By Kaleb Carter
Simone Sawyer cemented her status as one of the state’s best players, regardless of class, in Stevenson’s 65-51 win over Kenwood at the Midwest Hoops Spotlight Invitational at Trinity High School on Saturday.
Sawyer, a Penn commit, scored 34, sinking 18-of-20 free throws and a trio of three-pointers. The Patriots have defeated Chicago’s top two city teams (Kenwood and Whitney Young) and carry a 26-1 record.
“We knew it was a big game coming in, just like Whitney Young and every other game,” Sawyer said. “We fight really hard and that’s something unique about this team. “We could be up 10 or down 10 and we still have the same fight regardless.”
FINAL - Stevenson 65, Kenwood 51
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
This one delivered. Kenwood was up 8 well into the third. Stevenson defense locked down. Sawyer scored 34. pic.twitter.com/gJ7u5iRknk
The Patriots are also the Illinois-Basketball.com top-ranked team.
The Broncos went up 39-31 about halfway into the third quarter. Stevenson locked down defensively toward the end of the period and into the fourth. Kendall Willams slowed the state’s consensus-best player Brianna McDaniel of Kenwood. Emory Klatt grabbed 20 rebounds to go with 10 points. The Patriots changed how they guarded McDaniel, a Texas A&M signee, and Whitney Dunn, a Loyola signee.
“We made some adjustments, obviously Kendall (Williams) did a whole lot on Brianna McDaniel,” Stevenson coach Ashley Graham said. “Such a talent, we all know that. What a wonderful player she is, but our kids just digging in, it goes with belief. They believe they can play with anyone and they want these moments and they want these games.”
The pair (McDaniel and Dunn) still combined for 29 points, but buckets were hard to come by in the second half.
Dunn scored nine of Kenwood’s first 15 points on three triples. The Broncos took a 27-22 lead into half.
Stevenson freshman guard Nisha Musunuri’s performance (13 points) was critical as the Patriots’ all-time leading three-point shooter, Ava Bardic, missed due to being in concussion protocol.
“I’m so proud of her. She played really well,” Sawyer said of Musunuri.
Graham was effusive abut her team’s approach to the game. After defeating Warren Friday evening, Graham said some of her team showed up to Saturday’s early shoot around at the school 45 minutes early with a basketball of their own. The Patriots’ bench was unwavering in their relentless positivity and exuberance.
“I think our biggest thing is our belief in each other and I’ve always said that,” Graham said. “We think and we know that we can play with anyone, and the kids go out there and they’re so resilient, right? They’ve been battle-tested. We played without our starting point guard. Our little freshmen and kids off the bench just step up and pick each other up. Such a special win.”
PHOTOS: @SHS_girlshoops vs. @BleedGbb pic.twitter.com/0oFFatjLlf
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
PHOTOS: @SHS_girlshoops vs. @BleedGbb pic.twitter.com/6sm0OLrb2X
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
After not scoring in the second or third quarters, Sophie Swanson turned on her offense like a switch, scoring 21 of her 31 in the fourth quarter of Barrington’s 61-47 win.
Emily Fisher registered a huge block and started a fast-break that led to a Rachel Rule layup as the Wildcats cut their deficit to 36-34 just over a minute into the fourth. But Libertyville couldn’t contain Swanson.
“We were kind of flat the whole game, so after I hit that one three we got pretty hype about after it and it was time to turn it up a notch,” Swanson said.
The Fillies controlled the first half, leading by as much as 14.
Recently having secured an offer to play for Loyola, 6-2 sophomore Molly O’Riordan scored eight.
Fisher scored 17 point to earn Player of the Game Honors for the Wildcats, and Swanson earned the honors for Barrington.
PHOTOS: @bhsfilliesbball vs. @Lvillegbb pic.twitter.com/pXCQEO2c7U
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
Ava Gugliuzza may be the one with all eyes on her, but it was a team effort for Lincoln-Way West in a 53-51 win over Sycamore to knock the Spartans (23-1) from the unbeaten ranks.
Aubree Schultz sank a corner three-pointer after a Warriors defensive stop to put Lincoln-Way West up 36-24 in the third, then hit another in the fourth to put the Warriors up 45-33. She finished with 12. Caroline Smith added some timely buckets in the third quarter on her way to 11 points for Lincoln-Way West.
Gugliuzza kept the ball on a string and created looks that made her a threat wherever she was on the floor. She even banked in two three-pointers in the first half.
Sycamore sophomore guard Lexi Carlsen (15 points) and senior Ella Shipley (14 points) led the way for Sycamore late.
No more undefeated varsity girls basketball teams in Illinois.@ILL_HS_Hoops No. 6 Sycamore and No. 7 Geneseo fell today. https://t.co/eB9j3SnBXU
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 29, 2022
Shipley ultimately banked in a shot from the volleyball line to tie the game 51-51 with 6.4 seconds remaining.
Feuerbach triple. 50-48 with 16.1 seconds. Gugliuzza hits one of two free throws. Then Ella Shipley sinks this to tie it.
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 29, 2022
51-51 with 6.4 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/Oo48O0zVCD
Following a timeout, and a clock malfunction that made the officials put time back on the clock, Ava Gugliuzza drew a foul on Sycamore’s JaKiya Thompson right in front of the scorer’s table. Gugliuzza sank both, and after another timeout, Sycamore couldn’t get a shot off as the Warriors held on.
Both teams were missing their biggest forwards: Even Carrier for Sycamore and Evan Pittman for Linton-Way West.
GBK FINAL - Lincoln-Way West 53, Sycamore 51
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 29, 2022
Warriors hand Spartans their first loss of the season. Crazy weird final few minutes with scoreboard issues. Baker and Schultz huge for LWW late.
LWW POTG - Ava Gugliuzza
Syc POTG -Lexi Carlsen pic.twitter.com/Q3VpDrfUDg
Feuerbach put in a rebound off an offensive rebound to pull the Spartans within four, 46-42, with 1:13 left. Gugliuzza sank two free throws for cushion, only Carlsen to sink a deep trey from the right wing to make it 48-45 with 44.7 seconds left.
After Feuerbach air-balled two shots on the game’s first possession, the senior St. Thomas commit got into her groove toward the end of the first quarter on her way to 17 points.
Gugliuzza (23 points) and Carlsen (15 points) were the players of the game.
PHOTOS: @LWWestGBB (@LWWAthletics) vs. @SycamoreHoops pic.twitter.com/JkhQrRTRLa
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
Clips from @LWWestGBB’s 53-51 win over @SycamoreHoops at @MHS_Girls_’s invite at Trinity today. pic.twitter.com/XZOZE5zonU
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 29, 2022
Elise Ward 26’s points landed her Player of the Game honors for Marist, while Lauren Miller’s 15 helped her gain the same for Trinity.
PHOTOS: @wfhoops1 vs. @BCPLadyLynx pic.twitter.com/p2zGPL0fPS
— Kaleb Carter (@Kaleb_M_Carter) January 30, 2022
Final score: Fremd defeats Butler Prep 49-21.@wfhoops1
— Midwest Hoops Spotlight (@MHS_Girls_) January 30, 2022
Maddy Fay 15 pts
Brynn Eshoo 10 pts@BCPLadyLynx
Xamiya Walton 6 pts pic.twitter.com/UUUtRQDQG6