advertisement

Girls basketball: Stevenson’s teamwork clicks in win over Carmel

With the rebounding of Alexa Karcz and the passing of Nisha Musunuri the Stevenson girls basketball team was able to pull away in the second half for a 41-31 victory against Carmel on Tuesday.

Karcz was a rebound away from a double-double with 10 points.

She credited the competition she has faced recently for her success on the boards.

“Going against (Alex Nowak-)Tice from Lake Zurich was really helpful,” Karcz said. “Boxing out her is a challenge, same with (Madison) Sears from Libertyville. Boxing out these really tall people as an undersized post like me really helps. “

In what was a tight game early, Stevenson (6-3 overall) broke away in the second half. Musunuri sank a 3-pointer and assisted on three more buckets to help give the Patriots a 29-17 lead going into the fourth quarter. She finished with six assists, five of them in the second half, to go along with eight points in the game.

Overall, Stevenson excelled at distributing the ball with 12 assists on 16 field goals.

“That is really cool,” Stevenson coach Regan Carmichael said about the number of assisted baskets. “We have been waiting for that this season to really click. You know, to kind of gel and jive a little bit. I think we have seen glimpses of it.”

Sydney Rosland led the Patriots in scoring with 11 points, including three 3-pointers in the second half.

The first half was a defensive battle, in which each team only made one field goal in the second quarter.

Stevenson clogged the paint with a zone defense, daring Carmel to take outside shots. Josie Hartman made a 3 for the Corsairs’ only basket in the second quarter.

“Having so much success with our defense just really put us in a good mood and pushed us to score more,” Karcz said. “Honestly, we felt more like a team.”

Carmel (5-7) countered with an aggressive man defense and it worked well early.

Carmel scored a pair of baskets early from Maia Cordova and Josie Hartman to lead 4-0, but the Patriots rallied back and led for the rest of the game.

The Patriots made their mark in the third, outscoring Carmel 14-8. The Patriots led by as many as 16 but Carmel put up its best offensive showing in the fourth with 12 points. Grace Booher and Maliyah Mayes each sank a 3.

Hartman led Carmel with nine points, while Mayes had seven, along with four rebounds, and Cordova had six boards and six points.

“Our effort was there and has been there this year,” said Carmel coach Ben Berg. “We just have breakdowns on one end of the floor or the other at the most inopportune times. That is our youthfulness. We are looking for consistency over four quarters.”

  Stevenson’s Sydney Rosland and Carmel’s Josie Hartman battle for a rebound in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Stevenson’s Alexa Karcz is fouled by Carmel’s Ayo Akingbesote as she tries to score between Akingbesote and Maliyah Mays, right, in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel’s Maron Bowes reaches for the ball headed toward Stevenson’s Nisha Musunuri in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel’s Maliyah Mays tries to block a shot by Stevenson’s Alexa Karcz in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel’s Ayo Akingbesote tries to control the ball against Stevenson’s Alexa Karcz in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel’s Grace Booher gets a rebound against Stevenson’s Michelle Dubilier and Reese Mclelland, right, in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Stevenson’s Michelle Dubilier defends against Carmel’s Josie Hartman in a girls basketball game in Lincolnshire on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.