Neuqua Valley comes together to oust Downers South

Neuqua Valley hopes it's peaking at just the right time.

"I honestly think that this is the game that everyone came together as a team," Wildcats senior Morgan Williams said. "We've been struggling as a team all season, and we really just came together."

The Wildcats came together Tuesday night in the Class 4A Neuqua Valley regional semifinals to score a 57-41 victory against Downers Grove South. The victory puts Neuqua Valley into Thursday's regional final against second-seeded Hinsdale Central, a 55-27 winner over Plainfield Central in Tuesday's first game.

Neuqua Valley (12-15) came from behind to take a 37-33 lead entering the fourth quarter. Danielle Davis hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth, followed by a Williams 3 and the lead was double digits. Downers South (10-17) cut the margin to 6 on baskets by Katie Ambuehl and Lauren Lisauskas, but a Kim Puk 3-pointer got Neuqua rolling again. A couple of Ashleigh Jones putbacks iced the game.

"Everyone was hitting their shots," Williams said. "Everyone got in and filled their position. Everyone did their part."

"We did a lot of good things, but their 3-pointers in the second half, they really hurt us," Mustangs coach Mike McGinnis said. "They hit like three in a row in a couple of minute span and that really helped them to pull ahead. We did a decent job closing out, but I thought we still gave them too much room and that really put us behind the eight ball."

Davis, Williams and freshman Becky Williford led the Wildcats with 11 points each. Lisauskas led all scorers with 15 points from the low post, and Gianna Pecora added 12 for the Mustangs.

"We did a good job finding our post early on, but we had a hard time in the second half doing that," McGinnis said.