Oswego East knocks out Naperville North

There was no other way to put it for Naperville North girls basketball coach Jacquie Discipio.

“It’s sad, it’s a sad way to end,” she said after her team’s 58-50 defeat to Oswego East at the Class 4A Waubonsie Valley regional semifinals.

The Huskies looked strong in the first half, going toe-to-toe with the quick and scrappy Wolves (19-8) and heading into the locker room with a 32-28 lead after being up by as many as 8 points.

That lead went to Oswego East early in the third quarter, though the Huskies (14-14) hung close. The Huskies led twice in the fourth quarter, and the game was tied at 49 with 1:55 to play. But freshman Kayla Sharples fouled out with 1:47 to go, and Oswego East finished the game with a 9-1 run, all at the free-throw line.

“We had all the opportunities in the world there at the end and we missed a couple of shots,” Discipio said. “We got hesitant and frazzled and weren’t playing loose, and that’s when we play our best. ... I don’t think we were ever playing our game in the second half. We were always on our heels.”

Sharples, a 5-foot-10 freshman, left the game with 22 points and 9 rebounds.

“We were struggling on the bench, too,” Discipio said. “It’s that element of risk. We want her to finish up the game. We needed the rebounding so we needed to keep her in the game. When she fouls out, we certainly feel that. We got a lot shorter.”

Naperville North senior Zoe Swift finished with 13 points, and classmate Shannon Bushman added 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Parsons’ 18 points led Oswego East, which also got 14 from LeRoyia Campbell.