Hersey steps up sans star
Hersey's girls basketball had a new challenge Monday night in the Season's End tourney at its own Carter Gymnasium.
For only the second time in four years, the Huskies were without all-stater Megan Rogowski.
The DePaul-bound guard suffered a broken pinkie on her left hand in the third quarter of Saturday's 67-60 win over Prospect.
“It's completely different without Megan,” said Hersey senior forward Eileen Zydek. “She is our big leader and always been for four years. It's tough because she is such a big presence for us on the court.”
But the rest of the Huskies (15-3) showed their toughness and still rolled past Class 2A Latin High School (Chicago) for a 57-39 triumph.
“Oy my gosh, it was so weird out there without Megan,” said Huskies 5-foot-5 junior point guard Jen Hall, who connected for a career-high 15 points. “As a team, we stepped up. We had some good passing, some good transition and Michaela Dwyer (senior forward) did a great job in her first start (replacing Rogowski).”
Latin (11-7) kept things interesting for the first 11 minutes.
The Romans trailed 15-14 when junior standout Nikki Dizon drove for layup with 5:01 left in the first quarter.
But Zydek answered with a 10-foot bank shot and the Huskies went on a 13-2 run to close the half in command 28-16.
Zydek wasn't through.
She scored Hersey's first 6 points in the second half as the Huskies extended their lead to 16 points after three quarters.
“We were a little shaky at the start but after the first quarter, we started to get into our transition game,” said Zydek, who finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. “I got some nice assists from Michaela (Dwyer). It really helps your scoring when you have someone chucking them into you like Michaela was.”
Dwyer (8 points) finished with 4 assists.
Junior Maggie Hogen added 12 points and 8 rebounds for Hersey while senior Stefanie Mueller also had 8 rebounds with 6 points.
Dizon, who plays in the same Illinois Hustle AAU program with Rogowski, Hall and Hogen, finished with 19 points, just 2 shy of average.
“She is really a good player,” Zydek added. “She is tough to guard but we did it as a team.”
Latin coach Max Rouse was impressed the Huskies team.
“They are fundamentally sound and play really great defense,” he said. “They made a concerted effort to not let Nikki get going because they take pride in their defense.
“I just hope our kids learned a lesson about competing. It doesn't matter what the opponent's jersey says. You still have to compete all the time.”
Rouse would have loved to competed against Rogowski.
“I hope they get her back real soon,” he said. “I would have loved to have seen her play.”
Hersey coach Mary Fendley said Rogowski was unlikely to play Friday at Elk Grove, but the Huskies' all-time leading scorer could be back by next Monday against St. Viator in the Season's End.
“Everyone stepped up a little without Megan,” Fendley said. “Hopefully they'll continue to do that as long as Megan is out.”