Conant nips Libertyville

Every now and then a wake-up call can serve as a good thing.

That's what the Libertyville girls basketball team is trying to take away after being stung by Conant 50-46 in the opening round of the Libertyville Holiday Tournament on Friday evening.

"They're a really good team. Their record is deceiving," said Wildcats head coach Greg Pedersen, whose girls still boast one of the best records in Lake County at 10-4.

"They used their strength and size and we didn't respond well to their physicality."

Libertyville jumped out to an early 18-9 lead after a 3-pointer by junior guard Margaret Buchert, who led all scorers with 20 points. Buchert nailed three from behind the arc in the first quarter and junior forward Abigail Frea added another.

"They (the Wildcats) can really shoot the ball," said Conant coach Todd Strauch, whose girls improved to 5-8 on the season.

"I was really proud of how we hung in there and fought back after the first."

The Cougars indeed muscled their way back with a 9-0 run to tie things up at 18-18 after one.

Senior guards Stephanie Mazurek and Hannah Shulman each canned treys in the opening quarter.

Defense took center stage in the second as the first half featured 5 ties and 6 lead changes.

The Wildcats clung to a 29-28 halftime lead following a bucket by senior forward Maddie Spaulding (7 points).

Mazurek countered with 5 of her team-high 11 points.

Libertyville's full-court press forced the Cougars into 3 turnovers in the third as it raced to a 38-34 lead after a trey by junior guard Lydia Crow (10 points) to end the quarter.

Libertyville held that 4-point lead until the 4:17 mark of the fourth.

Trailing 43-41, Conant junior forward Shakira Oduocha (9 points) hit a layup that that knotted things up 43-43.

Then, Conant took the lead for good on the next possession when Abbey DiSalvo hit another layup for a 45-43 advantage.

"We played hard and executed the game plan," added Strauch. "We were strong with the ball."

Shulman hit a 3-pointer about a minute later that put Conant ahead 48-43. Libertyville had plenty of chances to close the gap but shooting went cold late in the fourth.

"This (loss) was good for us," said Pedersen. "We needed a butt-kicking. Give Conant a lot of credit. They made plays at the end."