Palmer sparks Wauconda to big win over Antioch
Wauconda sophomore guard Sarah Palmer poured in a career- and game-high 18 points — off the bench, no less — in the Bulldogs’ 59-29 defeat of host Antioch on Tuesday night.
But she sported only one expression — a stoic one — all night.
“I shut down when I’m out there,” said the steely, 5-foot-8 Palmer, who entered the first minute of the Northern Lake County Conference girls basketball game after starter Grace Parker suffered an ankle injury.
“No thoughts,” she added. “And all I hear is coach’s (Jaime Dennis’) voice.”
Palmer grabbed all 7 of her rebounds in the first half, pounced on a loose ball seconds after losing it on the offensive end of hardwood in the second half, and took a charge, at 2:12 of the third quarter, near the end of a 12-2 Wauconda run that stretched the visitors’ lead to 37-21.
Oh, and she had a handful of deflections and steals, one-timed a beautiful assist to senior Helen Macey (11 points, 5 rebounds), and netted a fade-away bank shot that upped the lead to 47-23 at 5:24 of the final frame.
Palmer. Was. Everywhere.
And excelled no matter where she found herself on the court.
“We all knew Sarah was capable of the game she had tonight, and did she ever come through for us,” a thrilled Dennis said. “My favorite moment was how hard she hustled and hit the floor after she got her pocket picked.”
The win lifted Wauconda’s overall record to 16-5, 10-1 (second place in the NLCC; Antioch slipped to 16-8, 8-3.
Wauconda led 13-4 after 8 minutes Tuesday night, with Palmer authoring 9 of the points. Antioch’s strongest quarter was the second, when the Sequoits outscored the Bulldogs 13-12 behind sophomore guard-forward Heidi Rathmann’s 8 points, 6 via free throws.
Rathmann would finish with a team-high 15 points to go with 4 boards. Teammate Macie Volkmar contributed 5 points.
The Bulldogs held a 25-17 advantage at the break and asserted themselves in the third stanza shortly after a bucket from Antioch junior guard Madison Avila. Macey started that 12-2 surge with a basket at 6:07 and sophomore post player Kelsey Piehl capped it with a 2-pointer at 1:59.
Guess who deserved an “assist” ahead of Piehl’s field goal?
Palmer, that's who. She had taken a charge at the other end of the court.
Wauconda got a 3-pointer from senior Ella Franck (13 points) at the outset of the fourth quarter to trigger a game-clinching 12-0 burst. The score stood a formidable 52-23 with 4:29 left.
Bulldogs sophomore guard Alexia Manalo struck for 9 points, including 6 freebies in the fourth quarter.
The two teams play a rematch at Wauconda at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Antioch coach Jamie D’Andrea said. “Tonight we had a game plan, but we just didn’t execute it. I don’t think we’re a team that’s 30 points worse than Wauconda’s team.”