Hononegah 70, Cary-Grove 56
ROCKTON -- Cary-Grove saw its season end in a hail of 3-point baskets Monday night.
Hononegah shot its way to a 70-56 victory in the first semifinal of the Class 4A Hononegah sectional. Jacobs and St. Charles North meet tonight in the other semi.
The Trojans (26-4) were able to pound the ball inside to Jamie Kuhl, who scored 21 points, and Danielle Smith, who added 11, but they couldn't match the Indians on the perimeter.
Hononegah seemingly threw up shots from every spot on the court. But the Indians (26-6) made a good percentage -- 9 of 23 from long range -- pressed relentlessly and seemed to get every loose ball.
After trailing by 7 points at halftime, Cary tied the game at 30 on a conventional 3-point play by Kuhl and a transition layup by Smith. But Hononegah then went on a 12-3 run to take the lead for good.
"They got a big run of 3-pointers that we just didn't contest," said Cary-Grove's Jill Cole, who scored 10 points.
The Indians maintained a comfortable lead throughout the fourth quarter by making free throws: 14 of 17 in the final period.
"We came in and executed our game plan," said Cary-Grove coach Rod Saffert. "At times we got away from our game plan and it cost us. Of course, they were playing at home, where they probably shoot hundreds of 3s every day.
"But we've got a lot to be happy about, a lot to be positive about."
Cary-Grove's 26 wins, against just 4 losses, was the second-most in school history. The Trojans defeated 4 regional champions, including Jacobs, Huntley, Conant and Johnsburg.
It was a bit of deja vu for Cary-Grove. The Indians won by a similar margin when the two met in the Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving tournament.
Courtney Shelton scored a game-high 23 points for Hononegah, including 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter. Kelsey Carroll made 4 of the Indians' 3-pointers and finished with 18 points.
The long-range shots were something of a necessity for Hononegah, according to coach Tim Bukoski.
"When we're on, we're hard to beat," he said. "If we're off we've got problems because we have no size."
"We came out really hard and aggressive," said Smith, "But obviously their 3-pointers killed us. It seemed like even if we were stuck on them, they still hit them."
With Cole and Liz Bart scoring 4 points apiece, the Trojans took a 15-12 lead after one quarter. Hononegah then started the second quarter with a 14-2 run to take control.
Cary-Grove actually made 23 field goals to the Indians' 22, but the Indians' 3-pointers and free throws were the difference.