Big first quarter carries St. Francis past Rosary
St. Francis' great start to Tuesday's GCAC White girls basketball game against Rosary could be easily explained by Spartans senior Isabel Bettag.
"We just had chemistry," said Bettag, praised by coach Melissa Taylor for her vocal leadership on the court. "We were looking up. I think it carried over from the last game where we kept passing and kept looking last night (an 80-27 victory against Milwaukee Lutheran). We just kept looking for the next open option, the easiest pass. We just kept going up the court, so it was fun."
The Spartans were all over the Royals in the first quarter, jumping out to a 21-point lead on their way to a 59-42 victory in Wheaton.
St. Francis (11-8, 6-2) scored the game's first 7 points. After a Jenna Hernandez 3-pointer got Rosary (10-9, 5-3) started, the Spartans responded with 12 straight points, putting the lead in double digits for good on Bettag's 3-pointer less than four minutes into the game.
"Some of the players didn't come to play from the get-go," Royals coach Phil VanBogaert said. "And you can't do that. This is a well-coached (St. Francis) team. I love the way they press. They're very athletic. And we knew what we were up against when we came in here. We've been practicing it. But they evidently forgot, some of them forgot, how to break the press."
It took less than seven minutes of basketball for the Spartans bump their lead into the 20s, with Christine Fasana's three-point play making the score 27-6.
"We're moving the ball well," Taylor said. "When we shoot the ball in rhythm it's going in. Our defensive rotations they've taken a lot of pride in getting to help side and helping the helpers, if you will. It's fun when it's that way."
Rosary settled down in the second quarter, keeping the game from getting out of hand. St. Francis' biggest lead was 26 points.
"A lot of the kids who usually don't get much playing time went out there, and I think they did a great job," VanBogaert said. "That's all you ask. You just want effort out there. And normally our girls put out effort every time."
Hernandez and Zoe Ketterman each scored 13 points to lead the Royals.
Antwainette Walker posted a double-double for St. Francis with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with 4 blocked shots. Mia Mazza added 12 points, and Fasana scored 9 points with 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists. Bettag added 8 points.
"We could point out any kid and highlight things that they did really well that helped us for the game," Taylor said.