Big second-quarter run propels Cary-Grove
The Cary-Grove girls basketball team knows that with only eight players on its roster it has to pick and choose its "get-in-their-face" moments every game.
The Trojans chose the right time Saturday, that's for sure.
Trailing No. 4 Hersey 14-9 after one quarter in Cary's Elroy Fitzgerald Gymnasium, the No. 9 Trojans turned up the jets on defense and opened the second quarter on a 15-2 run the visiting Huskies could never completely recover from.
And even though Hersey got itself back in the game late even forging into a tie with 2:25 left in the game Cary-Grove did everything it needed to down the stretch to pull off a 57-52 upset in nonconference action.
"We just stayed confident in ourselves and tried to do what we do best," said Cary-Grove senior Claire Jakubicek, who led all scorers with 25 points.
The Trojans (19-3) fashioned their decisive second-quarter run with defense. On four straight possessions, they caused Hersey turnovers and the Huskies coughed it up seven times in the period, as Cary-Grove's pressure was too much for the Huskies to handle.
"They get tired and we have to mix it up," said Cary-Grove coach Rod Saffert, who employed four different defenses in the game.
The Trojans were also charged Saturday with trying to contain one of the state's premier players, DePaul recruit Megan Rogowski. The 5-foot-9 senior standout, still playing with two fingers on her left hand heavily taped from a recent injury, did have 19 points but she didn't score in the fateful second quarter.
"We felt like it was a success to hold her to 19," Saffert said. "Paige (Lincicum) did a great job on her all day."
Cary-Grove led 32-21 at halftime and still held a 48-38 advantage early in the fourth quarter when Hersey (18-5) started clawing its way back into the game. Baskets by Jen Hall, Eileen Zydek and Stefanie Mueller made it a 48-44 game before Lincicum stopped the run with a putback for a 50-44 lead with 4:15 to play. But Rogowski hit a 3-pointer, Hall scored again and Mueller made 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 50-50 tie with 2:25 left.
Hersey could never get the lead, though. The NIU-bound Jakubicek, whose sophomore sister Olivia sat out her second straight game with ankle tendinitis, hit 2 free throws at the 2:12 mark to give the Trojans the lead back for good. Jakubicek added 3 more free throws and Meg Straumann had 2 down the stretch as the Trojans held off Hersey's comeback attempt.
"Each game we win like this is a game of respect for us," said Straumann, the Trojans' floor leader who has been increasing her offensive production every game lately, Saturday's output being a solid 18 points.
"If we're going places this year we have to beat teams like this.
"We knew if Rogowski got hot she could knock some down but we also knew if we could withstand a run that we'd have runs of our own. Paige ... props. She played so good today."
Cary-Grove hit on 23 of 50 shots and turned the ball over only 10 times in the game. Hersey was 20 of 53 and won the rebounding battle 35-29, with Mueller and Zydek each pulling down 9 boards. Jakubicek had 13 rebounds for Cary-Grove. Zydek and Hogen each added 11 points for Hersey as well.
"We just forgot our help defense today," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley, who pointed out four of the Huskies' 5 losses this season have come in Saturday games.
"We had some unforced turnovers but we didn't help where we were supposed to help. Against a good team like this you can't just play one quarter. Our fourth quarter was pretty good but we had bad offense in the second quarter and bad defense in the third quarter. They're a good team and we schedule these nonconference games to improve as a team."