Batavia knocks off Huntley

Batavia's girls basketball team accomplished two things that few others have been able to Wednesday afternoon.

First, the Bulldogs (14-3) were able to get Huntley 6-foot-2 senior forward Ali Andrews in early foul trouble, which ultimately helped them gain their second goal - a 48-37 victory over the Red Raiders (12-2) in the fifth-place bracket semifinals of the 7th annual Montini Christmas Tournament in Lombard.

"I felt like we weren't quite clicking on all cylinders but muscled through and found a way to win," said Batavia coach Kevin Jensen, whose team will face Evanston in Wednesday's fifth-place game. "It reminded me of our Thanksgiving tournament. The day after we beat Trinity, we played North Lawndale and found a way to win at the end."

Thanks in part to 8 early points from the Illinois-bound Andrews, Huntley grabbed a 12-6 first-quarter lead.

However, things began to change soon after Andrews picked up her third foul with 5:48 remaining in the second quarter and the Red Raiders ahead 14-10.

Batavia outscored Huntley 12-5 over that stretch, capped by an 8-2 run over the final 1:52 that included a 3-pointer from Shea Bayram and a 3-point play from 6-2 senior forward-center Hannah Frazier.

The Bulldogs led 22-19 at halftime.

"I thought we got out to a good start and that we weathered the storm pretty well in the first half but that last minute and a half kind of changed momentum for them," said Huntley coach Steve Raethz.

It didn't help matters when Andrews, who scored 12 of the Red Raiders' first 21 points, drew her fourth foul less than 2 minutes into the third quarter and didn't return until the final minute of the period.

"It's the first time all season where she's really been strapped with foul trouble," Raethz said of Andrews, who finished with a team-high 17 points. "We've got to step up and be a bit more aggressive and find ways to score on the offensive end."

The St. Louis University-bound Frazier scored 7 points during a 9-0 run that extended the Bulldogs' lead to 41-26 midway through the fourth quarter.

"Coach (Jensen) told us after halftime, 'you're going to get the ball in the post and try for that fourth foul (on Andrews),' " said Frazier, who scored a game-high 18 points with 7 rebounds.

Teammate McKenzie Foster (5 points) drew the charge that resulted in Andrews' fourth foul.

"It was a great play by Kenzie," said Frazier. "That takes her out of the game for another quarter."

Morgan Clausen added 9 points and 7 rebounds for Huntley, which lost its second straight game after a 12-0 start.

"We're getting everything that we signed up for being in this tournament in terms of playing the type of competition we've played," said Raethz.

Emily Lasse chipped in with 6 points for the Bulldogs.