Huntley salvages win over Crystal Lake South

Huntley sophomore standout Ali Andrews was saddled with foul trouble most of the night.

The Red Raiders connected on only 5-of-15 from the free throw line for 33 percent.

But despite all the adversity and obstacles, the Raiders were able to eke out a 54-51 win over upset-minded Crystal Lake South in a Fox Valley Conference Valley Division girls basketball matchup in Crystal Lake Tuesday night.

“This is always a very tough place to play,” said a relieved Huntley coach Steve Raethz. “Give South all the credit. They played a great game. We made some big shots at the end and I’m happy with the way we were able to come up with the win. We have do a better job at the free throw line. We did some silly things and certainly have to clean up some things if we are going to reach our goals.’’

Despite playing only 18 minutes, Ali Andrews paced the Red Raiders (16-3, 6-0) with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

“I need to play smarter and stay away from the cheap fouls,” she said. “South played a great game and really tested us.”

The Red Raiders looked to be in control of the game when Ali Andrews nailed a 12-footer in the lane to give the visitors a 36-27 lead with 5:44 left in the third quarter.

But the resilient Gators (11-7, 3-2) refused to quit.

Led by 9 points from Sara Mickow, South ended the third quarter on a 16-4 run and led 43-40 after three quarters.

Scoring the first 5 points of the fourth quarter, the Raiders took the lead for good, 45-43, on a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner by senior Samantha Andrews.

Huntley’s biggest lead of the fourth quarter came with 1:22 left on a 15-footer by Ali Andrews to make the score 52-45.

But the Gators battled back and got to within a point, 52-51, on 2 free throws by Chanel Fanter with 30.4 seconds left. South couldn’t get any closer.

Ali Andrews sealed the win for Huntley with 2 free throws with 12 ticks left.

“The kids really battled and kept fighting the whole game,” said South coach Kyle McCaughn. “We never gave up. We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end. That’s all you can ask for.”

Sam Andrews added 15 points for the Raiders.

Mickow paced the Gators with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Rachel Rasmussen scored 14 and Fanter 12.