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mokenamessengerdaily.com sports the mokena messenger | January 16, 2020 | 37 Girls Basketball 6 Knights beat Rich South, Bradley during big week MATT BOECKER Freelance Reporter Lincoln-Way Central senior guard Regan LoConte’s late free throws help fend off Bradley-Bourbonnais on Thursday, Jan. 9, in New Lenox. With only 40 seconds left in the game, LoConte went two-for-two from the free-throw line to give the Knights a five-point advantage. After the Boilermakers scored on their next two possessions, cutting Central’s lead to one, LoConte was fouled once again. With 20 seconds left, LoConte went two-for-two to give the Knights a three-point lead and ultimately seal a 50-46 win in their South- West Suburban Red opener. LoConte said her teammates were on her mind during her perfect performance from the charity stripe during crunch time. “I just knew I had to do it for my team since my teammates played so well before that,” LoConte said. “I knew I had to finish it for them and get the win.” This win came on the heels of Central’s 64-48 victory Jan. 7 over Rich South, who was 17-1 heading into the game with the Knights. LoConte said defeating such a good team gave the Knights a confidence boost that carried over into the game against Bradley. Haley Stoklosa poured in 23 points in the win over Rich South, while LoConte added 15. Central coach Dave Campanile was proud of the way his team played on both ends of the court last week. Offensively, Campanile said the team reacted well to the defense they faced. The Boilermakers used a variety of defensive sets, yet the Knights took the constant change in stride. “The girls did a very good job with the scouting report and executing what we were trying to do,” Campanile said. “We hit some big shots. They found a way to run the right things [and] did a great job of making the right decisions and hitting the right shots.” Stoklosa led the way with 17 points. Following close behind was junior guard Azyah Newson- Cole, scoring 12 points On defense, the Knights (10-7, 1-0) held strong in the first half, allowing only 13 points. But in the second half, the Boilermakers offense started coming together. “[Bradley] really caught fire in the second half,” Campanile said. “There were a couple of missed assignments but, there wasn’t much we could do. They’re hitting contested threes over our hands and the girls did their best to keep it there. But we came back with a big bucket every time.” The win was Central’s sixth in its last seven games. This string of success came on the heels of an 0-5 stretch against some formidable opponents such as Mother McAuley, Bolingbrook, and Homewood-Flossmoor. Campanile credits the Knights’ current success to its vigorous schedule earlier in the season. “We tried telling the girls we know this is a tough stretch here, but it’s going to pay off,” Campanile said. “You’re getting conditioned, you’re battling really good teams that are getting you ready for the next teams. We’ve been tested earlier, we didn’t get rewarded for being tested, and now we’re getting rewarded with the wins we deserve.” Stoklosa’s six firstquarter points helped the Knights jump out to a 7-0 lead. At the end of one, Central led 15-7. Central maintained its eight-point lead at halftime, and Newson-Cole carried the offense in the third quarter, scoring six points. Stoklosa’s seven fourthquarter points combined with LoConte’s free-throw heroics were a recipe for success for Central. Girls Basketball Griffins fade late in loss at Bolingbrook 6 STEVE MILLAR, Sports Editor Lincoln-Way East and Bolingbrook battled through 25 minutes of even basketball Thursday, Jan. 9, with both teams taking their turn going on a big run only to have the opponent respond. When the Raiders surged down the stretch, though, the Griffins had no response. Host Bolingbrook pulled away late to hand East a 54-39 defeat in the SouthWest Suburban Blue opener for both teams. “We went toe-to-toe with them for a long time, had some great performances throughout, but credit to Bolingbrook for wearing us down,” East coach Jim Nair said. “We kind of ran out of gas, missed some easy shots, missed some free throws. We’ll learn from this.” The loss snapped a fivegame winning streak for East. Freshman guard Morgan Montaque paced a balanced attack for the Griffins (10-4, 0-1) with nine points and five rebounds. Junior guard Samara Swire added points, while senior guard Olivia Molnar pitched in seven points. The game was tied 33- 33 after three quarters and 35-35 a minute into the fourth, but the Raiders (8-5, 1-0) outscored East 19-4 from there. Bolingbrook’s constant pressure defense seemed to take its toll on East late. “Bolingbrook did such a good job with their pressure,” Nair said. “They’re always on you, their hands are always on you. We needed to match their physical play and aggressiveness, and we lacked that in the fourth quarter.” Swire said it was a good lesson for the Griffins to receive. “I feel like we can learn to not give up, and keep pushing through the entire game,” she said. “We have to keep pushing ourselves and just fight the whole game.” The Griffins jumped to a 9-0 lead before Bolingbrook fought back within 11-7 after one quarter. The Raiders led 23-20 at halftime. “We had a great first quarter,” Nair said. “We were fresh and had our legs.” The Griffins’ freshmen were especially impressive on the road against a strong opponent. Montaque, who scored six of her nine points in the second half, came up with big baskets when the Griffins needed them. Fellow freshman Sanai Tyler, meanwhile, came off the bench to finish with six points and seven rebounds. “That was the bright spot,” Nair said. “The freshmen played really well. They showed they belong.” Lincoln-Way East freshman Morgan Montaque drives to the basket against Bolingbrook on Thursday, Jan. 9. Montaque scored nine points in the Griffins’ loss. STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY MEDIA Senior forward Andie Perch also pulled down seven rebounds for East. After a big road game against another top opponent, Homewood-Flossmoor, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Griffins are set to host red-hot Lincoln-Way Central on Thursday, Jan. 16. While Nair hopes his players can take some lessons out of the Bolingbrook game, he felt he could, as well. “I’ve got to do a better job with the rotation so that we’re fresh in the fourth quarter,” he said. “We have to work a little bit harder in practice to get in better shape.”
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