New Trier thwarts Hersey with clutch shot

Before the season, everyone considered Fremd and New Trier the clear top two girls basketball teams in the Cook County suburbs.

In a rare opportunity to face both in the first six weeks of the season, Hersey almost completed a sweep over the powerhouses.

Two weeks after a stunning 47-43 win over Fremd, the Huskies almost shocked New Trier on Saturday afternoon in Arlington Heights.

Hersey held the Trevians to 1 field goal in the final 12:20 of the game.

But that field goal with two seconds left in the game proved to be the difference in a battle well worth the admission price of $3 at the Ken Carter Gymnasium.

New Trier junior Kathryn Pedi swished an open 3-pointer off an inbounds play with two seconds left to lift the visitors to a 42-39 triumph. Hersey missed on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Pedi might have been the most surprised person in the gym that she ended up the hero.

First of all, the most likely person to be taking the last shot was New Trier standout center Jeannie Boehm, who led all scorers with 18 points.

But with Huskies draped all over the decorated 6-foot-2 junior, the Trevians looked outside to Pedi.

"I hadn't hit an outside shot the whole game, so that was pretty shocking," Pedi said. "Obviously, the big thing was that they were thinking we'd get the ball to Jeannie but she was being triple teamed and it was hard to get her the ball."

The Trevs (9-0) had no problem getting the ball to the open Pedi (6 points), who delivered as though she had been tossing in 3s the whole game.

After the shot, both coaches - Hersey's Mary Fendley and New Trier's Teri Rodgers - took turns calling timeout as Fendley set up the final play.

Fendley and Rodgers did a superb job managing the situation of growing fouls on their starters.

Coincidentally, the two coaches were both Daily Herald all-area guards in the mid-1980s - Fendley at Rolling Meadows, Rodgers at Libertyville.

Huskies 6-foot junior center Maggie Berigan battled through foul trouble and finished with team-high 16 points.

Rodgers couldn't have been more pleased with how Pedi handled her situation with 4 fouls in the fourth quarter.

"They had three kids on Jeannie so all our plays at the end were designed for Kathyrn," Rodgers said. "We know she is good enough to make the shot, but she is also smart enough to pass it up if it isn't there. It was wide open finally at the end when she took it. That was awesome.

"She was frustrated with the fouls the whole game so that was a nice way to finish.

"Aside from the shot, I'm more proud of her for the way she handled herself with four fouls the whole fourth quarter."

Fendley, whose team trailed 27-24 at intermission and rallied from an 11-point deficit with 1:46 left in the third period, couldn't have been prouder with her team's defense in the second half.

Two free throws by senior Annie Korff got the Huskies to within 39-37 and they tied the game when Berigan hit a bank shot after catching a beautiful entry pass from Juliette Vainisi with 2:10 left.

New Trier held possession of the ball for the final two minutes, with plans of Pedi taking the shot.

"Hersey was definitely the best team we've played so far," said Pedi, a two-year starter and three-year varsity player. "It's a great program and a lot of their girls play on the same AAU teams as our girls, so we knew them.

"They beat Fremd so obviously we knew this was going to be a great game. It was definitely exciting."

Hersey sophomore Claire Gritt finished with 9 points while Kristen Jackson and Gina Miklasz came off the bench to provide valuable minutes and combine for 6 points.

The Huskies switched to zone defense in the second half.

"We haven't played zone too much," Korff said. "But player-for-player, New Trier is very good. When we were in zone, we could double down on Jeannie Boehm, and get into our transition game quickly.

"Losing this game isn't something to be disappointed about. The way the game ended showed we were able to compete with a great team."

Sophomore guard Kelly Weyhrich had some key assists to Berigan, who scored five of Hersey's first 6 baskets of the game.

"Maggie really got us going with her scoring," Fendley said. "Her offense sparked us in the first half. Claire Gritt is such a good offensive player for us. Sometimes I wish she were more of a ball hog.

"Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job on Boehm the whole game. But credit New Trier. They had other girls hit big shots."

None bigger than the one by Pedi to keep the Trevians' season perfect through nine games.