Prospect vaults past Buffalo Grove

There's an old saying that goes 'Familiar things made new and new things made familiar.'

Such is the case when the girls basketball squads from Prospect and Buffalo Grove meet.

First of all there is Buffalo Grove coach Martha Kelly returning to her old stamping grounds, where she led the Knights' program from 2007-12.

Next, is first-year Prospect coach Matt Weber getting adjusted to his new job after being in charge of the Wheeling program the past six years.

So far it appears that Weber is having more familiarity with his new team as the Knights moved past the visiting Bison 54-32 in a Mid-Suburban East contest at Jean Walker Field House Tuesday evening to earn their seventh win on the season.

"They're a (well) coached team," Weber, a 2001 BG graduate, said. "We had problems just figuring out their zone for a little bit, but I think once we got back into a little bit of an offensive flow and really just put the pressure defensively things started to fall our way a little bit."

After falling behind 9-0 in the first, Buffalo Grove (3-6, 3-5) worked its way back to within 23-15 on 2 of 6-foot junior forward Cassidy Green's 10 points just 16 seconds into the second half before an 18-3 run sealed things for the home team (7-4, 6-2) as 5-8 senior guard Eliot Dojutrek's 3-pointer got the ball rolling. Fellow Knight senior Mia Gusloff concluded the decisive charge with 5 of her 8 points that left Prospect comfortably ahead 39-18 with 1:51 left in the third.

Dojutrek, an Aurora University recruit whose game-high 12 and 7 rebounds paced Prospect, credited her squad's hustle which forced the Bison into 18 turnovers and just 23 percent shooting on the night.

"I think we have such a great group this year and I think we're all hustling and it's so much easier and we know our teammates got our back so we're willing to take chances and we want to be all over the place," she said.

Five-11 Bison junior post Kim Stuercke joined Green with 10 points while collecting 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

With Prospect being officially eliminated from MSL East title contention as a result of Hersey's win over Elk Grove Tuesday night, Dojutrek and her fellow seniors - Gusloff, Alex Giannopoulos, Jenna Acosta, Isabella Gebala, and Riley Cradduck - lay a foundation for next year's team in their final three games in a Knight uniform starting with a home match versus Rolling Meadows Friday.

"I think we're all so supportive of each other but I want to make sure that next year they win the MSL East, so I'm going to do everything in my power and I think we all do just to pass the torch as seniors," Dojutrek said.