Evanston tops fourth-place Buffalo Grove

Off to its best start since the 2007-08 season, Buffalo Grove's girls basketball team reached the midway point of this campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic.

The Bison (12-3) dropped a 49-37 decision to Evanston in Tuesday night's third-place game of the prestigious 16-team tourney, which began in 1983.

Baskets by Bri Kolbus, Julie Jambrone and Sammy Stejskal gave BG a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game but the Wildkits rallied and led 18-11 heading into the second quarter.

Two free throws by Stejskal got BG to within 20-15 with 5:52 left in the half but Evanston went on a 16-5 run and led 36-21 with 3:11 left in the third quarter.

BG never got closer than 10 points.

Coach Elliot Whitefield's Wildkits improved to 10-6.

Elliot's daughter Ashley is a senior captain with the BG pom-pom squad and friends with the Bison players.

"I told their girls (BG's) our New Year's Eve party is still on," Elliot said with a smile.

The Wildkits were led by Savannah Norfleet's 11 points while Leighhah-Amori Wool and Krystal Forrester each added 9.

Stejskal and Maddie Callahan led BG with 9 points apiece while Stejskal grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds followed by Callahan with 4.

Maddie Welter had 3 steals and 2 assists.

"It's definitely improvement, going from 15th last year to fourth place," Callahan said. "But we're just disappointed with how it ended.

"They (Evanston) just had more energy. Hopefully the time off now will give us a new perspective and get us back to the way we started the season."

BG was coming off a loss to New Trier while Evanston fell to Prospect in the semifinals.

"I thought it was important for our girls to respond after the tough loss the night before," Whitefield. "We've been able to do that all season."