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DeKALB – When the DeKalb girls basketball team was turning around a slow start, Brytasia Long was at the center of the run that looked like it would give the Barbs a comeback win on Thursday.
But Neuqua Valley responded after DeKalb scored 13 straight, holding on for a 46-42 win at DeKalb.
Down 25-18, the Barbs (18-10, 4-5 DuPage Valley Conference) needed just 2:30 to go on a 13-0 run after scoring just 15 points in the first half. And during that run, Long had a block, drew a charge and came up with a steal all within a minute, plus had the layup that tied the game at 25.
“She brings a lot of energy,” DeKalb coach Bradley Bjelk said of Long, who had five points, seven rebounds and four steals on a team that was led by a 22-point performance by Alicia Johnson. “She’s got a good skill set. She’s been getting big buckets for us all season. That’s just the type of player she is.”
The Wildcats (10-19, 3-6) clawed back into the game, tying things up at 34 on a pair of free throws by Nalia Clifford with 6:33 left.
On the next DeKalb possession, the Wildcats forced one of the Barbs' 18 turnovers in the game. But on the inbound pass at the baseline, Clifford laid up the ball into the DeKalb basket, giving them a 36-34 lead.
Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams said his team’s ability to overcome mistakes was pivotal in the win and Clifford was the biggest example of that. Her 3-pointer with 2:19 left was the dagger that capped a 7-0 run and put the Wildcats ahead 44-38.
“It’s a long game, basketball, and it plays so fast,” Clifford said. “That’s the fun thing about basketball, you can make a mistake and come back the very next play, whether it’s on offense or defense again getting a stop.”
Clifford finished with a team-high 15 points and scored the final five points for the Wildcats while adding five steals.
Clifford also pointed to the Wildcats' ability to answer a turnover with a turnover in the closing minutes as pushing past miscues.
“That’s what everyone did,” Clifford said. “We had a few turnovers at the end but then we came back, forced another turnover. Bouncing back is super important and I think we did that pretty well today.”
Taylor Dorby had 12 points for the Wildcats and Alexis May had a team-best six rebounds.
The Wildcats avenged a 39-29 home loss to DeKalb last month. Williams said he liked how his team has progressed.
“We’ve had five, six overtimes, a double overtime,” Williams said. “Every game has been just like this. So for us we needed this and got some momentum going.”
The Barbs have been powered by their defense this year, but they gave up 17 points to the Wildcats in the first quarter.
The DeKalb offense also struggled early, shooting 3 for 12 in the first quarter and 6 for 22 at the break. The defense did pick up in the second, holding Neuqua Valley to four points in the quarter.
Johnson had six rebounds and three steals in the loss. Johnna Patrick had six rebounds and two steals. Olivia Schermerhorn had nine points, second only to Johnson.
Bjelk said it was just a lack of execution on the offensive end.
“We had great looks,” Bjelk said. “Most of our shots were right at the rim that we missed. You can’t get much better shot opportunities than that, and if they don’t go in it makes for a very tough game.”
https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/2025/02/07/dekalb-girls-fall-in-home-rematch-against-neuqua-valley/