Larkin downs Elgin for fourth time this season
It's tough enough to beat your arch rival twice in one season, but four times is quite a feat.
That's exactly what Larkin did against Elgin on Monday night at Chesbrough Field House in opening round action of the Class 4A Elgin girls basketball regional.
The Maroons didn't make it easy early on, but eventually the Royals pulled away for a 52-34 win to advance to play top-seeded Dundee-Crown on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Sophomore Marlee Kyles led the fourth-seeded Royals with 25 points. Quixmia Washington added 11.
"Some of these girls know each other so well they know each other's shoe sizes and favorite foods. They're practically relatives," Larkin coach Ruben Flores said. "It's a challenge to play a team that many times, and you know Doc (Elgin coach Dr. Nick Bumbales) is always going to have his girls ready to play. But I thought we handled it very well and we were ready."
Larkin (7-20) got off to a fast start, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the field in the first quarter to jump out to a 23-15 lead. Kyles had 10 points in the quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers.
"We knew we had to come ready to play because we knew they were going to be out to get us," Kyles said. "But coach always tells us if you think like a winner you'll be a winner. We came out fierce and with a lot of intensity. I just looked for open lanes and gaps and took it to the hole every chance."
The Maroons pulled to within 29-23 at the half, but the Royals clamped down on defense in the second half. Larkin held Elgin to just 2-of-18 (11 percent) shooting from the field and forced 9 turnovers.
"We were allowing too much penetration and not getting enough weak side help in the first half," Flores said. "We wanted to take that penetration away, so we switched to a zone in the second half."
The Royals outscored the Maroons 13-4 in the final quarter to put the game away. Kyles continued to put on a show in the second half with 5 driving layups and a 3 pointer.
"She just has great basketball sense," Flores said. "She just sees the floor so well. if there is even the slightest opening in the defense she is going to take advantage of it."
The Royals are familiar with their next foe. They lost to D-C by 7 earlier in the season after blowing a lead in the fourth quarter.
"They are a solid team that plays fundamentally sound," Flores said of the Chargers. "They have some good post players. We will definitely have to take our game to another level."
The Maroons finish the season 4-23. Alisha Panthier had a team-high 9 points.
"It's a great group of kids," Bumbales said. "The seniors will do well in life. We just weren't ever able to establish any kind of continuity on offense. And that was once again the case tonight."