Lisle's third-quarter drought helps Westmont get playoff win
Lisle had the stage set to turn the tables on Westmont Thursday.
A good game plan. Sound execution. Even the "Rocky" theme cued up as pregame soundtrack.
A third-quarter drought will keep the Lions hungry for another year, though.
Lisle went scoreless the entire third quarter and a minute and change into the fourth, costly in a 36-30 loss to Westmont in the Class 2A Lisle regional final.
Lisle (18-11), seeking its first regional championship since 2004, led 14-11 at the half. But Westmont (27-3) scored 17 unanswered points out of the break until Tara Sarb's 3-pointer with 6:23 left in the game.
"The first half we played really well, made things difficult for them and had the lead," Lisle coach Dan Murray said. "Unfortunately, our issue all year when it rains it pours with us."
Westmont coach Mike McCord wanted his team to speed up the pace to start the second half. Switching to a 1-3-1 zone worked. A steal and score by Jackie Elzakhem seconds in jump-started the Sentinels.
"Our 1-3-1 seemed to bother them a little bit," McCord said, "and I told the girls at half, 'They're just outhustling us right now.' We just needed to play harder. Nothing strategic had to change we just had to play better."
Westmont is 7-0 against Lisle over the last three years, eliminating the Lions in regionals all three seasons. McCord insisted there was no looking past Lions.
"If it was somebody other than Lisle, maybe," McCord said. "But Lisle is such a rivalry nobody has any problems getting our kids up for this one."
Down 14 midway through the fourth quarter, Lisle showed it still had fight. A Sarb 3-pointer started the comeback, and a flurry of Westmont turnovers against Lisle pressure kept it going. A Sarb steal and score made it 33-27 with 1:34 left.
Nicole Urban then stole an errant Westmont inbounds pass in the frontcourt, but her layup attempt the other way rimmed out, stunting rally hopes.
Sarb scored 10 points and Kristina Fernette 6 for Lisle. Sara Sternard had 14 to lead Westmont.
Early on the Lions effectively milked clock with its posts holding the ball out top, and a packed-in man defense was strong on the helpside.
"I couldn't be prouder of my girls," Murray said. "We could have easily hung our heads and got blown out. But they made it a battle down the stretch."
Murray, his first season at Lisle completed, said the regional final experience is something to build on.
"The big part for us was building a mentality, as much as anything," Murray said. "To play in this kind of environment, playing for a regional championship that's what we need. These kids need that type of experience. Now it's a matter of how hard we work to make us better basketball players."