Madelyn Kiper has game of a lifetime in Minooka’s win over Joliet West

CHANNAHON — Not many basketball players have had the kind of night that Minooka‘s Madelyn Kiper enjoyed Thursday in a 79-47 Southwest Prairie Conference win over Joliet West.

And in Minooka history, none has.

Kiper, a 6-0 junior, set school records with nine 3-pointers (on 9-of-11 shooting) and 41 points in the victory. Her final basket also put her career total at 1,001, making her just the ninth player in school history to reach the four-figure mark. She was fouled on the play and made the free throw to finish the night with 1,002 points in her career.

“I knew I was 39 away [from 1,000] coming into tonight,” Kiper said. “I thought maybe it would be our next game when I would get it. I didn’t think it would be tonight.”

The way she started, it looked like it might come in the first half.

Kiper went 5 of 5 from 3-point range in the first quarter, helping the Indians (12-9, 5-3) erase a 5-0 Joliet West start and take a 23-11 lead at the end of the quarter. She made her only two 3-point attempts in the second quarter and added a fast-break basket to finish the half with 23 points as her team led 40-21 at halftime.

“I had the range from 3 tonight,” Kiper said. “I definitely wanted the ball, and my teammates did a great job of getting it to me. That’s what I love about this team. There is no jealousy over who is scoring. Whoever is hot, that’s who is going to get the ball.

“Joliet West really plays tough defense, and they kept rotating people on me, but I was able to get open and get shots off. [Assistant coach Tommy] Stokke told me before the fourth quarter that I only needed six to get 1,000, so I thought, ‘Let’s go get this.‘ ”

Kiper made her first 3-pointer of the third quarter, making her 8 of 8 from deep. All that was missing was the Michael Jordan shrug. The quest for perfection ended with her next 3-point attempt, a miss, but that did not prevent her from putting up 10 points in the quarter to boost her team to a 56-34 lead entering the fourth.

In the final quarter, Kiper started the scoring with a basket on the block. She then fired up an airball of all things on her next 3-point attempt before finding the range again with a 3 from the right corner, giving her 999 career points. With four reserves playing, she was able to drive to the basket and get fouled for her final three points of the night.

“Madelyn is just a special player,” Minooka coach John Placher said. “Anytime a player hits seven 3-pointers in a half like she did, it’s special. She’s just a bad matchup for just about everyone.

“Nothing comes easy against Joliet West. They play hard, they get after you on defense and they have some good shooters. Not only did Madelyn have a great night, but we got real good performances from McKenna Delaney, Kendall Thomas and everyone else.

“All the girls go out there and do their jobs. That’s what makes this team so fun to coach.”

Thomas helped support Kiper with 13 points, while Delaney scored 10 and Naya Carter added nine.

Sophomore Gabrielle Gavin led Joliet West with 16 points, while teammates Makayla Chism and Khiana Taylor each scored eight and Sam Casanova tossed in six. Jada Thompson had a team-high five rebounds for the Tigers.