Bolingbrook girls' defense takes charge in win over Minooka

MINOOKA — The Bolingbrook‘s girls’ basketball team is going to make a living off of its defense.

The Raiders did just that Tuesday night in a 51-42 win Southwest Prairie Conference win over Minooka. Bolingbrook (14-8, 6-0) got things started with its defense midway through the first quarter, turning an 8-5 deficit into an 18-11 lead at the end of the period.

They continued the pressure throughout the game and were able to get live-ball turnovers that became easy baskets on the other end.

Junior Kennedy Williams was one of the main beneficiaries of the transition game, scoring a team-high 14 points, but she was not alone. Sophomore Sydney Dodd scored 10 points and classmate Skyler Wakefield had nine points and nine rebounds. The Raiders have quite a different team from last season, when they were senior-dominated.

“We’re starting to come together,” Williams said. “We always try to go out there and play good defense. That can lead to offense for us.

“We are definitely starting to come together as a team. Hopefully we can get it going in the second half of the season and go as far as we can in the postseason. That’s our goal every year. Go as far as we can.”

Minooka (13-10, 6-4) got out to a 5-0 lead after a layup by Naya Carter off the opening tip and then a 3-pointer by Madelyn Kiper, who finished with a game-high 18 points. The Raiders tied it at 5 before Carter (14 points) drained a 3-pointer to give the Indians an 8-5 lead. Williams scored on a fastbreak to cut it to 8-7 and another fastbreak bucket by Wakefield made it 9-8 Bolingbrook, and the Raiders never trailed again.

The Raiders forced 10 Minooka turnovers in the first half, most of them either direct steals from a ballhandler or intercepted passes that went the other way for a basket.

“It’s hard to simulate Bolingbrook’s speed in practice,” Minooka coach John Placher said. “They are very long, very athletic and they just pressure, pressure, pressure all game. They are very good at it.”

The Raiders led 18-11 at the end of the first quarter and held a 30-15 lead late in the second. Minooka ended the first half on a 5-0 run on baskets by Kiper and Charlotte Robinson and a free throw by Kora Kotowski to go into halftime trailing 30-20.

“We really want to get out and run and score in transition,” Bolingbrook coach Chris Smith said. “We are still struggling a little bit in the half-court offense, but we are a very young team. We are getting great experience for these young players.

“It is pretty much a new starting lineup for us this year. When Kennedy Williams gets going, she can have big games. She is 5-11 and can play the point on defense with her speed. That combination of size and speed is a tough matchup.”

In the third quarter, Bolingbrook stretched the lead to 39-26, but Kiper answered by making four straight free throws to cut it to 39-30 before Bolingbrook’s Ariyel Jackson scored just before the end of the quarter to give the Raiders a 41-30 lead entering the fourth.

Minooka’s McKenna Delaney opened the fourth with a 3-pointer to cut it to 41-33, but Bolingbrook answered with a 9-1 run to take a 50-34 lead. Minooka scored the next eight points to make it 50-42 before Wakefield capped the scoring with a late free throw.

“When you aren’t used that constant pressure, it’s tough to get the offense going,” Placher said. “We started to rush some shots.

“Give Bolingbrook credit. They are undefeated in the conference for a reason. Our girls didn’t stop fighting, and I am proud of them for that.”