Cary-Grove notches share of FVC Valley
Cary-Grove saved its best for last.
Struggling for three quarters, the Trojans held Huntley without a basket in the fourth and final quarter while outscoring the Red Raiders 19-4 in posting a 50-38 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division girls basketball victory in Cary Friday night.
The win gives the Trojans a share of the FVC Valley Division title with Jacobs, which defeated Dundee-Crown. Both teams finished conference play 9-1. It's Cary-Grove's second Valley title in the last 3 years.
"I am very very proud of this team," said Cary-Grove coach Rod Saffert. "This team has gone through so much this season. The injury to Meg (Straumann) was hard to deal with. It feels good to be conference champions. Give Huntley credit. They played a great game. They are a much different team than we played earlier in the season."
Upset-minded Huntley (12-13, 4-6), with the aid of 14 points by Cecilia Tsevas that included four 3-pointers, led the Trojans (23-3 overall) 34-31 after three quarters.
Huntley scored the first 3 points of the fourth quarter on 2 free throws by Carly Goede and a free throw by Kadie Lowery to lead 37-31 with 6:22 remaining.
The Red Raiders scored only 1 free throw the rest of the quarter as Cary-Grove reeled off 14 straight points with Olivia Jakubicek and Claire Jakubicek scoring 5 points each and Liz Bart, who scored her first basket of the game with 3:06 left, and Lizzy Dyrek scoring a basket apiece. The Trojans turned a 6-point deficit into an 8-point 45-37 lead with 2 minutes left in the game.
Claire Jakubicek, who scored her 1,000th career point in the second quarter, had 15 points with 12 rebounds. Claire's sister Olivia also scored 15 with 8 boards.
"I am so excited we get a share of the conference title," said Claire Jakubicek. "It was a very tough, physical game. Huntley played their hearts out, but so did we. We played together and got the job done."
Tsevas led Huntley with 14, all in the first three quarters.
"I am so happy with the way we executed on both ends for three and a half quarters," said Huntley coach Steve Raethz. "We lacked composure in the last 4 minutes, but give Cary-Grove credit. They really stepped up the intensity and pressure in the last 4 minutes."