Schaumburg 51, Hoffman Estates 37

While it wasn't the prettiest game offensively, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg battled in a typical Mid-Suburban West game.

Thirty-two minutes of aggressive, fast-paced girls basketball that would tip in favor of the Saxons with a 51-37 win at home on Friday night.

Both Hoffman and Schaumburg had their struggles on offense with an array of missed opportunities close to the basket. On a night that looked as if defense would rule, Schaumburg senior Drewann Pancratz lifted the Saxons with 30 points.

"Drew picked up her teammates offensively and our defense held up the entire game so I'm happy for that and the win," said Saxons coach Bill Murmann.

For Pancratz, 20 points came in the second half as she also played a key role with her passing in the game.

"We came out focused for this one. We wanted to concentrate on moving that ball around and I think as a whole our team did a great job of that," said Pancratz.

Schaumburg (7-0, 1-0) also received 10 points apiece from seniors Kylie Castans and Gabby Blackwell.

Hoffman (5-2, 0-1) kept up with the Saxons in the fourth quarter by scoring 17 of its 37 points. Sophomore Megan Baradoni finished with a team-high 14 points, 10 in a row as the Hawks attempted a comeback before the half.

Hoffman's other top scorers were freshman Jada Stotts, who had 8 points, and junior Carol King with 7 points.

Schaumburg concentrated early on defending Hoffman junior and offensive standout Megan Fischer. Castans played a key role in holding Fischer to 6 points.

"This was one of the best games defensively for us so far," said Murmann. "Kylie did a great job guarding Fischer who is normally their leading scorer."

It appears as though the "rivalry well" won't be running dry between these two MSL teams anytime soon. Schaumburg had motivation going into this game that stemmed to this summer.

"Hoffman beat us in summer league so we've been looking forward to this game for a while," said Pancratz. "It feels good to get this win."