Conant comes through with clutch win
Going up against Mid-Suburban League West co-leader Palatine, Conant’s girls basketball team kept its late-season momentum flowing on Friday night in Hoffman Estates.
The Cougars put together one of their top defensive efforts of the season and won for the fifth time in six games as they stopped the visiting Pirates 40-28.
Sarak Mazurek scored 11 of her game-high 13 points in the first half and the Cougars led 22-13 at the break.
Katie Lomas added 0 points and Haley Anderson 6 for Conant, which improved to 11-12 and 3-5 in the West.
Palatine (19-6, 5-3) is now 1 game behind Fremd (20-7, 6-2) in the West with two games to play.
“It was great team effort,” said Cougars coach Dan Travers. “The girls worked really hard. We pride ourselves on defense like most of the MSL teams.”
Travers credited Anderson, Lomas and Mazurek with leading the charge on the boards.
“They did a great job rebounding,” he said. “Sarah is playing a wing now that we have Nireet (Dhillon, a freshman) handling the point and that has really helped.
“The girls are really competing. Sidney O’Keeffe’s pressure on the basketball was tremendous.”
Sophomore DeeDee Durr came off the bench and hit a big 3-pointer in the second quarter.
“She rebounded well, too,” Travers said. “We got good bench play and we made clutch free throws.
“McKenzie Wiedemann and Nia Pappas (Pirates seniors) are great players and we tried to stop them and get rebounds.”
Morgan Radtke led Palatine with 11 points while Pappas chipped in 6 and Wiedemann 5.
“We knew we were going against a good team,” Travers added. “We wanted to show how much we have improved (3-9 to start the season). I give the girls a lot of credit. Everyone we put on the floor can score. We don’t have to hide anyone and that helps.”
Fremd 58, Hoffman Estates 38: Visiting Fremd (20-7, 6-2) jumped back into first place in the MSL West as sophomore Haley Gorecki scored a season high 30 points with 11 field goals, 2 3-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws.
Senior guard Ashley McConnell added 22 points (3 3-pointers) for the Vikings who are 1 game ahead of Palatine with two to play in the West.
Destinee Young (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Becca Stoczynski (9 points, 11 rebounds) paced Hoffman Estates (9-12, 3-5). Teammate Shante Hill handed out 4 assists
Schaumburg 56, Barrington 51 (OT): Riley Williams (7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 steals) iced the victory with 2 free throws in OT for host Schaumburg (13-10, 4-4), which was led by Jada Blackwell (20 points, 4 rebounds), Amanda Kelly (15 points, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Carly Brossard (8 points, 13 rebounds).
Barrington (13-11, 3-5) was led by Angie Kirchoff (12 points), Megan Talbot (10), Alexa Resch (10) and Bryana Hopkins (8).
Talbot had 7 rebounds and Bailee McDonald 6.
Buffalo Grove 60 Wheeling 56: Sophomore guard Julie Jambrone scored 19 points and senior center Bailey North added 10 to lead host Buffalo Grove to the MSL East triumph.
Kimberly Herzog and Amanda Salzman each chipped in 6 points for the Bison (7-14, 3-5), who led trailed 26-18 at half.
Sophomore guard Deanna Kuzmanic scored a game-high 22 points for Wheeling (7-17, 1-7) while Brie Majkowski added 18 and Hannah Dobrowski 12.
Maine West 39, Maine East 28: Maine West (9-4, 5-3) celebrated senior night in Des Plaines as junior Brittany Collins scored 14 points with 11 rebounds. Ashley Collins and Erin Ross (3 3-pointers) each added 9 points for West.
Christian Liberty 34, IMSA 32: Sophomore Jesscia Moriarty (9 points) was the top scorer for the Chargers (14-5) past Illinois Math & Science in the first round of the Northeastern Athletic Conference tourney being held at Luther North.