Antioch defeats Wheaton Academy
Monday’s Lisle Holiday Cage Classic third-place game was a relief for Antioch. There was little relief for Wheaton Academy.
Antioch’s suffocating full-court trap defense helped the Sequoits get off to a great start that they rode to a 59-33 girls basketball victory. It was a nice change for a team still with a sour taste in its mouth from Saturday’s semifinal loss to St. Edward.
“It was not like (Saturday) night’s game,” Sequoits guard Paige Gallimore said. “This was a lot better. We were ready to play tonight. (Saturday) night we were not ready to play at all.”
Gallimore was more ready than Wheaton Academy could handle. She scored 15 points in the first quarter despite sitting the final 1:28 of the period, helping Antioch (13-4) to a 25-9 lead. The early outburst was a little unusual for Gallimore despite averaging 24 points a game.
“Not so much early,” Antioch coach Tim Borries said. “She can get going later in the game. Saturday night she had 22 in the second half. She can turn it on when she wants. We came out ready to play tonight, and that was the difference.”
Gallimore finished with 26 points and set a tournament scoring record with her 108 points over four games. She also grabbed 7 rebounds.
“They played a zone so I just wanted to drive, get fouled and make my free throws,” Gallimore said.
“She has a big heart,” Borries added. “She’s been playing varsity ball for three years, and every year I see her grow. This year I just see the leadership on the floor. It’s been a nice ride watching her play ball.”
Wheaton Academy (9-6), missing guards Jamie Netzley and Ali Grant, turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter, 25 for the game.
“We were a little short-handed,” Wheaton Academy coach Beth Mitchell said, “but they’re good. They’re a great team, and it’s hard to play them when you don’t have your full team here and they just have too many weapons. Way too many weapons. I don’t think it was our best effort, and that’s what we talked about after the game, that you have to play hard no matter what the score is, and we struggled with that tonight.”
The game video will be one Borries will enjoy watching, especially to see that press work.
“When they do it right it’s very tough,” Borries said. “We put Carly McCameron on the ball. She’s so long that she takes up, it’s just the vision. If our guards are ready, I think Ashley Reiser three or four times touched the ball back into our players’ hands. And that’s what it is.”
Sophomore Elizabeth Melby led Wheaton Academy with 10 points.
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