advertisement

Topps, Wheaton North fill in ably for Baird

Two weeks ago, Wheaton North lost junior guard Nikki Baird to a broken wrist.

It wasn't a devastating blow to the Falcons, but problematic enough - after all, where do you find 14 points and 12 rebounds a game, which is what Baird had been averaging before her injury?

Coach Dave Eaton may very well have found the solution in Monday night's DuPage Valley Conference girls basketball matchup with Neuqua Valley, a game the Falcons won 67-43.

Junior guard Sarah Topps scored 15 for Wheaton North (15-6, 8-3), including a pair of 3-pointers, while freshman guard Ellie Hubbard added a tough 7 points, including a 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats may have had aspirations of getting back in the game with an 8-0 run.

"We didn't step up individually - all of us stepped up at practice, we had everybody going in for that spot, and everybody was filling in and helping the team," Topps said of replacing Baird.

Added Hubbard: "There was really no pressure, because we all just came together as a team. Someone from your team is gone, there's like a hole in it."

Add their contributions to the always-solid senior guards Hannah Swider and Sophie Ahlberg, and the Falcons look like they'll be just fine. Swiders scored 17 points and Ahlberg 13. There is no timetable for Baird's return.

"What we've always stressed with our group of kids is it's about team, and it has to be about team," Eaton said. "You can't control injuries, you can't control who gets sick, so I thought our kids did a great job of being able to step up against a team like that where you're playing length of the floor every possession."

Of course, it also helps when your team can put together a 30-4 run between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third like the Falcons did Monday. That included Topps' 3-pointers, and one apiece from Swider and Ahlberg. In fact the team put together a 9-0 run at the end of the second and an 11-0 spurt to start the third.

Ahlberg in particular was effective, not only ballhandling but being in the right place at the right time. After Topps hit her second 3 with 6:46 left in the third quarter, Ahlberg stole the ball at midcourt on Neuqua Valley's ensuing possession and dropped a layup that gave the Falcons a 48-23 lead.

For the Wildcats (8-13, 3-7), you might think the game was a hard-luck loss, but not so according to coach Mike Williams.

"They're an excellent team," Williams said of the Falcons. "The shot chart doesn't lie - we missed 25 shots in the paint. You can't win games when you do that. If we want to look at something, that's correctable. Energy level, they played hard. Nobody's giving up."

This is true. Despite being down 54-25 with three minutes to go in the third, the Wildcats put together their 8-0 run, with contributions from four players, including senior guard Megan Callahan, who led the Wildcats with 16 points, 6 above her season average.

"It's a whole different ballgame, when you're running hard and your energy is top level," Callahan said. "You could lose by 25 and get absolutely zero effort. I think it was awesome (about) our energy."

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.