Vance free throw separates Lake Park from Neuqua Valley
Lake Park found the perfect cure for a struggling offense Thursday.
Great defense.
Yielding just three field goals in the opening half while forcing 25 turnovers for the game, the Lancers prevailed 31-30 over Neuqua Valley in the DuPage Valley Conference girls basketball matchup in Roselle.
Carson Vance's free throw with 10.8 seconds remaining proved to be the difference. The Wildcats' attempt at a game-winning shot missed as the buzzer sounded.
"We have to win games like this," Lake Park coach Brian Rupp said. "I think they are in the same boat as we are, struggling offensively. But defense will keep you in the game. One free throw got us the win."
The home team led by 6 points on a pair of occasions in the fourth quarter, first after a three-point play by Kinsey Tweedy and then later on another basket by Tweedy.
But Neuqua Valley's Rachel Tait made a pair of 3-pointers, one with 44.5 seconds left and another with 17 seconds on the clock, to tie the score at 30.
"Those were two big 3s by Rachel," Wildcats coach Mike Williams said. "Those were big shots. Those are things we can build on.
"We haven't played since Dec. 17. It's just been a lot of practice and you could tell, it looked like our first game in the first half. In the second half we came alive."
Lake Park led 9-4 after the opening eight minutes, thanks in large part to 10 giveaways by the visitors. That margin was extended to 13-7 by halftime even though the Lancers went the first six minutes of the second quarter without scoring.
"We've been struggling a little bit with working together," said Lancers senior Madison Race, who totaled 5 points and 3 rebounds. "But we pulled it all together tonight. When we want it, we go get it. And our defense helped us in the end."
Vance, Tweedy, Emily Golab and Camryn James all had 6 points for Lake Park (4-11, 3-3) with Golab adding 9 rebounds and 3 steals and Vance totaling 5 steals.
Tait topped Neuqua Valley (6-9, 2-3) with 12 points and 7 rebounds and Makinzie DeHaan had 8 points. Megan Keefer finished with 6 points and 6 steals.