St. Viator speeds past Buffalo Grove, stretches streak to six
After a loss to two-time defending Class 4A state champion Benet on Dec. 16 in Lisle, St. Viator girls basketball changed its style of play.
And now the Lions are sure starting the new year in style.
They won their sixth straight game and improved to 8-0 in their own Cahill Gymnasium with a 54-31 nonconference triumph over visiting Buffalo Grove in Arlington Heights.
The new strategy after since Dec. 16? Uptempo offense and pressure defense.
"It's great," said 5-foot-9 senior center Jenna Breslin, who scored 9 points. "We are really working to get in good positions on the floor. We've always been a fast team and now we're using that speed to our advantage. And we have a really deep lineup so we have great energy to keep up the pressure on defense."
Junior guard Olivia Solimene kept up her hot hand, delivering a game-high 14 points. She was followed in scoring by classmate Maddie Fitzpatrick (10). Haley Robinson (6-of-6 free throws) chipped in 8 points and Myia Clark 7 for the Lions, who reached .500 (9-9) for the first time this season after an 0-5 start.
"They're a good, strong team," said Bison coach Steve Kolodziej. "You've got to credit them. They made us panic and did a nice job getting into our heads. We were to too concerned with what they were doing, rather than with what we were doing."
What the Lions did was close the first quarter with a 14-2 run after falling behind 7-2.
A 3-pointer by junior guard Alyssa Floro, 17-footer from senior Georgette Topalis and layup by freshman Kendra Lee staked BG to the 7-2 advantage. But the Lions surged back with a layup from Solimene, a bucket from junior Michaela Mueller and 2 free throws from Robinson to grab an 8-7 lead.
Fitzpatrick hit a 16-foot baseline shot to make it 10-7 before another basket by Topalis got BG back to within 19-9.
However, the Lions scored 6 unanswered points in the final minute of the quarter.
Junior Grace Sexton started the rally with a fastbreak layup. Mueller then assisted on Solimene's 16-footer. Ten seconds later Solimene grabbed a rebound and put it back up for a 7-footer from the baseline to make it 16-9 after one quarter.
BG (6-9) never got closer than 4 the rest of the half, and St. Viator never let the visitors within double digits in the second half.
"Playing at home gives us so much momentum," Solimene said. "We really want to win here. It's really exciting. I'm really happy for my team. We know our home court well and we are used to the baskets. We like pressuring our opponents and Buffalo Grove did a really nice job pressuring us, too."
"Buffalo Grove is young and plays hard," said Lions second-year coach Jason Raymond. "I was impressed with how they play. The future is bright for them. They play a lot of young kids and they don't back down."
The Bison come right back on Friday night when they visit Elk Grove at 6 p.m.
"I can't wait to play again," said Kolodziej, whose team was led by Topalis and Lee (7 points apiece) and 6 from sophomore Sydney Fortman. "We struggle when we don't focus on the things we can do. At times, we loo like we're far away - but at times, we look like we right there. We are closer than we look."
The Lions looked inside to Breslin, and she delivered one of her top offensive games.
"She came off the bench and gave us som nice offense," Raymond said. "Jenna always does a great job on the boards. We expect that from her. So when she comes in and almost reached double digits in points, we'll take that."
The Lions, a Class 3A postseason entry this season, will take a six-game winning streak to Prospect at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
"We're on the right track," Raymond said. "We feel like our style of play now suits our players."