Fitzgerald, Grayslake Central edge Wauconda

The point guard passed.

Passed on the credit.

Grayslake Central senior Maura Fitzgerald had just scored 20 points, the most she's ever totaled in her three-year career as a varsity starter, but she wanted to recognize teammates. The Rams rallied twice to beat host Wauconda 55-50 in a Northern Lake County Conference showdown on Saturday night.

Fellow senior and three-year starter Rosie Drevline scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half for Grayslake Central (18-7, 10-0), which needed a lift because 6-foot-2 junior Kate Bullman sat most of the opening half with a pair of fouls.

"Rosie had an amazing first half," Fitzgerald said. "I think Amanda (Kocialkowski) played very good defense on (Allie) Tylka, so she deserves credit for that. I think we all stepped up. I don't think it was just me."

The Florida Atlantic-bound Tylka scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for Wauconda (18-4, 7-3) to extend its nine-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are tied for second place with Round Lake in the NLCC. Grayslake Central is three games up with four left in conference.

"We've been practicing a lot the last few days to play this team, and it would have meant a lot to us to win," Tylka said. "We'll just have to go after our next few teams that we have left in conference."

While Drevline sank three 3-pointers in the first half in helping Grayslake Central erase an 11-1 deficit, Fitzgerald helped the visitors come back from a 44-36 hole early in the fourth quarter. She sank 8 of 11 free throws in the final 5:24 (10 of 13 for the game), and her driving layup snapped a 48-48 tie with 1:55 to go.

"I think a lot of people underestimate Maura because she doesn't score a lot, but it's because she dishes the ball, " Rams coach Steve Ikenn said. "She plays great defense, handles the ball, runs the offense, and tonight she showed what she can do offensively."

Bullman, who picked up her second foul less than two minutes into the game and sat the rest of the half, finished with 4 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Her runner in the lane with 2:31 left in the fourth pulled Grayslake Central even at 48-48.

"It was an important game for us," Fitzgerald said. "We were definitely determined to win this game."

The Bulldogs led 32-26 at the half, as they were able to score often in transition. But they scored only 18 points in the second half, unable to successfully run their half-court offense.

"When they switched and took their press off and made us run a half-court offense, we struggled," Wauconda coach Jaime Dennis said. "We didn't have enough ball movement. We normally have close to 20 assists, and we had only 12. Didn't share the ball very well. Too much dribbling."

Grayslake Central, which won for the fifth time in a row, also got a big fourth-quarter 3-pointer from Madeline Mussay (5 points) and a post-up bucket from Kristy Heerdegen (6 points) that started the comeback.

Freshman Jessie Pakaski had 12 points and 8 rebounds for Wauconda, which lost 49-44 at Grayslake Central on Dec. 7.

"I have been waiting for this game since we lost to them the first time because I felt like we let one slip away," Dennis said. "I feel like we let one slip away tonight, too."

Grayslake Central needed a team effort and got exactly that.

"They're a well-coached team, and they're a good team," Ikenn said of the Bulldogs. "Allie Tylka's a great player. Jaime does a nice job with them. They weren't going away either. I thought it was a really solid game."