Hersey, Rogowski finally tame Wheeling

Going into Friday's night game at Wheeling, Hersey three-year girls basketball varsity standout Megan Rogowski had not been on the winning end of a game against the Wildcats in six tries.

But with her dazzling drives and array of shots that led to a team-high 21 points, the junior guard and the Huskies found a winning combination over the powerful Wildcats, escaping with a 54-49 victory before a fine crowd in the Wheeling gymnasium.

The Huskies (7-3) rallied from an 11-4 deficit, took the lead for good at 11-10, led by as many as 14 points, and then held off a late rally to end Wheeling's 19-game winning streak in the Mid-Suburban East.

Seniors Maddie Swan (12 points, 5 rebounds), Kathryn Korff (12 rebounds) and Julia Fredian (11 points), coming back from a wrist injury, were all key players as the Huskies took over sole possession of first place in the East.

Hersey stands at 3-0 while Wheeling (8-2) and Prospect (10-2) are tied for second at 2-1.

"It's awesome to win on their floor," said Swan, whose 2 free throws with 38.8 seconds left were the final points of the game. "We just kept our composure. We knew we had to stay calm the entire game. Wheeling is a great team but we came out confident, feeling we could win."

The Wildcats got to within 52-48 when senior guard Janelle Cannon (game-high 24 points) drove for a layup with 1:26 left in the game.

A free throw by senior Stephanie Kuzmanic (15 points) made it 52-49 with 50 seconds left.

Cannon missed about six minutes in the first half after taking a hit to her jaw.

Bianca Szafarowicz (all 6 points from the free throw line) also saw limited time in the first after picking up two fouls in the first four minutes.

"Janelle is a tough competitor but she was definitely crying when she came off the court after taking an elbow or a shoulder, not intentionally, to her jaw," said Wildcats coach Shelly Wiegel. "She came back in and gave us a great game.

"But when you have two all-area players go out with an injury and foul trouble, it's tough. And Hersey did a great job. They made their free throws (17-of-26) and executed."

Hersey senior guard Andrea Perkins handed out 3 assists and teammate Eileen Zydek had had some big buckets, including a 12-foot pull-up jumper which gave Hersey a 48-39 lead with 4:53 left.

Hersey coach Mary Fendley wasn't even sure if Fredian would be able to shoot because of the injury she suffered last week.

"I thought maybe she'd only be able to pass with her left hand," the coach said. "But she did way more than that. And Kathyrn Korff might never have to score a point for us the way she rebounded. Maddie Swan knocked down some big shots and free throws for us and got great position on the boards."

Trailing 11-4, Rogowski got the Huskies rolling when she hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 11-10.

"That was ridiculous," Rogowski said about Hersey's big win. "We had three people in double-digit scoring. And we did a good job shutting down Bianca (Szafarowicz). They have a really tough press (which helped the Wildcats get back into the game in the fourth quarter). They have big, lanky arms and they get a lot of steals. I tried to cut into it to break it."

The Huskies are back on the floor today at 9 a.m. against Elgin in the Wheaton North tourney.

Wheeling begins play in the Warren tourney today at 6 p.m. against Lake Forest.

"It's a good thing," said Wiegel about playing another game today. "We want to get right back on the floor."