Stevenson makes it 11-1 with victory over Warren
It might be finals week and the start of the holiday break, but Stevenson's girls basketball team keeps finding ways to pass the test against some of the best teams on its schedule.
Emory Klatt led the way with a game-high 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Ava Bardic added 14 points to lead the Patriots past Warren 48-23 in a North Suburban Conference matchup in Lincolnshire on Friday night.
Stevenson (11-1) remains unbeaten at 5-0 in the NSC with a nonconference meeting against Buffalo Grove on Saturday.
"I thought in the first half we played good defense and we were out of sync a bit offensively," Stevenson coach Ashley Graham said. "We adjusted some things in the second half, and you obviously saw all the good things that happened for us offensively in the second half. It was a great second half for us. Credit Warren in that first half, they gave really a sound defensive effort. (Warren) was on a nice win streak and we respect the heck out of them. In the second half, the last 16 minutes, we really played our game."
Warren (7-5, 3-2) was on a 5-game winning streak for the first time since 2017-18.
The game was tied 7-7 midway through the first quarter, until Stevenson scored 6 straight points that included a couple of free throws by Klatt and the Patriots led 13-7 by the end of the quarter.
Stevenson raised its lead to 17-7 on a free throw by Bardic with 2:50 left in the second quarter and it was 19-12 Patriots at the break.
"We got a gift in the first half, that (Stevenson) didn't shoot the ball well," Warren coach John Stanczykiewicz said. "They didn't shoot like the Stevenson team that I saw on tape a couple of times this year. That was a gift and unfortunately, we weren't able to take advantage of it.
"For a lot of girls on this team, this was the first game like this, where there was meaning and weight to the game. If you win this game, you're tied for first place. Even though it's December, it's still early and it weighs on their minds a little bit. Stevenson has been in big games; these girls haven't been in big games like that."
Bardic stepped up in the third quarter with 9 points as the Patriots outscored the Blue Devils 19-4 and led 38-16 after three quarters and never looked back. Bardic is now 22 points away from the 1,000-point mark in her career.
"We had talked about it in the locker room (at halftime)," Bardic said. "We wanted to take longer possessions. In the first half, it was one pass, and we would shoot it. It was usually not a great shot. So, in the second half, we played a lot better. That's what helped us find more open shots. When we play hard together that makes everything easier."
Grace Lynch led Warren with 12 points.