Hinsdale Central humbles Hersey
Hinsdale Central's girls basketball team, seeded No. 7, sure has the right attitude for the 31st annual Bill Neibch Falcon Holiday Girls Basketball Classic at Wheaton North.
"Last year we were the No. 6 seed and made it to the championship game," said fifth-year coach Red Devils coach Tom McKenna, who also spent several years steering the St. Ignatius girls program. "So why not as the No. 7 seed?"
Indeed - why not?
The girls from Hinsdale sure looked like they were headed in the right direction in Tuesday's quarterfinals of the 16-team event.
Led by 5-foot-10 senior Gabrielle Rush's 29 points, the Red Devils scored a 72-58 victory over No. 2 seed Hersey, the same team they lost to in the title game a year ago.
Hinsdale Central (7-3) will face No. 3 seed Downers Grove North in Friday's semifinal at 6 p.m.
Trailing 10-4, Hinsdale Central used a pair of 25-point quarters (the second and third) to pull away.
They took their biggest lead at 24 points with 15 seconds left in the third quarter when Rush fired home her third 3-pointer of the contest for a 56-32 lead.
Rush's release on her shots is one of the quickest you will see.
"I've worked with my father on getting my shot off quicker," said Rush, who has already tallied 39 and 38-point scoring games this season. "It helps because people will get on me so quickly."
Rush wasn't the only person on her team hitting from outside.
Sophomore Paige Bareck connected for a pair of 3-pointers and teammates Payton Katich and Grace Hartzman each had one.
And the Red Devils, who average 61 points, scored a lot of transition.
"We are all primarily guards, so everyone is quick," Rush said. "Everyone can finish with layups."
"They beat us in transition," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley. "That was probably the biggest thing."
Rush's big game included 10-for-10 free throwing shooting.
"I just felt like my shots were falling today," she said. "And I was getting the calls."
McKenna calls Katich a true floor leader.
"She does so much for us out there," he said of the 5-7 senior. "She is like a steady influence. She doesn't turn the ball over. She is very confident and now she can score."
The score favored Hersey (9-4) most of the first 12 minutes with the Huskies leading 16-8 on a steal and layup by senior Annie Korff (team-high 16 points) to start the second quarter.
But the Red Devils surged in front for good when Bareck's 3-pointer made it 23-22. Two free throws by Rush made it 25-22 and Hartzman, a 5-5 sophomore, followed with her 3-pointer for a 28-22 cushion.
Hersey got back to within 30-26 on back-to-back layups by Juliette Vainisi (8 points) off assists from Kelly Weyhrich (14 points with four 3-pointers) and Claire Gritt (8 points).
But a 3-pointer by Katich sent the Red Devils into the locker room with a 33-26 advantage.
They didn't let up in third period, outscoring Hersey 25-8.
"We shot 39-of-71 the day before (win over Elgin) but missed a lot more this game," Fendley said. "They (Hinsdale Central) hit some really nice shots.
"It seemed like they took advantage of every defensive lapse we had. Even when we got to the right spots, we were not aware of where they were."
The Huskies came back to within 59-45 when Weyhrich (14 points) hit her third of four 3-pointers in the game. Maggie Berrigan also reached double figures for Hersey with 11 points.
"What I liked was that we didn't give up," Fendley said. "But we just didn't play the defense we are used to playing. We'll go back at it and get ready for Glenbard South on Friday (at 3 p.m.)."
Hinsdale Central also received 6 points from Gillian Martinelli while Riley Burr and Emma Day chipped in 3 apiece.
"I would not have predicted to get a 24-point lead on that team," said McKenna, whose club tied its season-high for points in regulation. "We were not 24 points better than them. When they started coming back you are always worried. A No. 7 beating a No. 2 is an upset. But that (Hersey) is a very good team."