Dundee-Crown clinches 1st outright FVC title since 2004
In many ways, Friday's 48-29 win at Hampshire was completely typical hard-nosed, gritty, defensive Dundee-Crown basketball.
The Chargers forced 20 turnovers, held the Whips to 32% shooting, and allowed just 4 points in the first and third quarters, 7 in the second.
What the win meant to their program, however, was anything but typical.
Dundee-Crown clinched the Fox Valley Conference championship by a game over Burlington Central, the Chargers' first outright crown in 16 years.
They hoisted the conference trophy afterward, posed for pictures and celebrated with a large and loud turnout of Chargers students and fans.
"So many people counted them out when we went down with (injured players) Gianine (Boado), Arysia (Harris). They just wore each other on their backs and never for one point lost confidence in this journey," Chargers coach Sarah Miller said.
"They deserve it. The group I've had that has put the most time in by far and they deserve this. It's a special moment."
Fittingly, Dundee-Crown (25-6, 17-1) did it on the same court as it lost last year's season finale that gave Hampshire the 2019 FVC championship.
It was a much different story a year later in a game the Whips (17-14, 11-7) never led.
"It means everything to have it by ourselves," senior Cassidy Randl said. "We have been hungrier. It feels good to beat them like they beat us last year."
Randl helped the Chargers grab the lead early. After Makayla Gotter opened the scoring with a putback, Randl sank a corner 3-pointer. She added another jumper in the opening quarter as Dundee-Crown took an 11-4 lead, then proceeded to keep extending it from there. They led by double figures from midway through the second quarter on.
Gotter also came up with steals on Hampshire's first two possessions while Alyssa Crenshaw defended Hampshire's leading scorer Kelby Bannerman, holding her to 1-of-6 shooting in the first half and 4 points as Dundee-Crown took a 21-11 halftime lead.
"We were all communicating with each other and working together as a team," Crenshaw said. "We were really emphasizing that. We didn't want to have that feeling again of that loss (last year). We wanted to prove this year that we are a better team and came back stronger."
Any thoughts Hampshire had of a second-half comeback ended quickly when Randl again got hot, scoring on a baseline drive and then knocking down a 3-pointer. Payton Schmidt found an opening through the lane for a basket and a 28-11 lead.
The way Dundee-Crown plays defense, that 17-point deficit had to feel like 37.
"We went really hard at them in practice executing our help," Miller said. "(Crenshaw's) defense was phenomenal on Bannerman. We packed it in. They executed to perfection. Turning them over, getting deflections, tips. Clouding their vision, not making it easy to pass. I'm so proud because everyone contributed. Everyone truly played a part."
Emily Oldham, Alaina Azar, Erica Sanchez and Hannah Koehlert all scored off the bench in the fourth quarter, much to the delight of their teammates and the Chargers faithful.
Crenshaw, nicknamed DD for her double-doubles, finished with another one with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Randl scored 13 points and Schmidt 8.
"Alyssa is a beast," Randl said. "We have to box her out in practice and we throw two or three people at her and sometimes she still ends up getting the rebound."
Bannerman paced the Whips with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Coach Eric Samuelson had nothing but praise for the new FVC champs.
"I want to congratulate Sarah and the Chargers," Samuelson said. "They absolutely earned the Fox Valley title. She has done a great job. She coaches them. Those kids are tough, and they play as a team. They play really well as a team."