Kaneland knocks off Lisle

Turnovers prevented a Lisle comeback Wednesday evening in Elmhurst.

Lisle senior Shelby Kretman scored 7 points but a scoreless five minutes in the second quarter doomed Lisle to a 31-23 loss against Kaneland at the Immaculate Conception Thanksgiving Tournament.

“It seems that when you hold a team to 31 points, you should win,” Lisle coach Dan Murray said. “We turned the ball over, and we just got outhustled and outworked.”

The game started out well for Lisle, as the Lions seesawed with Kaneland for the lead in the first 7:30 of the contest. The last 30 seconds of the quarter were frenzied as both teams traded quick buckets to close it out.

Lisle’s Darian Payne sank a quick layup after the Lions’ hustle prevented a turnover. But the Knights answered quickly, courtesy of a Sarah Grams 3-pointer as time expired. The 3-pointer handed the Knights a 13-11 advantage.

The second quarter began much slower. Kretman notched the first 2 points of the second quarter with a pair of free throws following a scoreless three minutes. The free throws evened up the contest, but it was the only points of the quarter for the Lions. The Knights went on a 7-0 run in the final 4:51, paced by 5 points from junior Allyson O’Herron, and took a 20-13 lead into the half. Lisle had several chances to snap its scoreless funk, but turnovers and a strong Knights defense stymied the offensive opportunities.

“At the end of the half, I think we had some mental breakdowns,” Murray said. “When it comes down to it, we have to do a better job of holding onto the ball.”

“We made it pretty hard for them to get into their sets,” Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe said. “We have a lot of kids who are interchangeable, and that allows us to a lot of pressure on teams.”

The third quarter began as another defensive battle, but the Lions held strong. But turnovers hurt the Lions’ chances in scoring down the stretch. Free throws dominated the fourth quarter, and despite 4 points from Kretman, the Lions fell short when the horn sounded.

Murray did see some positives to take into the tournament finale Friday.

“Hopefully we realize we can hang with a really good team,” Murray said. “Kaneland is a very good team. We need to remain mentally strong for 32 minute, and avoid the breakdowns.”