Familiar final foes for Prospect
Déjà vu is working overtime for the Prospect girls basketball team in Carpentersville.
For the second straight year, the Knights got past Evanston (54-42 on Monday) in the semifinals of the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic.
For the second straight time, Prospect (12-0) will play New Trier (14-0) for the championship today at 8 p.m.
But here's where the Mid-Suburban East leaders would like to see a twist in the plot.
The Knights would love to win their first crown since they joined the tournament in 2000.
Last year, the Trevians came out on top 54-35.
The only MSL teams to win the event are Hoffman Estates (1991) and Fremd (1998).
"It's weird where we are seeing the same two teams in these two games (semifinal and final)," said senior Catherine Sherwood, who did not play in the New Trier game last year due to a concussion suffered in the Evanston game. "We are really excited to win this game (semifinal) and we're looking forward to the rematch with New Trier."
"It's unreal," said Taylor Will (8-of-8 at the free throw line) about playing for the title two straight years. "It's been a great tournament with so many good teams. We've set ourselves up really well. This is where we were hoping to be."
The Knights got there with Will and Sherwood each enjoying big offensive games (21 points apiece), but it was their defensive skills that sparkled in crunchtime.
Moments after Evanston cut a 10-point deficit in half with 3:43 left in the game, Will and Sherwood came up with steals which they converted into layups to halt any more momentum by the Wildcats (9-6).
Sherwood turned her big steal into a 3-point play, giving Prospect a 51-39 lead with 2:37 left.
"Those are just two great and very smart defensive players," said Knights coach Ashley Sandstead-Graham, who was an all-tourney pick in the 2000 and 2001 Charger Classic while playing for Buffalo Grove. "They are seniors who knew we needed big stops there."
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Taylor Will and Evanston sophomore Leighah-Amori Wool started the game tied at 3-3.
A 6-footer on the baseline by Savannah Norfleet gave Evanston its biggest lead of the first quarter at 16-10.
Brenda Kendziera's 3-pointer from the left side got Prospect to within 16-13 going into the second period.
Down 20-18, Prospect closed the first half with a 10-0 run.
It included four straight inside buckets (two apiece by Taylor Will and one by Catherine Sherwood) and 2 free throws by Taylor Will with 48.7 seconds for a 28-20 lead at intermission.
"We definitely focused on defense in the second half," said Sherwood, who also had 9 rebounds and 3 steals. "We wanted to rebound on defense because they (Evanston) got a lot of points on second chances in the first half."
The Wildkits (9-6) got to within 36-30 early in the final quarter but the Knights made it 41-31 when sophomore Haley Will sank a 3-pointer from the right baseline with 5:28 left.
"That was huge," Taylor Will (11 rebounds) said of her sister's 3-pointer. "A total game-changer. They lost a little confidence after she made that."
Haley Will finished with 8 points and 5 assists while Hannah Grott, Sherwood, Kendziera and Nikki Matters each had 1 assist.
Evanston, which made four 3-pointers, was led by Wool (14 points), Hanan Richmond (11) and Allysah Boothe (9).
"Whenever we'd make a run, it was one step forward but then two back," said Wildkits coach Elliott Whitefield. "They (Prospect) were a little more poised than us. They are running their offense a little better than us now and they got some offensive rebounds on us.
"With a player like Taylor Will (Brown recruit) out there, you can't afford to make mistakes on every other possession. She's that good."
"Credit Evanston for never going away," Graham said.
But the Knights made their free throws at the end to put the game away.
Haley Will sank 3-of-4 while Sherwood and Taylor Will each were 2-for-2 in the final 2:57.
"I thought we showed a lot of maturity knocking down our free throws in the fourth quarter," said Graham, whose team was 19-of-27 for the game.