Stevenson lighting up January

Trish Betthauser wasn't trying to light a fire under her team, but in a strategic move she did start an actual one.

A small, controlled fire.

With her team having lost 11 of 12 games in December, Stevenson's girls basketball coach, er, cooked up a little something special for her team after practice recently. She provided pancakes, cookies -- and a calendar-burning ceremony.

"We burned the month of December," Betthauser said, not joking.

"We played 12 games in (28) days and it was just awful for us. Maybe (burning the calendar) was just something for us mentally, realizing it was a new year and we were through that rough stretch."

It's long gone.

Stevenson is burning it up, so to speak. The Patriots won their fourth straight game Thursday night, edging host Libertyville 40-36 to avenge one of those December losses, a seven-point decision in Lincolnshire.

"We got a new energy and it's really great," Patriots senior Caitlin Morrissey said.

Stevenson, which had lost nine straight prior to its current victory streak, improved to 8-15 overall and 4-4 in the North Suburban Lake Division.

"We're not doing anything earth-shattering," said Betthauser, whose Patriots are 4-1 in 2008. "I think just a little bit of rest between games (after the holidays) and a little bit of confidence has helped out."

So have Morrissey and freshmen Anna Morrissey and Michelle O'Brien.

Caitlin Morrissey had a team-high 10 points against Libertyville (9-13, 1-7), scoring all of her points in the second half after picking up 3 fouls in the opening two quarters.

The senior has scored in double figures in each game during the winning streak.

Her kid sister and O'Brien, meanwhile, keep contributing and improving.

Anna Morrissey (8 points) hit the front end of a 1-and-1 with 5.4 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. O'Brien scored 4 of her 6 points in the pivotal fourth quarter. Her 2 free throws with 55.3 seconds to go extended the Patriots' lead to 37-30.

"They're playing great for us," Caitlin Morrissey said. "They've really stepped up. It's fun to see them playing so well."

The younger Morrissey and O'Brien have used their athleticism to good use on the defensive end, as well.

"They're quick on the bottom of the zone," Betthauser said. "So they've been able to give us that other defense to throw at teams, and that's helped out."

Libertyville and Stevenson were tied at 28-28 after three quarters, as Dana Eriksen hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third to help the Wildcats erase a 15-12 halftime deficit.

Eriksen hit two more long-range shots, including her third 3, in the fourth.

"She's automatic," Libertyville coach Kathie Swanson said, "if she's set up well."

Ali Haws and Eriksen scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Libertyville, which lost its fourth in a row and sixth in seven games.

"What did us in tonight -- and it's been an issue the second half of the season -- is we lack consistency," Swanson said. "We'll have a girl make a nice move and score and get back on defense, but then we won't do the necessary things to shut down (the other team)."