Batavia splits 4 games at Morton

Batavia’s girls basketball team bounced back with two wins Saturday to finish the Morton tournament with a .500 record.

The Bulldogs (3-2) started Friday with a 60-46 loss to Peoria Richwoods in a game Batavia fell behind by 15 points at halftime and then won the second half 29-28. Liza Fruendt led with 17 points, and Miranda Grizaffi and Hannah Frazier scored 10 points apiece.

Morton edged Batavia 65-63 despite 21 points from Fruendt and 10 by Sami Villarreal. The Bulldogs trailed 23-10 after one, then climbed all the way back to take a 2-point lead after three quarters as Fruendt dropped 14 points in the third quarter. The Bulldogs still led with under 30 seconds remaining but Morton hit a 3-point field goal with 7 seconds remaining to take the lead.

Batavia crushed Normal Community 76-42 with six players in double figures: Grizaffi with 14, Bethany Orman with 13, Erin Bayram with 12, Fruendt and Villarreal with 11 apiece, and Jenny Welday with 10.

Batavia outscored Normal 40-16 in the second half sparked by solid play off the bench by Grace Andrews, Welday, and Abbey McCabe.

Batavia finished the tournament beating Moline 71-45. Fruendt scored 23, Frazier 12, and Bayram and Grizaffi 11 each. Fruendt scored 19 in the first half to help her team to a 39-20 lead.