Emma, WW South shake off nerves to beat St. Charles North
Wheaton Warrenville South's Mira Emma normally doesn't let big games bother her.
The four-year varsity point guard has been a staple in the Tigers' run to two straight Class 4A regional titles.
As one of 11 players honored during an elaborate Senior Night on Thursday, Emma admitted she experienced some butterflies before the DuKane Conference showdown against St. Charles North.
"I was little nervous. Walking out always gets your emotions going," Emma said. "This group of seniors all year have been fighting. We've been playing since fourth or fifth grade together. We wanted to come out strong because conference was on the line."
Emma didn't show many nerves on the court, scoring 16 of her 19 points in the first half to lead the Tigers to a 36-30 win over the North Stars. Emma made one 3-pointer in the first quarter and added three 3s in the second. She hit two 3s in a three-possession sequence early in the second quarter. MacKenzie Stebbins tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals for the Tigers (18-8, 10-3).
"In the pregame I wasn't hitting that much or any shots, but I trusted my teammates and they found me and the (shots) went in," Emma said.
St. Charles North coach Mike Tomczak said Emma's strong shooting played a big factor in helping the Tigers control the tempo. Annie Tate scored 10 points to lead the North Stars.
"(Mira) is a heck of a player and got hot early," he said. "She was feeling it on Senior Night, maybe a little extra juice."
When Abby Struebing nailed a 3-pointer early in the third, the Tigers built a 26-20 lead. The North Stars scored just 4 points in a 10-possession span to trail 33-26 following a 3 by Stebbins with just over four minutes left in regulation.
But St. Charles North's MaKenna Collins bottled up Emma for the final two quarters, holding her to only two shots and no field goals made. Her defense allowed the North Stars to mount a comeback, cutting the deficit to 33-30 following a 3-point banker from the top of the key.
But the Tigers forced two turnovers on the North Stars' final two possessions, including a pivotal steal by Stebbins. Emma hit two free throws in the final 30.4 seconds to pull out the win.
The North Stars (15-13, 6-8) only scored 10 points in the second half but still had a chance to win.
"You have to credit them, they played hard and we couldn't execute down the stretch," Tomczak said.
Wheaton Warrenville South gets another crack at Wheaton North, which defeated the Tigers in overtime on Dec. 21. The teams are tied for first in the DKC in the final week of the regular season, and the Tigers host the Falcons on Friday.
"The kids stepped up and played well," Wheaton Warrenville South coach Rob Kroehnke said. "The kids did a good job getting Mira the ball."