Bult, Wheaton Academy down ACC

Meredith Bult was a maestro on the perimeter and in the paint Thursday night in West Chicago.

The Wheaton Academy senior forward pumped home five 3-pointers to lead all players in the Warriors' Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division girls basketball game against visiting Aurora Central Catholic with 17 points.

But in the Warriors' 56-49 girls basketball victory, Bult also registered game highs of 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

"We have a lot of people who can go inside," Bult said. "I am able to do things like block shots and get rebounds."

The latter was the central storyline of the game.

Wheaton Academy (10-13, 4-9) was hardly bashful when it came to field-goal attempts.

The Warriors hoisted up 64 shots during the game, but Aurora Central failed to snare the defensive rebound 24 times.

Wheaton Academy enjoyed a 50-34 advantage in rebounding over the Chargers (13-13, 6-6).

"(Defensive rebounding) is our Achilles' heel," ACC coach Mark Fitzgerald said. "We don't box out well. In tough games you have to put a body on someone."

Wheaton Academy broke free from a 24-22 halftime lead largely courtesy of collecting 9 of their 24 offensive rebounds in the third quarter.

Bult was hardly the Warriors' only offensive weapon. The senior forward had able company from Emily Renn and Chrislyn Herring with 16 and 12 points, respectively.

"There's a big emphasis on getting rebounds with everyone crashing but one," said Renn, who matched the Chargers' 10 made free throws by herself. "We made a lot of adjustments guarding their big girls (since the last meeting, a 5-point loss). I think we wanted revenge."

Aurora Central scored 6 consecutive points to reduce its 10-point deficit to two possessions, but Bult drained the last of her 3-pointers with 5:38 to play.

The fifth 3-pointer by Bult clearly had a demoralizing effect on the Chargers.

"When I get a couple (of 3-pointers) in a row, I think it wears on them," said Bult, who had back-to-back 3-pointers in the first quarter.

The Chargers' Delani Kosner and Shakira DelToro had 10 points apiece.

But ACC lost it 6-point first-quarter lead entering halftime largely as a result of a lone second-quarter field goal and 9 missed free throws.

"It could have been a totally different game (without the missed throws)," Fitzgerald said.