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Downers North tops St. Charles East in 3rd-place game

It was a forgettable first half for St. Charles East's girls basketball team Saturday night.

Held to 19 percent shooting from the field (4 of 21) during a 9-point opening half, the Saints (11-4) dug themselves a 14-point halftime hole that proved to be a little too deep.

Despite a valiant fourth-quarter comeback, the Saints suffered a 54-41 loss to Downers Grove North (10-3) in the third-place game of the 31st annual Bill Neibch Falcon Classic at Wheaton North.

"It was a very weak effort in the first half," admitted Saints coach Lori Drumtra, whose team matched its best-ever tournament performance at Wheaton North (2009). "It was very much uninspired. I really don't have an answer for it.

"I was really disappointed with the effort in the first half. I'm baffled that they would come out in the third-place game and play that uninspired."

How bad was it for the Saints during the first 16 minutes?

Downers Grove North's 6-2 senior center, Peyton Winters, scored 12 first-half points - 3 more than the entire Saints' output.

The Saints also had more turnovers (10) than points (9) against the Trojans' suffocating zone defense.

"That's something I don't think we've ever encountered but getting it over now will make us a better team later in the season," said senior guard Katie Claussner, who earned all-tournament honors along with teammate Kyra Washington.

"We've always been able to knock down shots or make up points somewhere."

Things didn't get much better for the Saints early in the third quarter as 6-2 junior guard Jaida Green drained a 3-pointer and knocked down a pair of free throws to help the Trojans extend their lead to 32-16.

However, the Saints began making some strides late in the period as senior guard Katie Robinson (7 points) came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer and Claussner's 3-point play trimmed the deficit to 35-26.

"Some kids definitely gave us a lift off the bench," said Drumtra. "She (Katie) gave us some energy."

St. Charles East trailed 38-27 after 3 quarters.

Claussner and freshman Sara Rosenfeldt (11 points, 9 rebounds) fueled a furious fourth-quarter rally that made things interesting.

Claussner, who scored 10 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, hit a driving layup that pulled the Saints within 46-41 with 3:03 remaining.

St. Charles East misfired on its next possession that could have cut the deficit to 3. From there, the Trojans drained 8 of 10 free throws over the final 2:21 to pull away.

"We just came out with a lot of pride in the second half," said Claussner, who added 6 assists and 3 rebounds. "We were like the Saints we know. If we had done that in the first half, it would have been a much better game."

Washington, the Saints' second-leading scorer for the season, didn't play in the second half.

"That was my decision," said Drumtra. "I needed a little bit more energy."

Winters led the Trojans with 16 points while all-tournament selection Green added 15 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Green capped the night by scoring her 1,000th career point on a free throw with 2:21 remaining.

"She can do just about everything," Trojans coach Stephan Bolt said of Green.

Izzy Greenblatt and Lauren Porcelli added 9 and 8 points, respectively, for the Trojans.

"We pride ourselves in stopping people," said Bolt. "We want single-digit quarters - that's our goal."

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