By Staff Writer Michael Ding
Kayla Sharples and Lauren Pereira scored 26 combined points, Sharples with 11 and Perira with 15, to lead the huskies to a 52-50 win over the West Aurora Blackhawks.
Coming into this game, Naperville North had an 11-6 3-2 (Dupage Valley Conference) record. The Huskies were determined to start out strong and improve their record.
But, after a low scoring first quarter for the Huskies, it looked like the Blackhawks had this game in the bag. The Blackhawks led 19-8 by the end of the first quarter.
But North stood strong, gaining the lead back to 36-35 at the end of the third quarter.
“The change of momentum was definitely needed because we started to play our hearts out. In the beginning of the game we were lacking enthusiasm, energy and everything. So we started picking it up in the second half, and the momentum began to turn our way,” junior Kayla Sharples, the starting-small-forward, said.
Some key players for the Blackhawks were Alexis Wiggins and Elizabeth Skaggs. Wiggins had 10 points and 5 assists, and Skaggs finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds. They were a huge threat on the offensive side, helping spark many runs by the Blackhawks.
NNHS’ 23 match defense helped contain the Blackhawks’ points. It helped Sharples get three steals and five deflections. The Blackhawks struggled to keep their turnovers down as they had 17 turnovers instead of the 12 turnovers by the Huskies. North capitalized this opportunity and started many fast breaks that lead to easy baskets.
This was a crucial momentum changer for the Huskies; it helped NNHS gain the edge on the Blackhawks. The Huskies maintained the lead throughout the 4th quarter, forcing the Blackhawks to make a decisive decision to foul them, stopping the clock.
“I think the key factor in determining this game was our defense in the second half. We decided to go to our 23 match. We did a good job of containing Alexis Wiggins and Elizabeth Skaggs in the second half. Our half-court defense really stepped up and we started to get more rebounds which was key,” Coach Jason Dycus said.
In the end, the Huskies converted off of free throws, gaining a three point lead with eight seconds left. Yet, the Blackhawks never lost hope. Wiggins hit a game tying three point shot that tied the score up 50-50. The Blackhawks made a pivotal mistake by accidentally fouling Periera when she was attempting to make a buzzer beater. In the clutch, she made both free throws, giving the Huskies a 52-50 lead and ultimately winning the game.
Dycus remains optimistic regarding the Huskies’ performance for the rest of the season.
“I believe we are getting better each and every game. We are 12-6 now, 4-2 in DVC. We are going to keep working on the fundamentals and the little things of basketball: defensive rotations, and paying attention to the little things that win basketball games,” Dycus said.
