Aurora Christian stays unbeaten
The loss of senior center Gabby Galbato to an ACL injury suffered during volleyball season has forced Aurora Christian girls basketball coach Burney Wilkie to lean toward a group of smaller, quicker players.
So far, the results have been big time.
Freshman guard-forward Tori Henning recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Emily Ward added 11 points during the Eagles' 50-33 victory over Ottawa in Friday's third round of the IMSA/Aurora Christian Hoop Happenings tournament in Aurora.
"We have to defend, we have to rebound and we have to be a really scrappy team," said Wilkie, whose team improved its record to 3-0. "I'm lucky to have three underclassmen - two sophomores and a freshman - that played unreal and they're probably the scrappiest out of everybody. It's a gift for me."
Henning, Ward and sophomore guard Paris Chaney combined for 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 steals for Aurora Christian, which will face Indian Creek (3-0) in Saturday's championship game.
The Eagles closed out the final 6:28 of the second quarter on a 16-0 run that turned a 13-10 lead into a 29-10 halftime advantage.
Henning began the surge with a pair of free throws and later added a 3-pointer, one of the Eagles' four 3-point baskets in the second quarter.
"She is a freshman wise beyond her years," said Wilkie. "I've been watching her play since fifth grade and I've been waiting for her that long. She has been in double figures all three games."
Senior guard Sami Hultine (9 points, 12 rebounds) connected on a pair of 3-pointers while Carey Tokars added another long-range jumper during the pivotal second quarter.
While the Eagles were red-hot from 3-point range (4 of 5), the Pirates (2-1) hit just 1 of their 9 3-point attempts in the second quarter and shot just 16 percent (4 of 25) from the field in the opening half.
"I thought the keys to the game were how we defended and rebounded in the first half," said Wilkie. "To hold a team like that to 10 points in the first half is huge for us. It's something that we emphasize because we're so undersized."
After Chaney split a pair of free throws to extend the Eagles lead to 38-22 early in the fourth quarter, Ottawa suddenly found its shooting eye.
A 3-pointer from Tayah Guerrero and back-to-back 3-pointers by Alex McDonnell helped the Pirates cut the deficit to 38-33 with 5:22 remaining.
Despite sticking with a 7-girl rotation (only 8 players in uniform), the Eagles pulled away down the stretch, scoring 12 unanswered points over the final 5 minutes.
Henning helped ignite the run with a driving left-handed layup that extended the Eagles' lead to 44-33 with 2:05 left.
"To be able to have a freshman out there while they're pressing at the end of a game and to have the composure and handle the ball like that - she's very savvy for a freshman," said Wilkie.
"I've tried to prepare myself the best I could," Henning said of her 3-game prep debut. "The seniors on our team have good chemistry and they've been playing together for a long time. They've really helped me jump right in."
Sarah Lyons scored 12 points for Ottawa.