Naperville North’s varsity girls’ basketball team eventually fell to a heavily favored Naperville Central squad after a hard-fought regional championship.
In the previous two crosstown matchups, 3-seed Naperville Central emerged victorious. Against such a strong rival, the Huskies knew they had to take the court with resilience. Senior power forward Ema Gilvydis (21) recounted the team’s mindset going into the game.
“We believed in ourselves. You always have to, you never know what happens in basketball,” Gilvydis said.
The Huskies (20-11) were defeated by the Redhawks (25-6) with a final score of 52-41.
Naperville North launched into the game with substantial defense, shutting down the Redhawks and creating a low-scoring start to the game. Junior shooting guard Ava Podkasik (4) was the first Huskie on the board, bringing the game to a score of 4-2. The momentum of the game shifted towards the Huskies as junior shooting guard Mia Podkasik (11) sank two three-pointers, ending the first quarter with a score of 15-14 in Naperville North’s favor.
The Huskies continued their aggressive defense into the second quarter, picking up a foul, then later recovering with points from sophomore shooting guard Sydney Smith (14), senior point guard Sam Kelly (12) and Gilvydis. True to their crosstown rivalry, the physical first half ended with several players in foul trouble in a score of 29-22, Redhawks leading. With the season on the line, Kelly thinks back to what brings her motivation beyond the game itself.
“We were talking about this in the locker room. This is the most fun I’ve had in my four years here at North… I’ve met my best friends because of basketball,” Kelly said.
The Huskies and Redhawks both returned to the game with intensity. Clutch shooting from the line cut the Central lead until the Redhawks responded with a series of midranged two-pointers. Ava Podkasik, junior shooting guard Zoey Bishop (1) and Freshman Lila Zitko (22) responded by setting the crowd ablaze with incredible 3-pointers to end the quarter.
Zitko sank another 3-pointer to open the final quarter, followed by Smith and Ava Podkasik scoring layups, electrifying the crowd and forcing the Redhawks to call a timeout. However, despite their effort, the Huskies couldn’t chip away at the Redhawks’ ever-growing lead. With the Huskies’ season coming to an end, Kelly reflects on her basketball career as a whole.
“It’s everything [to me]. I’ve been playing for 12 years now. That’s 12 years of my life just over, but I’m so grateful for how this season went,” Kelly said.
Head Coach Ally Miller explained that while the seniors are parting ways with the basketball program, their leadership has had a lasting impact on the girls’ basketball program.
“The leadership they’ve given, especially since June, is just priceless. The things they’ve taught these underclassmen and led them with such positivity and such effort every day, as a coach, that’s all you can ask for,” Miller said.
