Fisher, Libertyville rally from 15 down, stun Willowbrook

Willowbrook had an up close look at the growing Emily Fisher hype train.

Fisher, a Libertyville junior guard who committed to Maryland, is one of the top players in the Midwest.

The Warriors were on the unfortunate end of Fisher putting her imprint on a stunning Libertyville comeback in the 32nd Annual Coach Derril Kipp Hoopsfest in Lisle.

Fisher put together a sensational effort against the Warriors, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to power the Wildcats to a 58-51 win.

Willowbrook coach Terry Harrell repeatedly kept shaking his head in frustration — and probably amazement — throughout Fisher's big fourth quarter, which included four blocks and a key charge to go with seven points.

“She played well, but more offensively than defensively,” Harrell said of Fisher. “Offensively, she was tough to handle. She has nice ballhandling skills, is a tall girl which means she will get shots a lot of kids won't get on us. She made those shots. That was a big difference, especially in that one stretch where we had the lead. We didn't take care of the ball. They made shots and she got them back into it.”

The Warriors (16-3) were led by 11 points each from Sophie Sullivan and Calli Kenny and 10 points from Ellie Bruschuk. The Warriors shot 5-of-15 on 3-pointers, but endured a nine-minute span without scoring in the second half that allowed Fisher to take over the game and were outscored 29-7 in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors looked to be on the verge of another victory early in the third quarter, capitalizing on the Wildcats (14-6) perhaps still in a malaise following a tough loss to highly ranked Stevenson on Saturday. The Warriors' quick hands harassed the Wildcats, helping build a 42-27 lead with 3:41 left in the third following two straight 3-pointers by Bruschuk.

But Fisher ignited the comeback with her offensive and defensive play, showcasing her immense potential in front of a Maryland assistant coach. Fisher scored 10 points in Libertyville's scoring surge that took that 42-27 deficit to a 50-44 lead. She closed out the game with two blocks on the same possession in the final minute, noting it took the Wildcats several quarters to shrug off the disappointment of Saturday's defeat.

“It was rough not beating Stevenson because they are huge rival and we played very well until the end,” Fisher said. “We just decided to come out from that game and get a big win. We really wanted to win after that loss.”