Girls basketball: Downers Grove North holds off Palatine at Bill Neibch Holiday Classic

WHEATON – After arguably their best three quarters of defense so far this season, Downers Grove North was in jeopardy of seeing it all slip away against Palatine Wednesday afternoon.

But when they really needed it, the Trojans put together another 5 seconds of great defense.

In second-round action at the Bill Neibch Girls Basketball Holiday Classic, Downers Grove North’s defense stifled the Pirates while building a 31-16 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Palatine (9-6) closed to within 34-31 and had the ball with 15.4 seconds left and looking for a chance at a 3-pointer to tie. But the Trojans had one big stop left from their defense, which covered every Pirate up well on the inbounds play and forced a 5-second turnover call that helped secure a 35-31 victory.

The Trojans (14-2) advanced to Thursday’s semifinals against the winner of the Waubonsie Valley-Hinsdale Central game.

“It really clicked at first and the energy was high,” said Downers Grove North guard Hope Sebek, who contributed three steals to her team’s solid defensive effort against Palatine. “It really set the tone for the whole entire game. But that [5-second call] was really big. We all kind of denied our own players and helped when we needed to, and it worked.”

Sebek led all scorers with 13 points, including a 3-pointer during the Trojans’ 13-4 charge in the third quarter that extended the team’s 18-12 halftime advantage. But it was the defense that led the way for much of the game before the Pirates used an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to close to within 33-27 and set the stage for a tight finish.

“The irony is I just told our kids at the end of the third quarter how good a job we were doing defensively,” Downers Grove North coach Stephan Bolt said. “I don’t know if we let up. I mean No. 4 (Frankie Henderson) made a couple really nice plays around the basket. Our kids defensively were solid for three quarters of the game.”

With Henderson scoring six points and 6-foot-3 Halle Onyekonwu adding a pair of baskets inside, Palatine made a great late run before coming up just short.

“In the fourth quarter we gave up 15, which shouldn’t happen,” Bolt said. “We got a little frazzled I think when they started putting the ball in the basket, and I think we shot some quick shots that allowed them to get back in the game in the fourth quarter where we could have taken better shots.”

Trojans guard Campbell Thulin had 10 points and seven rebounds and Ann Stephens sparked the defense with six boards and three steals off the bench.

“We’re always a defensive team, it starts on defense,” Thulin said. “That really pushed our offense to do better. In the fourth quarter when we weren’t really there on defense, we weren’t there on offense. But we did amazing the first three quarters.”

Pirates coach Sarah Davis liked her team’s effort late but knew it would be difficult to overcome the rough third quarter in which her team scored all its points on four free throws.

“The third quarter has always been the hardest on us to be honest,” Davis said. “Downers Grove North is a great team. Very well coached, very aggressive, and very disciplined. We got close enough but when you have that big a gap it’s hard to get yourself out of it.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20231227/girls-basketball/late-stop-sends-downers-grove-north-past-palatine-into-neibch-semifinals/