Oswego knocks off Naperville North again
In the four weeks since losing junior point guard Nikki Kwilosz to a torn ACL, Naperville North has been searching for someone to help star Greta Kampschroeder carry the scoring load.
The Huskies didn't find anyone Thursday.
Kampschroeder once again was the best player on the court, scoring 18 points to go with 8 steals, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, but it wasn't enough as Oswego beat the Huskies 49-41 in the quarterfinals of the Oswego East Holiday Classic.
It was the third time the Huskies and Panthers have met this season. Oswego (11-3) has won the last two games by identical 49-41 scores after Naperville North took the first game 49-46.
The Huskies (7-7) did not have the services of Kwilosz, their second-leading scorer, in either defeat. She was sorely missed in this game in which no Huskie besides Kampschroeder scored more than 5 points.
"There's no doubt not having Nikki has hurt us big time," Naperville North coach Jason Dycus said. "Nikki did a lot of great things for us.
"She was our vocal leader, she averaged 10 (points) a game. It's a huge loss."
It also increases the burden on Kampschroeder, who now has to bring the ball up more often and usually faces double-teams wherever she goes. The 6-foot sophomore struggled with her shot, finishing 7 for 25, but her teammates didn't fare any better, combining to go 8 for 30.
"We're working on it," Kampschroeder said. "Nikki was someone who could bring the ball up as well as shoot, so she was always a threat.
"Kara (Rivard) also does a really nice job, so I think her and I work together well up top, just starting the offense."
The Huskies didn't get off to a great start against Oswego, but Kampschroeder tied the game on a sweet turnaround jumper in the lane with 59 seconds left in the first half.
Oswego sophomore McKenna Engler drained a 3-pointer to give the Panthers a 22-19 halftime lead and then the wheels fell off for the Huskies, who were outscored 19-5 in the third quarter.
Engler tallied her team's final 8 points of the third quarter as the Panthers, who sank 8 consecutive shots at one point, extended their lead to 41-24.
"We didn't play great defense but give them credit," Dycus said. "They're athletic and they made shots.
"They hit a few 3s in that third quarter that opened it up for them and they got some easy shots underneath that we didn't rotate to and wall up on."
Engler had 12 points and Jennelle Rogers added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers, who advanced to the tournament semifinals for the first time. They will play Joliet Central on Friday.
Kampschroeder scored 7 straight points before making a steal and assisting on Jada Wilmington's layup that pulled the Huskies within 47-39 with 46.7 seconds left, but they could get no closer.
Wilmington finished with 4 points and 10 rebounds for Naperville North, while Rivard and Amanda Johnson added 5 points each.
"We picked it up in the fourth quarter, but we just have to come out with that fire from the beginning," Kampschroeder said. "I think that was the hard part.
"If we don't come out hard like that it's hard to get into your rhythm against a good team like that. That was kind of our issue."