Downers Grove South too big for Addison Trail

Senior Night can provide a wonderful memory, but the emotions it produces don't always allow for the best basketball, especially early in the game.

That could explain the slow start Downers Grove South got in Friday night's 53-38 West Suburban Gold victory against visiting Addison Trail.

"I was kind of emotional," said the Mustangs' Addyson Wesolowski, one of four seniors Downers South honored before the game. "I'm very close with the coaches and the team. It's just been a really great four years, and I've made so many memories with this team and the program as a whole. It just kind of all hit me."

Despite a relatively slow start the Mustangs (14-10, 10-2) led most of the game. The Blazers (10-15, 3-9) took their second and final lead of the game at 19-18 with 45 seconds left in the first half on a Kayla Metallo basket. The Mustangs answered with a Holly Lueken hoop to end the half.

"We definitely came out a little slow, and foul trouble didn't help us," Mustangs coach Lyndsie Long said.

That changed in the third quarter, when the Mustangs jumped out to a 33-23 lead on a pair of Lueken free throws with 1:48 left.

"We usually have a hard time in coming out during the third quarter, so I'm really proud of our team for being able to come together and push it into the second half and get a lead," said Wesolowski, who scored 11 points.

"We just got worn down," Blazers coach Rob Schader added. "They're big, they're long and we turned the ball over a ton. We're missing our best point guard, and we just made some bad passes."

The Mustangs' height advantage, in the frontcourt and the backcourt, helped them to the victory. They blocked a dozen Blazers shots on defense, held a 25-19 rebounding advantage and scored often inside.

"That had a huge effect," Wesolowski said of the blocks. "We have some really great girls who can block like Holly Lueken, Jen Masello, they both do great on blocking. Celette Drummond, who's a sophomore, also had some really great blocks. Having girls who have that skill, it comes in handy in games where our size is an advantage."

Lueken, a sophomore, led the Mustangs with 19 points. She had 4 blocks, and Drummond had 5.

Center Diamond Pikulyk led the Blazers with 16 points, making all eight of her free throws despite battling an illness.

"She played really well. She's been solid all year," Schader said.