The Vikings’ only conference loss is to St. Charles North (34-27).

“Our conference is so tough,” Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said. “Any team can beat any team on any night.”

The Vikings were 15-7 overall at week’s start, powered by the strong play of Leah Palmer, Caroline Madden, Kinsey Gracey and Keria McCann.

“Leah is having a great season for us,” Meadows said. “Caroline runs our team from the point position. Kinsey is playing with confidence and has made some big baskets. Keria comes off the bench and is playing some big-time minutes. She has an impact on the game as soon as she steps on the court.”

Batavia update: Colorado State-bound Brooke Carlson is now first all-time in Batavia girls basketball history in career steals and assists

In a 59-37 win over Wheaton North on Wednesday, Carlson scored 30 points to give her 2,002 in her career. Next up is chasing Hannah Frazier as the school’s all-time leading scorer.

UW-Whitewater recruit Kylee Gehrt is having “another great year,” noted coach Kevin Jensen, whose Bulldogs, now 20-5. Gehrt averages just under 9 points a game and usually is tasked with guarding the top perimeter player on the other team, Jensen added.

Addi Lowe, a senior captain who missed half of last season with an injury, Hallie Crane and Addie Prewitt also have equity in the Bulldogs’ great success this season.

“Addi is our best on-the-ball defender and is tasked with guarding opponents’ point guards for 84 feet,” Jensen said. “She may not fill up the stat lines, but she is exceptionally valuable for our team. Hallie and Addie are two other very important players for us. They are versatile on offense and defense. You may see them guarding anyone from a 1 to a 5. They are both very active rebounders and provide great spacing for our offense as solid 3-point shooters.”

Burlington Central update: Emma Payton scored a career-high 29 points against Crystal Lake Central, which included nine 3s, which is a new school record. She’s also shooting 82 percent from the free-throw line and averages 7.2 rebounds. Senior Emersyn Fry is the team’s second-leading scorer (just under 10 a game). Senior Kenzie Andersen is the team’s top defender and second-leading rebounder, while freshman Audrey LaFleur is the third-leading scorer and “provides a jolt of energy for the team and is extremely competitive,” coach Mike Carani noted.

Elgin update: Junior Izzie Castro had a strong outing against Jacobs recently, scoring 12 points and connecting on three 3s. Castro currently has 79 threes this season, which bested her EHS single-season record of 63 last year. She also broke Maroon legend Melissa Parker’s record for career 3-pointers made with her 162nd against St. Edward. She sits at 178 for her career. Four-year varsity captain Jocelyn Bardesi is averaging 8 points and 4 assists over a recent 5-game run, while sophomore Aamiyah Dixon is at 6 points and shooting 43 percent from 3 in her last five. Elgin was 8-16 to start the week.

Harvest Christian update: The Lions downed Chicago Christian 63-38 in a recent game where juniors Daphne Brown and Ellie Semerau each had 20 points. Paige Nestrick scored 16 points on four 3-pointers. “We generated a lot of offense from sharing the ball and knocking down open looks,” coach Jeremy Burke noted.

Kaneland update: The Knights (15-8 overall) started the week in second place in the Interstate Eight Conference at 5-1, a half-game behind Sycamore. The two teams play Feb. 7 in Kaneland’s final league game.

Kendra Brown has hit 55 threes so far—the school single-season record is 80. Brown is a three-year varsity player as is Lexi Schueler. “Lexi and Kendra lead us in almost all our statistical categories,” coach Brian Claesson said. “They are leaders on our team and have done a great job of incorporating our younger girls on the team.”

Claesson also has been pleased with Sam Kerry’s progress. “Sam has really stepped up and gives us a quality option on offense and is a very steady defensive player,” he said.

South Elgin update: Two key drivers of late for the Storm (6-17, 4-7 Upstate Eight) have been sophomore Taleah Banner and Madison Hunt. Banner averaged 8.2 points over a recent 5-game stretch. “Taleah was on the freshman team last year, hurt at the beginning of the season, but is truly coming into her own right now,” coach Emily Driessen noted. “She brings a ton of energy to the floor and is working hard to be a key contributor for our team. Madison has been a big difference-maker for us. She is a top scorer, second in assists and is also assigned the toughest defensive matchups. She was one of the only returners who had varsity experience. As a captain and a senior leader, she has helped set the tone and will take on any role to help the team be successful.”

Also of note, Liz Miller recently recorded her eighth double-double of the season.

St. Charles East update: The Saints started the week 16-7 overall and 5-4 in DuKane play. Coach Katie Claussner said Addie Schilb has provided offensive and defensive sparks off the bench, while Alexis Maridis “has proven to be tough to guard when she is attacking the basket,” the coach added.