Haviland's smart play lifts Lakes

Naturally, Ellie Haviland figured out what was best for both herself and her team.

"Ellie is a smart basketball player," Lakes coach Pete Schneider said.

So, the girl with the high basketball IQ understood Schneider's recent decision to have her start games on the bench. It was a no-brainer for Haviland, who started all last season as a sophomore on varsity and began this season in the starting lineup, too.

"I feel less pressure when I don't start, so I like to come off the bench - like more under the radar," Haviland said.

Her maturity has allowed her to adjust quickly to her new role.

In her fifth straight game coming off the bench, Haviland produced her second 19-point effort in a row, leading Lakes to a 56-33 win over Rockford Jefferson in a Northern Illinois Holiday Classic game at Richmond-Burton on Monday.

"(Coming off the bench), I don't have as much anxiety or that adrenaline rush that you get (from starting)," said Haviland, who scored 15 points against Grant in her first game coming off the bench. "I would have a crash after the first couple of minutes. Coming off the bench I don't feel so pressured."

"I wanted to slow it down for her a little bit," Schneider said. "I said, 'Ellie, you sit here and watch a little bit. Let's give it a try. What do you think?' She said, 'OK.' She was fine with it. Now she loves it."

Natalie Iacopetti - one of four sophomores Schneider started along with Isabella Quaranta, Natalie Pawlak and Shannon Hurlbut - added 13 points for Lakes (7-6, 3-1 tourney). The Eagles' fourth win in their last five games earned them a berth in Tuesday's fifth-place game (12:30 p.m.) against Johnsburg at R-B.

Lakes didn't take the lead for good until Alyssa Brey knocked down a jumper with 4:54 left in the second quarter, snapping a 16-16 tie. The Eagles closed the half by scoring the final 12 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Haviland in the final minute. The flurry of points by Haviland gave her 16 for the game.

Lakes then blitzed Jefferson with full-court pressure to start the second half, producing 9 points in the opening minute. The Eagles outscored the J-Hawks 20-8 in the third to take a 48-24 lead into the final quarter.

"What changed for us was we started talking and communicating more on defense, so they weren't getting those (offensive) rebounds," said Haviland, who finished with four 3-pointers. "I also think our ball movement was stronger because of our communication."