Girls basketball: Loyola repeats title by beating Lake Zurich in title game

When asked the best thing he liked about the Loyola Christmas tournament, veteran Lake Zurich girls basketball coach Chris Bennett said it was a well-run event, the good people and the good competition.

"If you asked the girls that question," Bennett added. "They would say it's Jeremy's (Shoenecker, Loyola coach) gifts he gives out to each player when they arrive each day."

Schoenecker's Ramblers (13-2) gave themselves a nice gift as well, a second straight championship in the second year of its own 16-team tourney in Wilmette.

The defending Class 4A state champions, ranked No. 8 in the Class 4A poll, posted a workmanlike 51-39 triumph over Bennett's Bears (10-6).

"Honestly I'm really proud of our effort," said Bears senior Molly Friesen, a Washington University recruit whose 3-pointer to start the second half ignited a 6-0 run to get the Bears to within 28-22.

"We fought real hard," she said. "We knew we had the size on them so we tried to use that to our advantage. Obviously we came up on the short end but I'm proud of our effort. I think we learned what we need to work on as a team but we also learned our strengths. I think it gives us direction for the rest of the season to keep going in practice and better ourselves."

Creighton pledge Avery Cooper led the Bears with 13 points while junior Leah Gilbertson added 9.

"Avery Cooper has had a great last two games," Bennett said. "Molly Friesen has had a great tournament. She had a tough matchup with (Aubrey) Galvan tonight and she has defended every great guard in this tournament for four days."

Galvan scored a game-high 21 points.

"I think winning this is something special," said the senior standout guard. "It's exciting to do it with a new team (following graduation of key players) as we are just proving ourselves again and again."

Cooper's 8-foot bank shot tied the game at 4-4 with 45:52 left in the first quarter before the Ramblers went on a 12-0 run , getting an array of different baskets from Galvan .

The senior speedster, a Vanderbilt recruit, started the rally with a charging 10-foot high-bank shot and moments later connected on a 25-foot 3-pointer from the top of the circle. After Emily Naraky's driving 6-footer made it 11-4, Galvan hit another 3-pointer followed by her fastbreak layup off a long pass from Naraky for the 16-4 lead.

"We had good ball movement early in the game," Shoenecker said. "And we got them (Lake Zurich) up and down the floor."

Galvan's steal and layup with 25 seconds left gave Loyola an 18-6 lead after one period.

Each team scored 10 points in the second quarter as Gilbertson had the hot hand with a 3-pointer, 8-footer in the lane and a rebound 8-foot hook. The Bears also got 2 free throws apiece from junior Alex Nowak-Tice and Cooper to trail 28-16 at the break.

Friesen's 3-pointer started a 6-0 run (including a driving 8-footer by Gilbertson and free throw by Cooper) for LZ to start the second half but Loyola answered with a 10-0 lead and led 40-26 heading into the final quarter.

A 15-footer and 3-pointer by Cooper got the Bears to within 40-31 early in the final period but that's as close as LZ would get.

"After that stretch where they got to within 6 points, I thought we responded with a nice run right there and it was nice to extend the lead there," Shoenecker added.

"We've had trouble the last few weeks where we take two steps forward and one step back," Bennett said. "So we had some good moments and then would kind of shoot ourselves in the foot and man, they take advantage of it.

"We handled their press OK. What we didn't do well was defensive rebounding, Their offensive rebounding is awfully good."

Bennett,whose team was making its first appearance in the tourney, said it was a good way to prepare for the second half of the season.

"They have a lot of weapons, five kids who can shoot the ball," he added. "We know we have some work to do but we are not too far away."

"I thought we competed really well," Shoenecker said. "Lake Zurich is really big and strong inside and we did a nice job with our outside pressure and then trying to help on the backside to make it tough on them."

In other tourney action, Lockport took a 48-40 decision over Hersey (11-6) for third place.

Rolling Meadows (12-3) earned a 46-43 win over DePaul College Prep.