Swoboda helps Wheaton Academy settle in against Lisle
Wheaton Academy doesn't have a lot of size or experience, but it does have Lizzy Swoboda.
The 5-foot-9 senior forward brings much-needed leadership and skill to the Warriors, who have only three other seniors.
Swoboda's talents were on display Saturday as she led all players with 12 points and 15 rebounds as host Wheaton Academy knocked off visiting Lisle 43-23 in West Chicago.
"Lizzy's been controlling the boards all season," Wheaton Academy coach Erin Carwell said. "This is her third double-double of the year."
There were a lot of rebounds to be had, especially in the first half when the two teams combined to miss 37 shots and nine free throws.
The Warriors (5-5) shot 2 for 14 in the first quarter yet led 7-1. Lisle (6-4) did not score a basket until Gabrielle Wagoner converted on a drive at the 4:52 mark of the second quarter.
"We started off very frazzled and we talked about just playing at our pace," Carwell said. "Once we found our pace and (sense of) being in control, we found our rhythm in the game."
Swoboda grabbed 9 rebounds in the first half to solidify the defense and the Warriors started hitting from the outside. Rachel Bermudez, Cassandra Bonga, Imani Hillmer and Jerilyn Blackmon all sank 3-pointers to stake Wheaton Academy to a 22-8 halftime lead.
"We're not a big team so we have to use what we've got, which is not always a lot," Swoboda said. "I try to box out every time the ball goes up.
"It's been really fun to encourage the younger girls to box out and to see the ball in the court and to continue to communicate. That's what we're working on."
Carwell, who is in her first year at the helm, appreciates the help she's gotten from Swoboda, who assists in leading practices. It is beginning to pay off for the Warriors, who didn't rely solely on Swoboda for offense.
Blackmon came off the bench to score 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, while Bermudez added 8 points and Analise Richcreek 6 points and 4 rebounds.
The Lions, meanwhile shot 1 for 12 in the first half and finished 8 for 32 as the Warriors began utilizing a newly minted press. They also missed 14 of 21 free throws.
"We've got fast little guards and they're good at what they do," Swoboda said. "So we started to implement that (press) and it's been really, really helpful. It makes the other team question what they're doing."
It helped the Warriors that the Lions were playing their first game without their starting backcourt of Natalie Takahashi and McKenzie Weaver, who are out indefinitely after suffering a severely sprained ankle and concussion in a nasty fall, respectively, in Thursday's loss to Reed-Custer.
"Obviously, when you lose those two players that probably account for 20 points a game (it's tough)," said Lisle coach Nick Balaban, who started four underclassmen and brought three freshmen off the bench. "We're trying to find ways to score.
"We did everything we possibly could. The kids played hard and I thought we played good defense initially."
Freshman Abby Casmer led Lisle with 6 points and 7 rebounds.