Glenbard West falls to Hinsdale South
Hinsdale South coach Jen Belmonte doesn’t go off on her team often, and she doesn’t need to with a senior-laden group.
She did at halftime Thursday, and the Hornets responded.
No. 12 Hinsdale South broke free from a halftime tie at Glenbard West with a big third quarter and hung on for a 45-38 West Suburban Conference crossover win in Glen Ellyn.
The Hornets (14-4), trailing 22-20 midway through the third quarter, finally assumed control with a 13-0 run.
“It’s not very often that coach gets in our face and yells at us and tells us what we are doing wrong,” said Andrea McNally, one of four Hornets senior starters. “When she does, it wakes everybody up. I know it got into me.”
Belmonte said “the lid seemed to be on the basket” for McNally of late, but the senior guard found it Thursday.
McNally scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half, 8 during the pivotal run.
McNally and Natalie Tomerlin are important glue players surrounding fellow starters Uzo Okoro and Toni Romiti.
“They’re kind of there to do all the other stuff,” Belmonte said. “Andrea knew what she had to do. I had a little talk with her at half. She needed to break the seal on the basket.”
Hinsdale South held its opponent scoreless for nearly six minutes.
“We needed to come out with more intensity,” McNally said, “and we were talking. We pride ourselves in getting out to the ball. That first half we were getting beat off the dribble. We focused on getting out to the trap, and not getting beat off the dribble.”
Glenbard West (7-13) was missing a big piece Thursday, 6-foot-3 leading scorer and shot blocker Caitlin Soane out sick.
That didn’t lessen the Hilltoppers’ resolve. Glenbard West ran its motion offense with plenty of ball pressure to stay even for a half, and a jumper by Becca Folan gave her team the 22-20 lead.
Even after Hinsdale South pulled ahead by 12, the Hilltoppers clawed back to within 40-36 with a minute left.
“I thought we competed pretty well,” Glenbard West coach Mike Hofland said. “We just got to get over the hump.”
Claire Riley scored 12 points and Abby Keirnan and Natalie Noland 8 apiece for Glenbard West. It’s been a tough go for a talented junior-laden group since a 5-0 start, but Hofland sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s playing under pressure,” Hofland said, “and we’re getting there. They are a good group of kids and fun to work with. We just have to keep getting better.”
Romiti added 9 points and Okoro 8 for Hinsdale South, which returns back to West Suburban Gold action. The Hornets are tied in the loss column there with perennial favorite Proviso East, and they host the Pirates Feb. 3.
“It’s awesome, and I owe it all to our seniors,” Belmonte said. “They basically do my job for me. They’re such a good unit, and they’ve been playing together for so long — and it shows.”