Wildcats hope this is a step forward

Sometimes a step back can be a step in the right direction.

That's how Wheeling's girls basketball team viewed its first loss in 22 games by 22 points Monday to defending Class 4A state champion Whitney Young.

On Friday night, the Wildcats believed they took their first step forward before a good Friday night home crowd. They improved to 22-1 overall and 6-0 in the Mid-Suburban East with a 58-33 victory over Elk Grove.

"The Whitney Young game, we didn't play how we normally played," said Wheeling junior guard Janelle Cannon, who scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half. "Tonight we wanted to show how we really can play and show what we can do."

The Wildcats counted 4 assists as a team in the 75-53 loss to Young. On Friday, they got 4 assists apiece from Cannon and Ashley Wilson, who had 17 rebounds to get within 20 for 1,000 in her career and scored 11 points.

"That's not how we play so obviously something was wrong," said junior Bianca Szafarowicz, who scored a game-high 19 points, hit three 3-pointers and had 6 rebounds. "This game we shared the ball. The loss kind of showed us what we can do better."

Sometimes when a team is on a roll there are warning signs that go unheeded. Wheeling coach Shelly Wiegel said she didn't see anything alarming in the 21-0 start.

"We were playing so well together and making the extra pass," Wiegel said after her team's 20th win this season by 20 or more points. "I think we got a little tight and a little nervous (against Young).

"We got behind and some people felt like they had to do more rather than stick with what we are."

So it was a good sign when Wilson and Cannon had assists for Bridgette Gray's 3 and Szafarowicz's reverse layup on Wheeling's first two possessions. Its pressure defense resulted in 8 turnovers in the first four minutes by Elk Grove (11-10, 2-5).

"Especially the first four minutes, I felt we came out and re-established this is how we play basketball," Wiegel said.

But it wasn't a wire-to-wire cruise control victory as the Grenadiers got 13 points and 12 rebounds from Ashley Capotosto and 12 points off the bench from Meaghan Amann. They were down only 20-15 in the final two minutes of a first half where Wheeling committed 13 of its 19 turnovers.

Szafarowicz closed the first half with 5 points and Cannon drove the Wildcats back on track in the second half.

"We talked about how it was going to take execution for four quarters to beat a team like that," said Grens coach Ryan Kirkorsky. "We played solid half-court defense, but when you've got a kid (Cannon) who can break you down on the dribble and finish with either hand that changes the game."

And the Wildcats ended on a happy note when Wilson found senior reserve Tiffany Meier for a layup with 1:14 to play.

"It (Young) was a good wakeup call," Wiegel said. "If you get a loss like that in the playoffs you don't see the kids for a couple of months."

Instead, they have a month and a half to keep taking steps forward to Normal.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com