Hawks shock Saxons

Quitting was not an option for Hoffman Estates' girls basketball team on Tuesday.

In a game that would come down to the wire, the Hawks powered past Schaumburg for a 51-50 Mid-Suburban West home win.

"We've been close a couple of times against good teams like Schaumburg," said Hoffman coach Michael Nocella. "To get this win is a big feather in our cap."

The Hawks (17-6, 2-5) set the tone early by not allowing the Saxons to take over in the paint. Tight defense and strong outside shooting allowed Hoffman to take a 18-16 lead after the first quarter as 5-foot-10 junior Megan Fischer had 11 of her game-high 21 points.

"This was an excellent win for us because our two schools have such a big rivalry," said Fischer.

Schaumburg's defense would begin to find its groove in the second quarter as it held Hoffman to 10 points and tied the game at 28-28 at halftime.

Despite giving up the lead at the break, the Hawks came out firing yet again in the second half. Stepping up big in the third quarter was senior guard Melissa Douglas, who had 7 of her 13 points.

"Going into this game coach told us we had nothing to lose and to just have fun," said Douglas. "I think that really helped how we approached Schaumburg."

The final four minutes of the game saw four lead changes. After Schaumburg tied the game Douglas hit her second 3-pointer in a row with two minutes remaining to give Hoffman a 49-46 lead.

The Saxons (20-3, 5-2) quickly stormed back as seniors Drewann Pancratz (17 points) sank a short-range jumper and Gabrielle Blackwell (13 points) scored in the key. With just over a minute to play the Saxons led 50-49.

After a Schaumburg timeout, the Hawks held the ball until Fischer powered her way in for a go-ahead layup with 20 seconds left. With one final possession the Saxons were unable to convert on two chances as the Hawks defense stood tall.

"These kids finally played to what I think our potential is," said Nocella.

If there was any doubt the win isn't leaving Hoffman in a good mood, Fischer summed it up best.

"I probably won't get to bed until 4 a.m. because I'll still be smiling," she said.