advertisement

Bristow, Naperville North keep streak going

Naperville North coach Jason Dycus knew what Neuqua Valley's defense meant to the Huskies.

"It's going to be a time for somebody else to step up, and boy did Ella step up," Dycus said.

Senior Ella Bristow contributed 9 points and 5 rebounds off the bench, lifting the Huskies out of an early deficit and give them the lead for good Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies (13-9, 8-4) won their sixth straight game, taking control in the third quarter for a 57-28 DuPage Valley Conference girls basketball victory against Neuqua Valley in Naperville.

"I thought (Neuqua coach Mike) Williams did a smart thing as a coach going to a wide 2-3 zone," Dycus said. "But we were able to exploit it and hurt him on the back side with his low bottom defenders. We went two against one with our high-low game and that really served us well."

It helps that Dycus can get production off his bench.

"I really don't mind coming off the bench. I like supporting my teammates however I can," the 6-foot Bristow said. "It's just exciting when I get to get in and score."

Neuqua jumped out to a 7-1 lead early, but Bristow led the Huskies on a 15-2 run. By halftime the Huskies led 27-16, then they scored the first 19 points of the third quarter. The run ended when Ashley Ishman scored for Neuqua Valley with eight seconds to go in the period.

Naperville North freshman guard Greta Kampschroeder, the primary target of that Neuqua Valley zone, scored just 5 points in the first half but finished with 17. She also had 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 5 blocked shots and 3 assists in a typically well-rounded game. But it was Bristow's offensive output early that opened things up for Kampschroeder.

"It's so nice to know that I have really good teammates that can score, like she did today," Kampschroeder said. "Hit their free throws, stuff like that. It's really not a lot of pressure because I know I have good teammates that can make good passes, score, play good defense. It's fun."

It wasn't fun for Neuqua Valley (8-15, 3-10), which continued to struggle.

"They're a great team and they do a great job of moving the ball and getting shots open. And I will never take anything away from them. Bottom line is it comes down to us," said Williams, whose team lost to the Huskies 57-50 on Jan. 10. "And we've said to them, it's up to them. The proverbial ball is in their court, and that's what it is.

"We can't put the ball in the hoop, we can't coach them anymore than we have already. They're going to have to figure it out. And that's it. We're not being mean or anything. Sooner or later they have to figure it out."

Naperville North, on the other hand, has figured it out. The Huskies are brimming with confidence, and it shows in the winning streak.

"Oh, it's a ton of fun. We're very excited about it," Bristow said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.