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Martens, Kaneland knock off Yorkville

The word 'intangible' seems inadequate to describe Kaneland senior Jamie Martens in a girls basketball game.

"She has a high basketball IQ," Kaneland girls coach Ernie Colombe said. "We count on her. She's a leader."

From swiping the inbounds pass for an uncontested layup to start the second half to her heroic pass and game-clinching free throws Thursday night in Maple Park, Martens ruined the Yorkville comeback bid in a 53-49 Northern Illinois Big XII East Conference win.

Ninety-four combined points after Yorkville senior Division-II recruit Lauren Daffenberg forged only the second tie of the game at 49-49 by converting two free throws, Martens was the difference-maker on the ensuing possession.

The uncommitted senior showcased her dribbling skills by beating defenders off the ball and finding freshman teammate Abby Peeler for a room-service lay-in with 26 seconds remaining to give Kaneland a 51-49 lead.

Daffenberg had her right gym shoe touch the baseline moments later in seeking the equalizer.

Martens, who finished with a team-high 19 points, iced the game with 2 free throws with less than five seconds to play.

"(Peeler) did a good job of moving to an open spot so I could give her a nice pass," Martens said of the final field goal of the game.

Yorkville (4-2, 0-1) trailed by double digits at one point in the contest.

But there was universal agreement on both sides the critical juncture of the contest was when the Foxes had five consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter trailing by 2 points.

Kaneland (5-0, 2-0) withstood every single challenge to maintain its precarious lead.

"(The Knights) are probably our biggest rival in the conference," Yorkville coach Kim Wensits said. "We just didn't get the ball to drop (during that stage)."

"Those are the most important (possessions) of the game," said Daffenberg, who caught fire in the second half to finish with a game-high 22 points. "Unfortunately we couldn't convert. That is the game of basketball."

"Our team really dug in and got stops," Colombe said of the Foxes' five-possession effort to either tie the game or take the lead.

"When one player needs help with a girl, we work as a team," Martens said. "We got a little sloppy on offense but made up for it on defense."

Before Daffenberg, a Hillsdale (MI) signee, tied the game at 49-all with 41.9 seconds to play, the only other deadlock came at 2-2.

Jenni Weber augmented Martens' team-high total with 13 points.

Yorkville post Lindsay Harrison performed a similar role in supporting Daffenberg with 11 points.

Images: Kaneland vs. Yorkville, girls basketball

  Yorkville's Lily Guerra puts up a shot in against the Kaneland defense Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Kaneland's Bryanna Kigyos drives between Yorkville's Lindsay Harrison and Calli Bishop, right, Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Yorkville's Courtney Hall takes a rebound against Kaneland's Abby Peeler Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Kaneland's Jenni Weber keeps the ball away from Yorkville's Claudia Grunwald Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Kaneland's Jamie Martens lobs the ball to teammate Jenni Weber against Yorkville Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Yorkville's Lily Guerra pressures Kaneland's Maddy Wheatley Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Yorkville's Calls Bishop reaches a rebound against Kaneland's Bryanna Kigyos Thursday at Kaneland High School. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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