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Prospect protects East lead

For the final three minutes on Friday night, Prospect guards Haley Will, Nikki Matters and Hannah Grott played a pretty good game of catch for Prospect's girls basketball team.

Protecting a double-digit lead and with their Division I recruit Taylor Will having fouled out with 6:15 left, the state-ranked Knights played ball possession to perfection and ended up with a 46-30 victory at Rolling Meadows.

The Knights (21-1, 8-0) remained one game ahead of Hersey (19-5, 7-1) with two to play in the Mid-Suburban East.

Haley Will, Grott and Matters just dibbled and passed to each other on the perimeter in Prospect's final possessions as they waited to be fouled.

Matters and Haley Will each converted 2 free throws.

"We want to keep the ball in the hands of Haley and Nikki because they can make their free throws," Grott said. "We just knew we all had to step up without Taylor on the floor."

When Taylor Will fouled out, the Knights were ahead 39-25.

Due to the foul trouble, Will was only on the floor for 16:15, her shortest stint in three seasons under coach Ashley Graham.

"We did what we wanted to do defensively, especially in the first half (Knights led 20-11 at intermission)," said Mustangs coach Ryan Kirkorsky. "But you've got to credit Prospect. Obviously, they have weapons even without Taylor Will on the floor."

One of the biggest is senior Catherine Sherwood, who stepped up with a game-high 20 points.

Sherwood scored the first three baskets of the second quarter to break a 6-6 tie.

Her third basket came off her own rebound as she proceeded coast to coast for the 12-6 cushion.

A driving bank shot by sophomore Kyra Spiwak (team-highs of 9 points and 5 rebounds), got the Mustangs to within 12-8.

A few moments later Taylor Will (5 points) picked up her third foul with 5:20 left in the second quarter.

So what happens when you lose a player who started the game with 1,735 career points.

You go to one (Sherwood) who is only 44 points away from 1,000.

"Catherine is always a huge scorer for us, as is Taylor," said Prospect coach Ashley Graham. "I was proud of how the kids stepped up for Taylor. She is a huge part of our team as everyone knows and the kids knew they needed to rise to the occasion.

"That's a tribute to the depth we have and winning a game like this gives us confidence."

After Spiwak's bucket closed the deficit to 4 points, Sherwood came right back slicing through three defenders for a bank shot that made it 14-8 and sparked an 8-3 run to close out the half.

With her team in a delay offense in the final minute of the half, Prospect coach Ashley Graham brought it to a full stop. She called time out with 13.2 seconds left.

The Knights worked the the ball around and Brenda Kendziera (10 points) got off a 17-footer that fell through the hoop at the buzzer for the 20-11 cushion.

The momentum carried right into the third quarter as Prospect got a driving 6-footer from Matters, a short jumper by Sherwood and a rebound layup Kendziera for the first 6 points and a commanding 26-11 lead.

"There's no panic," said Grott of playing without Taylor Will. "We just all knew we have to step out since she is such a big part of our team."

The Knights never let the Mustangs closer than 12, putting themselves in position to hold the ball in final minutes with a comfortable lead

"I thought the girls did a great job of recognizing time and score and use of clock," Graham said. "They did a nice job of handling the pressure. As the season has gone on, they've gotten better and better at handling that pressure. and limiting turnovers. The execution was excellent."

The Knights limited Meadows (15-9, 2-6) to double-digits in three of the four quarters.

Hannah Mickey and Megan King (two 3-pointers in the second half) each chipped in 6 points for the host while Kelsey Nallon (5 points) also had a second-half 3-pointer.

Meadows seniors Jamie Berry (3 assists) and Nora Rasche were honored prior to the game for Senior Night.

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