Girls basketball: Batavia upsets Butler Prep at Yates Chicagoland Showcase; DGN tripped up by Nazareth
On paper, Batavia and Butler Prep looked to be a one-sided game at Saturday’s Dave Yates Chicagoland Showcase.
The Bulldogs are still trying to find their identity after the graduation of one of their most prolific scorers and playmakers, Brooke Carlson, in program history.
Besides losing Carlson, the Bulldogs had to fill the void of several other key departures from last season’s iconic 29-team win that captured the DuKane Conference title and claimed the program’s first sectional championship.
Butler Prep is a different story.
Butler Prep junior guard Xyanna Walton torched Oswego East for 24 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and two steals on Nov. 19. Walton, who is ranked in the Top 60 nationally in her class by ESPN, is the headline player on a team filled with Division I prospects.
The Lynx have at least eight players who will play on the college level, and that disparity between the rebuilding Bulldogs was evident in the opening minutes at Fremd.
But the Bulldogs, even without the do-it-all Carlson running the point, are a team to contend with in Chicagoland due to an impressive comeback victory. Batavia senior forward Hallie Crane scored a team-high 18 points and Kaidyn King added 12 points in a 51-48 win over Butler Prep. Samantha Jansey had seven points, while Natalie Warner and Julia Arulandu both added six for the Bulldogs (5-2).
Crane, a senior forward, joked that she’s “a little tired” after the emotional and physical game that featured several no-calls, which led to a helter-skelter game.
“I learned when we work together and fix things ourselves, but we had each other’s backs and picked each other up today,” Crane said. “I think our defensive pressure was very good. We worked very hard on it during practice. This win feels really good.”
Warner, a senior guard, said the Bulldogs learned several positives about themselves in the thrilling comeback victory.
“It was such a fun game,” Warner said. “The energy was so high and seeing teammates fall on the ground made us push harder for the win. This is a great confidence boost for us that we will definitely bring to other games.”
Batavia coach Kevin Jensen said his new-look team is filled with gamers capable of overcoming deficits due to their effort level and toughness.
“It might be because some people know more about their players,” Jensen said. “We have some great players, but it’s hard after you compare after you have Brooke Carlson. Natalie Warner and Hallie Crane have both been all-conference players. Julia Arulandu has been a gamer who just hasn’t gotten a lot of time yet. Our girls just play so hard. That’s what gets us our great looks on offense. In the first quarter, Butler got the looks they wanted, but when it was up and down, that’s in favor of us. Everything we do is dictated on how hard we play defensively.”
The early results on Saturday were ugly, but the Bulldogs showed they are a team to watch this season with an inspiring second-quarter comeback.
The Lynx nearly ran away with the win, building leads of 14-7 and 26-18 in the first half, but Batavia’s pressure defense caused fits and led to a 180-degree change in the game. Batavia's King canned an open 3-pointer to spark the comeback. The Bulldogs had two chances to take the lead late in the second quarter, but missed each 3-pointer, to settle for a 28-28 tie at halftime.
Walton, who had 11 points in the loss, struggled finding a rhythm in the game, even missing a Euro-step layup in the final seconds that would’ve given Butler a lead. Batavia had to battle back after Butler took a brief lead in the fourth quarter, but King hit a big 3-pointer with just under three minutes left for a 49-46 edge. Crane buried a free throw with 1.2 seconds after snaring a key steal off an in-bounds play just seconds before.
“We took some time to get together, but this is adding another level of belief that we’re a good team again,” Jensen said. “We need different things from different players than we needed in the past. We have a bunch of kids that are not afraid.”
Nazareth 54, Downers Grove North 38:
Two of the best sophomore guards headlined one of the early morning showcase games at Saturday’s Dave Yates Chicagoland Showcase.
One of the guards had already established herself with a prolific freshman season on the varsity.
The other guard spent most of her freshman season watching an established team make a run to state championship game.
In front a group of college scouts on Saturday, Downers Grove North point guard Campbell Thulin added to her rapidly growing reputation with another stellar performance.
Meanwhile, Nazareth’s Sophia Towne, a big name on the AAU circuit, is starting to build her own legacy. She stole the stoplight against the Trojans, scoring a team-high 22 points in a 54-38 victory at Fremd.
The Roadrunners (6-1) picked up 10 points from Allia Von Schlegell and six points from Stella Sakalas.
“I know I’m biased toward our kids, but I think Sophia is the best 2027 (guard) out there,” Nazareth coach Ed Stritzel said. “She’s a dynamic kid. She played a little bit last year, but we were so deep with seniors. She waited for her time. With Stella, I don’t know if you can get a better one-two punch. It’s a different team than the last three years. We’re still trying to figure things out.”
The 5-foot-10 Towne displayed a stellar game way older than her class level, with her ability to find an open teammate, pass the ball in the halfcourt, play strong defense and drill 3-pointers. Just when the Trojans had whittled the deficit to 45-35 late in the fourth quarter, Towne ignited a game-turning run with a corner 3-pointer, a lay-up off a turnover and finding Lyla Shelton for a lay-in during a 52-second whirlwind, game-turning sequence.
Towne, who has an offer from Harvard, is a key factor in Nazareth’s fast start after losing four foundational players from last season’s Class 4A runnerup team.
“I feel it was good last year to watch all of our players,” Towne said. “Now, I know how we should play for Nazareth and learn from my teammates. I didn’t play that much last year, but toward the end I played more. I thought today was good. Last year we lost to them here, so we had good adrenaline. I liked the atmosphere. It felt good to play well here.”
Sakalas said her chemistry with Towne helped the Roadrunners in the fourth quarter.
“Me and Sophia have been playing together for six years, so the pass and screen and the pass and cut, it’s a great connection,” Sakalas said. “It’s a different team. We’re having so much fun, so many kids have been waiting their turn after losing our four starters. It’s the same system but just different kids.”
On the other side, Thulin helped the Trojans (6-1) mount an impressive comeback following a slow start. The Trojans failed to score a point in the first five minutes, but Thulin got hot in the third quarter. She drilled two 3s in the third to end with a team-best 22 points.
Thulin, who has offers from Harvard, Loyola, Valparaiso and Dayton, called Saturday’s loss a good step in the right direction after the Trojans lost several standouts from last season’s 30-win team.
“I think in the second half we definitely picked it up,” Thulin said. “We played stronger and came back right at them. We played better defense, played as a team and produced more.”
Thulin kept the Trojans in the game with her long-range shooting, including drilling a 3-pointer from the corner to slice the deficit to 45-35 with 3:37. Thulin said she’s adjusting to being the go-to scorer for the Trojans.
“I’m definitely more comfortable and that just comes with playing the game more,” Thulin said. “Last year, my (senior) teammates had my back and were so supportive and welcoming. This year, it’s like my team and I can count on them for having my back. It’s a team thing. We all support each other.”
Downers Grove North coach Stephen Bolt said his team should grow from the tough defeat. Nazareth’s defense bothered the Trojans for most of the game, leading to long scoreless stretches.
“I’m proud of the way our kids competed,” Bolt said. “We’re inexperienced and we looked that. I like where we’re headed. We’re trending in the right direction. We need everyone to be a threat. This was a good test for us.”