Free-throw shooting keys Geneva's win over Wheaton North
On a day Geneva couldn't get much to drop against Wheaton North, the Vikings found a better way to put points on the scoreboard - 15 feet at a time.
Geneva knocked down 20 of 21 free throws - including 16 for 17 in the fourth quarter - to overcome 33% shooting from the field and defeat the Falcons, 43-30.
Geneva (20-6, 10-2) led just 25-23 going to the fourth quarter before its parade to the free-throw line broke the game open. Senior Lindsay Blackmore led the way, sinking 11 of 12 in finishing with game-highs of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.
"That's what the game boils down to sometimes is free throws," Blackmore said. "Tonight that was the key for us. They kept fouling us so we kept putting them in."
Wheaton North (16-6, 8-4) overcame cold shooting of its own that included missing its first 13 shots from the field. That enabled the Vikings to lead 11-5 after one quarter.
The Falcons forced 6 turnovers in the second quarter with their full-court press, holding Geneva to 4 points in the quarter to pull within 15-14 at halftime.
Claire Hyde opened the second half with a basket, giving Wheaton North its last lead. Blackmore scored on a putback while getting fouled to put the Vikings back on top, and Blackmore scored again in transition on a perfect pass from Grace Hinchman to make it 20-16.
Hinchman again found her teammate, this time Cassidy Arni, for an inside score that put the Vikings ahead to stay, 22-20.
Arni, Blackmore, Hinchman, Kate Palmer and Katie Montgomery all made free throws in the fourth quarter as Geneva pulled away.
"I just thought our kids came together in that fourth quarter and made some really smart decisions," Geneva coach Sarah Meadows said. "We didn't turn the ball over. I think that helped us a ton too."
Palmer added 11 points for Geneva, and Arni continued her strong play off the bench with 9.
Hyde led Wheaton North with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Julia Simon, who beat the third quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer that brought the Falcons within 2 points, added 6 points and 2 steals.
"We gave up some big offensive rebounds, fouled them and they made some big free throws down the stretch. Their kids made a lot of plays," Wheaton North coach Dave Eaton said.
"We just left some points out there. Even in the first quarter I was happy we did everything except actually make the shot. We had some easy looks at the bucket in transition we just missed."
The win keeps Geneva a game behind Lake Park heading into the final week of DuKane Conference action. The Vikings will have a chance to tie when they play Tuesday at Lake Park, who beat Geneva in overtime in the first meeting.
"We know we have to win out to put ourselves in a position to tie for conference," Meadows said. "Monday we will hone in on that (Lake Park) and watch film. We made a lot of mistakes in that Lake Park game. We need to make some adjustments and our kids are ready to do that. Hopefully it is a different outcome Tuesday."