July 01, 2024
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Girls basketball: Joliet West holds off late charge by JCA in WJOL Tournament

By Rob Oesterle
Joliet West’s Mariah Shelton battle in the paint for a shot against Joliet Catholic in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday

Joliet West’s Maziah Shelton battle in the paint for a shot against Joliet Catholic in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

JOLIET – The girls basketball season tipped off Monday night for Joliet Catholic Academy and Joliet West in pool play at the WJOL Tournament.

Joliet West raced out to an early lead but had to withstand a late rally by JCA to come away with a 43-40 victory.

West scored the first nine points of the game, getting a 3-pointer from Makayla Chism, four points from Maziah Shelton, who had a game-high 14 points, and a bucket by Destiny McNair (13 points).

The Tigers’ defense was tight, forcing several JCA turnovers before the Angels finally got a 3-pointer from Layla Pierce, one of two that she made in the first quarter, with 3:17 to play in the first. McNair made a free throw before Pierce drained another 3 to cut the lead to 10-6. Shelton and Brooke Schwall then sandwiched a pair of baskets around a 3-pointer by JCA’s Emma Beattie as the Tigers took a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

JCA pulled to within 14-11 with a bucket by Pierce (8 points) before West went on a 7-0 run on back-to-back baskets by McNair and a 3-pointer by Christina Keoborakot to move ahead 21-11. JCA got another basket by Pierce, and West scored the final six points of the first half to take a 27-13 lead into the break.

“It was a pretty typical first game,” West coach John Placher said. “There were a lot of jitters for some of the girls who hadn’t played varsity before. The bigger college floor hurt us a little bit, especially in the second half. That’s not an excuse because JCA had to play on it, too. But we were tired in the second half.

“We looked good in the first half. Destiny McNair is a four-year starter and she looked comfortable as the floor leader. She’s had to play behind some good players in her three years, but I am excited for what she has coming her senior year.”

Joliet West’s Destiny McNair looks to pass against Joliet Catholic in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday

Joliet West’s Destiny McNair looks to pass against Joliet Catholic in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Joliet West opened the second half quickly, scoring the first eight points, capped by another 3-pointer by Keoborakot, to take a 35-13 lead.

JCA, however, refused to give in.

The Angels got a 3-pointer by Elena Czerkies (team-high 10 points), but McNair answered with a bucket for West for a 37-16 lead. JCA then went on a 6-0 spurt, getting baskets by Faith Pietras (team-high eight rebounds) and Symone Holman and a pair of free throws by Czerkies. McNair ended the run with a free throw, but JCA got a 3-pointer from Sophia Mihelich to cut the lead to 38-25 entering the fourth quarter.

The JCA surge continued, as the Angels scored the first seven points of the fourth, capped by a 3-pointer by Ingrid Troha, to pull to within 38-32. After a West timeout, McNair drained a 15-foot jumper for a 40-32 lead, but JCA got a free throw by Holman, a basket by Troha and a steal and layup by Czerkies to pull to within 40-37 with 3:17 to play.

At the 3:03 mark, Shelton made a free throw. With just under a minute remaining, Keoborakot hit a baseline jumper to put West ahead 43-37. Czerkies hit a 3-pointer with 15.4 seconds left to pull the Angels to within one possession. With 2.6 seconds left, McNair missed a free throw, but Schwall got the offensive rebound and time ran out.

Joliet West’s Christina Keoborakot knocks the ball away from Joliet Catholic’s Elena Czerkies in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday

Joliet West’s Christina Keoborakot knocks the ball away from Joliet Catholic’s Elena Czerkies in the WJOL Basketball Tournament at Joliet Junior College Event Center on Monday (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

“Our girls hung in there,” JCA coach Kaitlyn Williams said. “We had some first-game jitters, especially with two freshman starters [Holman and Beattie]. We are still mixing and matching to see what works best on the floor, and at the end we saw a bit of what we could be.

“Laney Czerkies stepped up as a senior, and I am excited for her leadership this year. We have some talent, but it is young. We need to gain the experience of varsity basketball and get used to the pace of the game.”

Placher was pleased with his team’s effort as well.

“We had a lot of turnovers in the second half, but we will clean that up,” he said. “The girls did a good job of stepping up and playing without the girls that aren’t here anymore. Maziah Shelton is probably the strongest power forward we have had since I have been here. If we can save her legs, she and Destiny will be a good combination for us.

“I thought Christina Keoborakot did a good job at point guard. She hit a couple of big 3s for us and had the big bucket at the end. She is really a team-first type of player and a hard-nosed kid.”