Feuerbach powers Sycamore to win at Kaneland

MAPLE PARK – Though the Sycamore girls basketball team entered its game against Kaneland with the top spot in the Interstate 8 conference and no conference losses to speak of, the Spartans' intensity didn’t suggest a team content to coast.

In a game that became a blowout in the second quarter, the physical pressure of the Spartans was too much for the home team to cope with as the visitors rolled to a 59-27 win.

“Through practice we just really push ourselves to make sure, even if we have a huge lead, we just know that we'd keep pushing it,” Sycamore senior Kylie Feuerbach said. “We just mentally have to be there throughout the entire game.”

Turnovers plagued the Knights (11-8 overall, 3-3 conference), as Feuerbach only further entrenched her name in the record books for Sycamore (13-6, 6-0) by scoring 22 points in the first half alone and 31 for the game

“She's been our sparkplug for a while,” Sycamore coach Adam Wickness said. “And it's one of those things where in her senior year, she's bringing it every time that she steps on the floor. She knows that this is the last hurrah for her, but she's always been like that.”

A comprehensive effort in the passing lanes by the Spartans kept Kaneland from firmly establishing a presence in the paint, forcing the Knights into tough shots from midrange instead of opportunities near the rim.

“Our defense really kind of limited them in shot opportunities,” Wickness said. “I don't think they got many uncontested shot opportunities throughout the whole game.”

The Spartan defense didn’t waver in the second half, though the Kaneland defense did manage to slow Feuerbach’s explosive offense (just nine points in the latter half) and keep the gap between the two sides steady through the fourth quarter. Kaneland’s offense never quite broke through the press, though, scoring just 11 points in the second half.

“In the second half, we started to execute some of the things that we talked about going into the game,” Kaneland coach Kesley Flanagan said. “Being more aggressive on offense and trying to attack them… we wanted to keep the ball out of number 10’s [Feuerbach’s] hands and we did a little better job of that in the second half as well.”

By the numbers: Not only did Kylie Feuerbach outscore the entire Kaneland team, but she also out-stole them. The Knights recorded just five steals to Feuerbach’s seven.

Beyond the box score: Feuerbach’s hot hand truly manifested halfway through the second quarter, when she stole the ball, scored a fastbreak layup, and then promptly did the exact same thing on the next possession.

They said it: “I've always kind of thought that whenever you're playing a good defensive game, you know it'll carry on to your offense,” Feuerbach said. “You're going to have nights where you're not going to hit shots, but defensively you can always work hard.”

What’s next: Kaneland visits Sandwich on Thursday. Sycamore plays Lake Park at Batavia on Monday