Cary-Grove downs Rolling Meadows

Some twenty years ago, Tony Moretti was an assistant coach for Dan Travers' sophomore boys basketball team at Conant High School.

Travers was at Rolling Meadows High School Wednesday night to watch Moretti coach his second game as the first-year Cary-Grove girls basketball coach.

"It was good to have my mentor here," Moretti said of Travers, the former Conant head girls basketball coach and current freshman 'B' boys coach at Rolling Meadows. "He's a great coach."

It's been a pretty great start for Moretti and his Trojans, who won their second straight game with a 37-31 triumph over defending Mid-Suburban East champion Rolling Meadows.

"He's a great coach," said Trojans senior guard Grace Clarke about Moretti, who entered the business world for 15 years after coaching at Conant and then returned to basketball three years ago an assistant girls coach at Crystal Lake South. "He comes in with fresh start and we're doing this for him,"

What the Trojans did to help win Wednesday's game was convert their last 8 free throws in the final two minutes after they saw a 11-point lead dwindle to 29-26 with 2:37 left.

Senior Suzanne Holifield (game-high 14 points), hit a rebound layup to get the Mustangs (1-1) to within 29-26 when the visitors responded with a 6-2 run (all free throws including two by Clarke) to make it 35-28 with 29 seconds left.

Holifield's 3-point play cut it to 35-31 with 14 seconds left before sophomore Emily Lukowski (11 points) hit the final two free throws that made it 37-31.

"Free throws are important, especially at the end of games," said Clark, who also scored 11 points. "In these close situations, you've got to make them. We stuck with it all the way and came together at the end."

The Trojans (2-0) had a similar game in their win over Wauconda on Monday.

"That was a 4-point game late," Moretti said. "And we did the same thing. We ran some ball control at the end. Both games we were patient and did the things we needed to do to win."

Moretti said defense was the key.

"We knew how good they were and that they could shoot the ball," he said. "Our goal was to play good defense, guard the arc and stop the dribble penetration.

"I thought Grace was outstanding defensively. And Paige Hoscheit (junior), who wasn't with us on Monday, is a difference maker for us defensively. She was outstanding, too, tonight."

Junior Lauren Passaglia added 6 points for Cary-Grove and teammate Lilliana Kurth hit a big 3-pointer to start the second half and give her team a 24-14 lead.

Sophomore Alison Sellergren contributed 6 points for Meadows.

Mustangs starting guard Bridget Rolla sprained her ankle in the Mustangs' opener on Monday and coach Ryan Kirkorsky is hoping his talented senior guard can return for Saturday's game against Lake Zurich.

Kirkorsky has also lost another starter due to injury. Sophomore Moira Hickey is out with a knee injury.

"Our kids played hard to the end," said Kirkorsky, who closed the third quarters with four sophomores on the floor along with Holifield.

"But I give all the credit to Cary-Grove. They were tougher, looked more experience and they did things with more integrity throughout the game than us. We didn't start the game very well (fell behind 13-5) and I thought Cary-Grove asserted itself from the opening minute to the end of the game. We had some spurts but not enough."

Cary-Grove graduated nine seniors from last year's team.

"When you graduate that many you just don't know what you're going to get until you get into game situations,' Moretti said. "So I am super proud of them. They've really stepped up."