vs. Northbrook

Last week was a much-needed affair for the Varsity Team! On Tuesday they traveled to Northbrook and took it to the Raiders. Sophomore forward Kendall Davis kicked off the scoring after getting an offensive rebound. The Spartans pressed after Davis's basket and Sophomore point guard Rachel Ashby forced a turnover, then fed Senior guard JaKyla Cheeves for the bucket. Senior forward Maggie Parker scored on a put-back after her offensive rebound, and then Ashby found Cheeves again, this time in the left corner for a three, and it was 9-0. The route was on.

In the second quarter, Sophomore guard Ella O'Connor found Ashby for a trey, and it was 16-3. Ashby kept up the scoring pressure with another three, courtesy of the assist from Senior forward Lilah Epps. Then Ashby dropped a deuce thanks to O'Connor, and it was 21-5. Junior forward Kendall Zoboroski hit Davis for a basket. Sophomore Aria Taylor fielded an offensive rebound and scored, and the half ended 31-8.

Zoboroski grabbed a steal and took the ball the length of the floor to start the second-half action. Taylor had another offensive rebound and score. When Junior Evyn Stallwitz rescued a potential turnover and hit Epps for a jump shot, it was 41-11. O'Connor to Cheeves to O'Connor off the out-of-bounds play was a thing of beauty, and it was 46-11. In the fourth quarter, Ashby found Sophomore forward Bella Perroni, who drove and scored to make it 48-14. Ashby followed with a steal, drive, and dish to Junior guard Julie Lee. Junior guard Emma Adisa passed to Stallwitz, who found nothing but net from behind the free-throw line. The game was never in doubt with the final 60-16. Ashby led with eight points plus tops in steals and assists. O'Connor and Cheeves each followed with seven in the scoring column, with the team scoring bunched and the range only six as every team member scored.

vs. Spring Woods

Friday was Senior Night for Cheeves, Epps, Parker, and athletic trainer Danny Sosa. The quartet were recognized before the game in front of a larger than usual crowd. The favored Spartans took their time finding their stride in the first quarter. When Parker scored off the offensive rebound, it was 3-5 in Spring Woods' favor. Zoboroski got a steal and fed Cheeves to tie it at 5-5. The ball was moving nicely when Davis hit Junior Ryen Greenwood, who fed Zoboroski for two, and it was 9-7. Davis split two defenders and drove for the score. She scored again following a Zoboroski steal and Cheeves's assist, and it was 13-7. Ashby nailed a three off the pass from Cheeves, and it was 16-11 when the quarter ended.

The Tigers did themselves no favors throughout the game by repeatedly backing off from Ashby when she was behind the three-point line, who obligingly knocked down the gifted treys, and that is exactly what started off the second quarter. The Tigers were undersized but they were pesky and made shots to keep it closer than it should have been early on. Ashby hit Cheeves for a three and then Taylor for another, and it was 26-17. Ashby was looking for her next assist when the defense retreated and she looked surprised, then grateful, and let fly. Boom from three-point-land! When Taylor forced a steal and scored off the fast-break with 40 seconds remaining in the half, it was 35-21.

Epps forced a steal and, after passing off, positioned herself on the weakside under the basket, where she recovered the miss and scored to make it 39-21. Cheeves hit Ashby for another three. Zoboroski had back-to-back scores, and it was 47-21. The Spartan defense stepped up going on a 14-0 run to this point. Greenwood saved a turnover and turned it into an assist to Cheeves for three, and it was 52-23. It was Taylor's turn to record back-to-back baskets, the second following a steal and fast-break conversion, and it was 55-29. Early in the fourth, O'Connor delighted the Spartan section with a shake-and-bake drive and score past the opposition, and it was 57-32. The Spartans failed to execute a surprisingly high number of layups in this game, so it was probably wise for Ashby, when after a steal and fast-break, she chose to take the higher-percentage shot on this night, which was a 19-footer. Parker put in her last basket on the Spartans' floor and the present handed off to the future with Cheeves (Senior) passing to Davis (Sophomore) for the score, and the final was 66-39. Cheeves had 18 points; Ashby put in 14 plus 9 assists. Davis and Taylor each had nine points. Parker brought down 10 rebounds.

The Spartans go to Cy Ridge on Tuesday and face Memorial at DCC on Friday. They are 10-15 on the season.