Waubonsie Valley defeats Metea Valley

The regular season is over for most girls basketball teams and in the final minutes for others.

It is a time to collect as much momentum as possible with the postseason fast approaching. Metea Valley and Waubonsie Valley were no exception Thursday night during the Warriors' senior night.

Waubonsie prevailed 46-42, but with both teams taking something away from the contest that can help them in the postseason.

For the Warriors (11-15, 3-4 DuPage Valley Conference), it was a solid four-quarter effort that showed their offensive ability during the first three quarters and their ability to hold a team at bay in the final period.

"We'll need to fix a few things, but we played with intensity and effort. And when you play with intensity and effort in the playoffs, you can keep a game close and may be able to pull it out," said Waubonsie coach Brett Love.

Both offenses were in neutral almost two-and-a-half minutes into the game. After Metea (9-17, 2-6) called a timeout with 5:21 remaining in the opening quarter, the Warriors shot 3 of 9 from the field to lead 9-7 at the end of it.

Ahniya Melton came off the bench in the first to score 6 of her team-high 13 points.

Melton said Waubonsie's attention to defense was crucial to the victory.

"We made sure to pick up the defense. We were not quick enough on defense the first game we played them," she said.

The Warriors opened things up in the second quarter, shooting 6 of 14 to take a 20-10 halftime lead.

Rebounding was also crucial for Waubonsie as they completely dominated the boards in the first half, 24-9. Melton, Iwiyisi Osaghae and Lauren McKnight each had 5 rebounds in the first half.

The hot shooting continued in the third quarter as the Warriors led 37-20 at the end of it.

However, Metea found its groove with its hottest shooting of the game starting in the third and then coming through a 22-point effort in the final eight minutes.

Tess Thompson, who led all scorers with 16 points, scored 11 of those points in the second half and hit a crucial seven in the fourth. Chloe Kurkjian hit for eight of her 11 points in the last 16 minutes of the game. Nazuri Whigham hit two crucial 3-point baskets in the final period.

"We strived to have a sense of purpose and intensity in the second half," said Metea coach Cedric Williams. "But we need to put together all four quarters. When we do that, we are capable of beating people."