Buffalo Grove finds the range in victory over Meadows

Buffalo Grove's girls basketball team shot 3-pointers like they were going out of style on Friday night.

The Bison converted on 13-of-20 and then walked out of its own gym in style, having clinched at least a share of first place in the Mid-Suburban East for the first time since 2008.

Junior guard Georgette Topalis scored a career-high 19 points with five 3-pointers as the Bison rallied from an 8-point deficit in the second quarter to capture a 64-57 triumph over Rolling Meadows.

BG improved to 20-4 and 8-0 in the MSL East (two-game lead over runner-up Hersey) with games against Prospect on Tuesday and Wheeling on Friday.

"The next game is the most important one," said senior Sammy Stejskal who chipped in 15 points with three 3-pointers in the first half. "That's all we ever think."

Senior Maddie Welter (8 points, two 3-pointers) never thought of being in the position she was Friday night, clinching a berth in the MSL title game.

"I used to watch the Mocchis (Maggie and Allison) and that BG team in 2008," she said. "Oh man, it's amazing that we're going to be in the same game they played in. If you could just see our locker room, you would know how thrilled everyone is."

"It's a good time to be a Bison," said BG fourth-year coach Steve Kolodziej, who has the Bison two wins away from their first undefeated conference season since 2006.

Alyssa Floros (6 points) had two 3-pointers and Amanda Kowalski one for the Bison.

"It's a credit to the kid adjusting to the in-game coaching we gave them in regards to what Rolling Meadows was doing," Kolodziej added. "Meadows is a really good team and extremely well coached. We knew it was going to be a dogfight."

Fighting hard inside was senior Natali Dimitrova, who scored 13 points, including four clutch free throws in the game's final 34 seconds.

"It's pretty cool (heading to league title game)," said Dimitrova, who was going to school in Bulgaria the last time BG won an East crown (she came to the U.S. prior to her freshman year). "I knew we could come back when we were down."

Trailing 26-18, the Bison used a 11-3 run to tie the game with 16 seconds left in the first half.

Meadows junior Kyra Spiwak was fouled at the second-quarter buzzer while throwing up a long 3-pointer, and made 2 of her 3 free throws to give Meadows a 31-29 lead at the break.

Spiwak (6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, besting her former mark of 26 against South Elgin.

"I thought Kyra was great for us," said Kirkorsky, whose team shot a season-high 80 percent at the free throw line (20-of-25). "She is showing maturity in her game on both ends of the floor."

Morgan Campagna pulled down a team-high 9 rebounds for the Mustangs while tossing in 8 points. Teammates Megan King and Kelsey Nallon each had big 3-pointers.

Spiwak made a nice pass to Katherine Nolan (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists), who hit a 16-footer to give Meadows a 35-31 lead with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

Neither team would lead by more than 3 points until Stejskal made a s teal and layup to give BG a 55-50 lead with 3:35 left.

"I'm just happy and confident with how our kids continue to respond," Kolodziej said. "We just get punched in the mouth and keep responding."

Meadows (16-8, 5-3), as expected, kept battling to the end. A 17-footer from Spiwak closed the deficit to 60-55 with 27.9 seconds left. Spiwak's two free throws with 19.7 seconds made it 60-57 before the Bison closed it out with two free throws apiece from Dimitrova and Stejskal.

"I'm extremely proud of my kids," Kirkorsky said. "We've been so close against really good teams. We just haven't closed out games. Credit Buffalo Grove. They have so many weapons. They move the ball well and find the open person."

And now they find themselves playing for a Mid-Suburban League championship on Feb. 10.

"It was just a matter of settling into the game," Kolodziej said of the first-half deficit. "It's an emotional game. There was great energy in the gym, a lot of people. It's just staying composed.

"Neck down, these kids give everything. I never have to question their effort. So it's just a continued neck up process, continuing to learn what teams are trying to do to us and making the adjustment."