The Naperville North High School varsity girls basketball team fell to Naperville Central High School on Friday, Dec. 15.
The Huskies (3-6) were beaten by the Redhawks (3-8) with a score of 57-48.
The Huskies started the game off strong, creating a 12-5 lead to begin the contest. Good shooting by senior forward Kendall Johnson and sophomore Natalie Frempong gave the team vigor and a spark going into the second quarter. However, Central gained momentum after a long stretch of no scores for the Huskies. Frempong and the team were well aware of how important it was to control the energy going into the half.
“I think that we were very hot. We had a very high energy for the first quarter and think we came out in the third quarter with really good energy, but I just think that in the second quarter and fourth quarter, our energy just started to go down. We let them go on a run and let the refs and the things that we can’t control, control the game,” Frempong said.
At halftime, the Huskies regrouped, hoping to come back from a 31-19 deficit. Many Huskies got into foul trouble early, allowing Central to capitalize off of free throws. The Huskies also had several turnovers which let the Redhawks score easy points while the Huskies were not able to score. Although the Huskies managed to keep the game close, the Redhawks eventually pulled out the victory with a score of 57-48. Coach Aly Miller explains where the team fell short in the second half.
“Our halftime chat consisted of valuing every possession that we had. I think those turnovers rolled over to our defense and that’s where we fell into those lulls,” Miller said.
Going into this week, the Huskies focused on maintaining good energy even though they have been on a losing streak. Johnson describes how the Huskies look to improve heading into their next game against the Hinsdale Central Red Devils (2-7).
“The next game we’re just thinking about staying together, having each other’s backs when we get down like that. It’s so important, team camaraderie and lifting each other up,” Johnson said.
The Huskies will play Hinsdale Central High School on Saturday, Dec. 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Naperville North.
