The Naperville North High School varsity girls basketball team won against Waubonsie Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 13.

The Huskies (15-7) defeated the Warriors (14-4) with a final score of 57-39.

The team started off with a 10-0 run in the game’s first couple of minutes. The Huskies’ defensive skills were also strong allowing only two points in the first quarter and eight in the second. The Huskies lead at the half, 26-10. Senior Abby Homan explains how the team pushed back against Waubonsie’s defense.

“They’re throwing tough defense at us, hands in our face always. [We knew ]that we need to be strong and be open for our team,” Homan said.

The Huskies accredit their win to strong communication and working as a team in the second half. Individual defensive showings helped set the win into place with senior Layla Henderson having several rebounds. Senior Abby Drendel scored multiple three-point shots in the game and explains the collective mindset the team shared before games in order to work well together. 

“We were actually really hyped. We were in the locker room, singing and dancing before the game. So just going in with a lot of energy, that’s what keeps us going in being aggressive and playing together,” Drendel said. 

The Huskies were thrilled to have a game on a Friday night and the opportunity for more classmates to attend.. Drendel talks about how she enjoyed having her community behind her for an exceptional win. 

“This was just out of the blue, so we were really excited. I know all week at school we were saying ‘come to the game Friday!’ It was fun to have everybody here for our win,” Drendel said. 

Looking to next week, the Huskies will face off against an out-of-town opponent, Lake Central from Indiana. The Huskies will play the team in the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest, which is a one-day shootout that brings all of the best teams around the country together to play. The event has run for 32 years and is the original girl’s basketball shootout tournament dating back to 1991. Head Coach Erin Colletti explains the type of competition they’ll experience.

“This is kind of like an invite college showcase sort of tournament with a very high level of competition… and we’re going to just prepare for the next quick turnaround,” Colletti said.

The team will play next on Monday, Jan. 16 against Lake Central High School. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Benet Academy.