Everyone chips in for red-hot Antioch

After Antioch's girls basketball players filled up the basket — in the second half, anyway — their three seniors received filled baskets.

It was all part of Senior Night activities at Antioch, where a large crowd, aided by the addition of feeder kids and their families, watched the host Sequoits win their rivalry game against Lakes 48-26 in Northern Lake County Conference action on Wednesday.

The goodies capped a good night.

“Basically chips and stuff that we like, like some of our favorite snacks,” Antioch senior guard Molly Volkmar said of the laundry-basket contents. “Salt and vinegar chips, some Gatorade, gum, Sun Chips.”

For the first time since twins Amy and Ashley Reiser graduated three seasons ago after leading Antioch to a pair of Class 3A sectional championships, the Sequoits are enjoying the taste of winning on a more consistent basis. They're 13-13 (7-5 NLCC) and their five-game winning streak is their best since the Reisers left.

“We got a new crew now,” said Antioch coach Tim Borries, whose squad features three seniors in starters Volkmar and Miranda Chamberlin and Skylar Del'ao, who's been out the last month with a shoulder injury. “We had the two seniors that played, but the core of our kids are juniors and a sophomore.”

Avery Larson, Antioch's 6-foot-3 sophomore post, scored a game-high 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Volkmar added 8 points (two 3-pointers) and 3 steals, and her classmate Chamberlin snagged 6 rebounds.

After going into halftime up only 14-13, in part due to 2-of-12 shooting from three-point range, Antioch attacked differently in the second half. Larson sank 3 shots and scored 7 points, as the Sequoits outscored the Eagles 19-7. Larson took only 1 shot in the first half.

“He basically told us that it's a mismatch [inside] and to pound it in to Avery,” Volkmar said of her coach. “That's what we do when the other team is shorter.”

While Volmar, Erin Miller and Hailey Webb made 3s in the second half, the Sequoits also got points inside and at the foul line. They outscored Lakes 34-13 after halftime.

“Our game isn't the three-point shot,” Borries said. “I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy to live and die by the 3, especially when you have a 6-3 post player that can move.”

Freshman Kendall Phelan and Kailey Gara each scored 7 points for Lakes (4-20, 3-9), which saw starting post Allison Dietz go down with a sprained ankle at practice on Tuesday.

“I thought our girls played with good energy,” Eagles coach Brian Phelan said. “We went in with a game plan that we put in five minutes before the game. We talked about it, and we executed it. That's a win. The girls pick things up fast.”

Webb and Faith Miller (5 of 8 from the foul line) added 7 points apiece for Antioch. Erin Miller came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers.

The best part of the night for Volkmar?

“Probably the crowd,” she said. “We never get that big of a crowd. Having them cheering us on was very fun.”