Last Tuesday, Feb. 17, the girls basketball team traveled to Joliet West High School, for the first round of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 4A Regional Tournament. Traveling alongside them was DuPage Valley Conference champion Naperville Central, the Huskies’ first opponent in the competition.

In a classic grudge match between the two rival schools, Naperville North (15-9, 6-4 DVC) was able to prevail with an overtime victory, 63-57. Head coach Jason Dycus was impressed with the team effort on Tuesday, as they now look to continue on in the competition.

“It’s a team game, and it was a great team win for us,” Dycus said. “We advance. At this time in the year, that’s what it’s about. We’re very proud of our efforts, and now we turn our focus to Benet.”

Tuesday’s game saw a very balanced, thorough NNHS team. Junior power forward Katie Cores led the girls in rebounds, snagging 16 of the team’s 37. She also scored second highest for the Huskies, sinking seven out of eight two-pointers. Senior small forward Kayla Sharples led the Huskies in scoring, with 30 of the team’s 63 points. Defensively, senior Chloe O’Dekirk set the most blocks Tuesday night, while Sharples led in steals as well.

The girls’ fluidity was apparent from their first drive of the game. After the Huskies received the tip-off, an unaware Central left the lane wide open for sophomore guard Laurel Pereira. Normally known for her three-point scoring, Pereira seized her opportunity, rushing the net for the lay-up. Despite the early 2-0 lead, NNHS struggled to match the Redhawks’ heavy defense. By the end of the first quarter, Central (15-15, 9-2 DVC) led the Huskies 16-9.

The second and third quarters had tight scores throughout, as Cores’ rebounding and  Sharples’ clutch layup helped offset NCHS’ strong defense and three-point shooting. The game was tied 33-33 heading into the fourth period.

According to Sharples, the team’s ability to control the tempo on offense and to persevere on defense helped them stay close to Central in points.

“We slowed our offense down, so we didn’t have a lot of turnovers like sometimes we do,” Sharples said. “And overall, our defense worked really well as a team throughout the whole entire game. We had that heart, and we won, so it payed off.”

The lead went back and forth during the final period of regulation. NCHS’ senior-laden team would tighten the gap as soon as NNHS found an edge. With less than a minute remaining in regulation, the score was tied 53-53. The Redhawks had possession, and were looking to bleed the clock before taking the lead. But a steal by Sharples proved to be a game-changer. Shooting from half court with less than two seconds remaining, the ball fell without touching the basket, and both teams prepared for overtime.

Overtime was prime time for Sharples, who scored six points in the four-minute period to help the Huskies finish off NCHS. With less than 30 seconds remaining, the game was truly clinched for NNHS after a steal and layup from Sharples turned the score 62-57. A free-throw by sophomore guard Laurel Pereira set the final score to 63-57.

The game was vital to both teams’ egos, as well as their continuation in the playoffs. Having a 1-1 record against each other, this game would be the everlasting tie-breaker, especially for the seniors who graduate from the program this year.

“We wanted to leave it all out on the court,” Sharples said. “It was actually the seniors’ last time, so we didn’t want to lose again. We had that fire in our eye, and we wanted to show them that we were better than our last game.”

NNHS will play at Joliet West in the regional tournament, and will take on Benet Academy tonight, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m.