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Sanchez, Maine West shoot sharply at Maine East

Maine West's girls basketball team played its final regular-season game on Friday night in Park Ridge.

Liz Sanchez hardly gave a regular performance for a varsity call-up in only her second game.

The 5-foot-5 sophomore guard entered a tight game in the second quarter and helped turn the tide in Warriors' favor by hitting three 3-pointers in a span of five minutes.

The long distance show helped the West turn a 3-point deficit into a 13-point lead and they never trailed again in a 54-42 triumph before a big crowd at Maine East which was hosting a boys-girls doubleheader.

The victory meant the Warriors finished 8-2 in the Central Suburban League North, good for second place behind champion Niles North (9-1).

Maine West has never finished worse than second, with 26 titles in 34 years under Hall of Fame coach Derril Kipp, who ended the regular season with 777 career wins.

Niles North won the North title outright thanks to a 51-50 victory over Highland Park on Friday.

A year ago, the Warriors (8-19) also had a chance to win the conference on the final day of conference. But they fell to the same Blue Demons in Park Ridge.

"We wanted to redeem ourselves," said Warriors junior guard Kayla Pociejewski. "I don't think we ever play our top game here (in Park Ridge). So we wanted to come out this time and give it our all. We played our hearts out."

Sanchez shot the lights out.

She ended up making 4-of-5 3-pointers to finish with 12 points behind freshman team leaders Catherine Johnson (17 points) and Allison Pearson (13).

"That was nice," Pociejewski said of Sanchez's long-range artistry. "We needed that. She's an amazing shooter and she comes in confident."

Sanchez also hit a 3 last Saturday in her 12-minute varsity debut against Cary-Grove.

"We needed a little spark there, especially now that we don't have Monica (Liwag, a three-sport standout who underwent knee surgery which will also force her to miss the her junior softball season)," said Kipp, who never started a season without a returning starter until this team. "Liz is a pretty good 3-point shooter and she gave us that spark we needed."

West trailed 11-8 after one quarter. But it opened the second period with a driving layup by Pearson and then back-to-back 3-pointers by Sanchez for a 16-11 lead with 6:17 left in the half.

Sanchez' third 3-pointer made it 23-12 with two minuets left in the second quarter.

Johnson followed with a driving layup which gave West its biggest lead of the half at 25-12 with 10 seconds left.

The Warriors led 25-14 at intermission and kept the hot hand to start the third quarter when Johnson converted 3-pointer and freshman Jessica Riedl added a 12-footer for West's biggest lead of the game at 30-14.

But the Blue Demons (10-15, 4-6) were hardly ready to call it a day.

The defending CSL North champs scored 12 unanswered points to get to within 30-26 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

West finally stalled the rally when Johnson made a slick baseline drive and finished with a reverse layup for a 32-26 advantage.

Then it was Sanchez time again.

She drilled her fourth 3-pointer with 2:36 left in the third quarter and the Warriors were back on top by 9. The hosts never got closer than 7.

Johnson hit a 3-pointer to make it 40-27 with under a minute left in the third period.

Pearson made 6-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter when she scored 8 of her 13 points.

"Catherine (Johnson) had her usual steady game," Kipp said. "We played well but we still had that lull (in the third quarter). Allison (Pearson) had a sore back so that made things a little more difficult for her.

"It was a good game for us. We are starting to get some of our sophomores more time in the rotation. It was a nice way to finish the regular season."

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