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Varsity Girls Basketball Makes Comeback Against Cy Creek, Handily Beats Northbrook

By Kevin Epps, 01/22/25, 8:03AM CST

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Varsity vs. Cy Creek

Wednesday, January 15th, the Cougars of Cy Creek arrived to face the Spartans. It was a slow start. Senior forward Kendall Davis grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds before her outlet to Sophomore guard Tess Stephenson at the 5:44 mark resulted in a three-pointer from the right wing. Senior guard Layla Lloyd drove for a lay-in to make it 5-0. Senior point guard Rachel Ashby terrorized the Cougar ball-handlers. If Ashby goes to medical school, it won't be a surprise, since she's already surgical with deft hands at removing the ball from the opposition. The Spartans’ offense went on a dry spell and the Cougars slowly added points. Sophomore guard Riley O'Connor found fellow Sophomore guard Camille Warren for a layup, and the half ended with the Spartans down, 7-9.

Warren maneuvered with the ball and found Davis for a bucket. Ashby got a fast-break going and hit Lloyd on the right block, where Lloyd laid in the basket on the foul and completed the three-point play. Sophomore forward Sophia Prejean blocked a shot and on the other end, Stephenson executed a turnaround six-foot jumper to tie the game at 16. With the clock winding down, Stephenson orchestrated a quick drive down the court that became a two-on-one and a layup. The game was tied 19-19 at the half.

The third quarter was a lot of offense. Stephenson nailed a 15-foot jumper. Ashby frenetically caused multiple turnovers on defense. Senior forward Bella Perroni joined in the thievery. Stephenson to Warren to Lloyd on the fast-break made it 24-23, Spartans. Stephenson was fouled on a short jumper, and then made the shot and the free throw. Warren scored a running jumper on the left baseline, assist to StephensonPrejean gathered the ball at the top of the key and hit Stephenson in the right corner for a trey. But the Cougars were improbably shooting a high percentage and kept pace. Stephenson blocked a shot, Ashby put the ball in the basket on the other end, and the third quarter ended with the Spartans down 37-39.

Lloyd scored on an offensive rebound. Ashby found Prejean on the right block for a bucket. The Cougars were making crazy bank shots. It was getting a bit ominous. Stephenson drove from the top of the key and spun it off the glass and into the net. Senior guard Aria Taylor drove down the right side of the lane, pulled up in a defender's face who was several inches taller, and nailed a seven-foot jumper over outstretched arms. Stephenson went coast-to-coast for a bucket-plus-one. The Spartans were up 46-44. Ashby stole the ball and quarterbacked it to Lloyd for a layup. Ashby stole the ball again and drove the length of the court to score, while Stephenson may or may not have run interference along the way. Taylor had a steal and a basket. She followed by an assist to Prejean, who scored with a veteran-like fake and shoot. The final was 54-46.

Stephenson led with 22 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Lloyd had 11 points. Ashby had seven points, seven rebounds, and eight steals. Warren scored five points. Prejean had five rebounds.

 

Varsity vs. Northbrook

Saturday, January 18th was a stunning day, with cold weather on the way. The cold arrived prematurely in Northbrook's gym. It was 4:42 on the clock when Ashby hit Stephenson for a three-pointer. Ashby scored off an offensive rebound after Stephenson stole the ball. Warren corralled an offensive rebound and hit O'Connor in the right corner for a three-pointer, and the quarter ended 8-8.

Things heated up. Lloyd turned a steal into a fast-break score. Prejean scored over a double-team on the left block. Ashby darted between defenders in the lane for a running six-footer. O'Connor stole the ball off the in-bound and dished to Prejean, who took one dibble and launched a three to make it 18-11. O'Connor then executed back-to-back theft-and-scores. Freshman guard Ava Gibson converted off the give-and-go with O'ConnorGibson followed with a bucket plus-one, and the half ended 29-14.

Glenn Fry's "The Heat is On" should have been playing at halftime. Stephenson scored six straight points to open the third quarter. Prejean snared an offensive rebound, spun and banked it in. Stephenson went the length of the court, took a hard foul on the score, and made the ensuing free throw. Warren found O'Connor on the right wing for a long three. Perroni put a bucket in, and the quarter ended 48-17.

The Spartans eased off the gas on offense in the fourth quarter, but not on defense. Senior guard Megan Hallmark fed Gibson, who took a short dribble and dropped in a 10-footer. Hallmark followed some behind-the-back dribbling wizardry and hit Gibson on the left wing for a long two. Senior guard Katherine Cronin and Senior forward Emerson Berg swarmed defensively. Senior forward Gretchen Loveless and Perroni made the Raiders' offense miserable under the basket. Offensively, Hallmark and Warren frustrated the Raiders with keep-away. Eventually, Hallmark drove around the hapless defense and laid it in. The final was 55-19.

Stephenson scored 15 points. O'Connor had 11 points, three steals, and three assists. Gibson had eight points. Ashby had seven points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Prejean had seven points. Loveless had six rebounds. Lloyd had five rebounds. The Spartans are 15-9, 7-2 in District play and sit in second place. The next game is scheduled for Tuesday at home vs. Jersey Village.