WW South hands Naperville Central first DVC defeat
The Wheaton Warrenville South defense did it again.
The Tigers knocked Naperville Central out of rhythm for a 41-33 girls basketball victory Thursday night, handing the Redhawks their first DuPage Valley Conference defeat of the season and drawing the Tigers within a game in the loss column of the league lead.
"Our defense won the game, for sure," Tigers junior Maria Dohse said. "Our offense in the beginning wasn't too hot, but we knew that our defense was going to take care of this game."
The Tigers have made a habit of winning games by keeping teams under 40 points, several under 30. This win gave them 20 on the season, including eight in a row.
"They're a really, really good team," Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum added. "I thought the first half went maybe about how we thought. They were playing great defense. At the same time I thought we missed some shots we should have made. You've got to give them credit. That's the way they've been winning games."
The Tigers (20-3, 10-2) took a 16-15 lead into halftime and never gave up the lead, though they did come close in the final minutes. A 10-2 third quarter gave the Tigers a 9-point lead heading to the fourth, the biggest of the game.
But the Redhawks (22-5, 12-1) found new life in the fourth, cutting the lead to 32-31 with 2:55 to go on a Mia Lakstigala 3-pointer.
"In the fourth quarter I liked our fight," Nussbaum said. "We had it down to 1. I think we even had a shot to take the lead that I thought was going in. Then we didn't do the things we had to do down the stretch."
The Tigers recovered the momentum from there, hitting their free throws and forcing Redhawks turnovers at key moments.
"The effort was outstanding, at the defensive end was amazing," Tigers coach Rob Kroehnke said. "We took care of the ball. They're a great team. I mean, they really are. You've got to take advantage of every situation, and I thought we did."
Jayla Johnson led the Tigers with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Lucy Schmid notched a double-double for the Redhawks with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Lakstigala was held to 8 points, all of them in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't do anything special," Kroehnke said. "That's the same defense we've run all year. We just emphasize certain things, and obviously she's someone you're going to emphasize on where she is."
Now the Tigers have a shot at the league title. But their remaining schedule is difficult, and they need help from another league rival or two.
Does that mean Dohse and the Tigers will root for cross-town rival Wheaton North to beat the Redhawks on Feb. 3?
"I don't know about that," Dohse said with a laugh. "It's going to be tough."