Nazareth stops Benet’s 22-game winning streak

LISLE – Basketball fans may not be aware of how good Nazareth sophomore Sophia Towne is.

But her teammates are. And a lot more people too after she tallied 12 points, five assists, two steals and two rebounds to spark visiting Nazareth to a 55-49 victory that snapped Benet’s 22-game winning streak.

“I’ve been playing with Sophia for like five years now, so I’ve really gotten to watch her evolve and get better as a basketball player,” Nazareth junior Stella Sakalas said. “She’s always been a great passer.

“Her ability to thread the needle is insane, so I know Sophia is going to play good.”

Towne was good when the Roadrunners needed her to be on Wednesday, which was pretty much throughout their East Suburban Catholic Conference showdown with host Benet.

The result also kept the Roadrunners (22-2, 6-1) in contention for the league title. They have won 14 straight since a 66-49 home loss to Benet (22-2, 8-1) on Dec. 14.

“We felt we weren’t ready for prime time a month-and-a-half ago,” Nazareth coach Eddie Stritzel said. “I thought our girls were in awe of Benet because they’re such a great program.

“This time I thought we were ready. It doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to win, but at least our girls were ready for the moment.”

After Aria Mazza sank a 3-pointer to give Benet a 3-0 lead, Towne responded with a trey of her own. Valparaiso-bound point guard Allia Schlegell hit a jumper on the next possession and then found Towne in the corner for another 3-pointer and an 8-3 lead.

The Roadrunners never trailed again, though they never eased off the gas.

“We had to stay together and not get flustered,” Towne said. “It’s a really long game, so we had to stay together with each other the whole game and never give up.”

The Roadrunners never gave up the lead, making 20-of-33 shots. They had four players score in double figures, led by Von Schlegell, who finished with 13 points and five assists.

Sakalas had 12 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and Lyla Shelton added 10 points.

Benet got a game-high 22 points and eight offensive rebounds from center Emma Briggs and 15 points from guard Aria Mazza. But the Redwings made only 19-of-54 shots and trailed by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter.

“We did not shoot the ball well,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “We were too spaced out and not attacking.

“But honestly, a lot of the shots we missed today are shots we make. So they were there.”

So were Nazareth’s, and most of them went in. Towne assisted on all three of Von Schlegell’s second-half 3-pointers, including one that gave the visitors a 47-33 cushion.

“I feel like (the key) was our focus on the game and not letting them get on runs really fast, because if they get a run, they’ve got confidence,” Towne said. “So we just had to keep under composure throughout the game and keep relying on each other.”

The Redwings rallied behind Briggs, who scored 14 points in the second half, and Mazza, who shot 6 of 22 but did sink a 3-pointer that cut the gap to 49-43 with 2:16 left in the game.

But the Roadrunners broke the press and Towne converted a runner from the baseline with 1:56 left. Following a series of turnovers, Sakalas scored inside to make it 53-43.

“Sophia made a big play,” Stritzel said. “Sophia is one heckuva competitor.

“She’s like a freshman because she didn’t play much last year because of the seniors that graduated, but she’s going to get better and better. She’s got a lot of heart.”

So do the Redwings, whose 22-game winning streak equaled the program record.

“We’ve been playing three games a week so mentally and physically we’re a little tired,” Kilbride said. “But Naz played a good game. We just couldn’t quite get going.”