Charger Classic title is all Bartlett’s; Conniff reaches 1,000
The Bartlett girls basketball program has achieved a lot since the school opened in 1998.
The Hawks can now add their first Dundee-Crown Charger Classic championship as well as another 1,000 point scorer to the list.
Senior Kristin Conniff scored 24 points, eclipsing 1,000 for her career, and the Hawks hit New Trier with a 26-10 blitz in the third quarter theld held on during a frenetic finish to beat the Trevians 76-66 in the 29th annual tournament’s championship game before a vocal crowd of about 800 Thursday night in Carpentersville.
“It feels really good to win the championship,” said Conniff, an all-tournament choice who scored 56 points in the final two games. “I’m happy my team helped me reach 1,000 points. I couldn’t do it without them.”
New Trier (12-3) played without senior standout Maggie Lyon. The Northwestern recruit sprained an ankle in Wednesday’s semifinal win over Fenwick and was in street clothes Thursday night, not allowed to play by doctor’s orders.
“It was a strange game with Maggie hurt,” said Bartlett coach Denise Sarna. “We prepped for her and expected her to play, sow e had to get a whole new mindset at the start of the game when we saw she wasn’t going to play.”
The top-ranked Hawks (18-0) took a while to get into their flow on both ends of the court but once they did, they showed why they are considered one of the top teams in the state.
Trailing 28-23 with 2:56 left in the second quarter, Bartlett started attacking the paint and went on a 12-2 run to close out the first half with a 35-30 lead. The Hawks made 13 of 13 from the free-throw line in the second quarter and held New Trier to a buzzer-beating basket by Meg Rosinski in that span.
Then, Bartlett went on a 23-3 assault in the first 5:46 of the third quarter, opening up a 58-33 lead after a Conniff basket with 2:56 left in the quarter.
“We picked up our team defense and found the open player,” said Conniff. “We played really well as a team. “(Lyon) is a good player but we stuck to our guns because we know New Trier is a good team.”
The Trevians didn’t let Bartlett run away with the game, though, fighting back the rest of the way. But the hole was to deep to dig out of, despite the fact New Trier outscored Bartlett 33-18 in the final 10-plus minutes.
“We got down 11-2 early in a championship game and fought back without our best player,” said New Trier coach Teri Rodgers, whose team won the D-C title in 2009. “I’m very proud of our effort. I take this is a win for our team.”
Bartlett shot 23-for-50 on the night and hit 7 3-pointers, including 4 in the third quarter. The Hawks also outrebounded New Trier 34-28. Senior Haley Videckis added 22 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks for Bartlett, senior Lisa Palmer had 10 points and 7 rebounds and senior Janessa Baker added 8 points and 4 assists. Videckis and Palmer were also named to the all-tournament team.
“I can say with confidence that my team came out prepared for anything,” said Videckis, the Indiana recruit who added 5 steals and 4 assists, helping New Trier to 20 turnovers. “With Maggie playing or not, we were prepared. I’m so proud of my team and my senior girls. It’s a complete team effort every game.”
“We’ve had a lot of tradition at Bartlett High School with our basketball program but winning the Dundee-Crown tournament hasn’t happened until now,” Sarna said. “It’s something we’ve strived for and I’m happy for the kids.”
Isabella Bosco scored a career-high 16 points to lead New Trier, while Brigit Ieuter added 14 and Rosinski had 11.