Evanston’s girls didn’t exactly follow the game plan in the first half of Thursday’s rivalry basketball showdown with New Trier at Beardsley Gymnasium.
But, with the defense pitching a shutout for a full five minutes of the third quarter, the Wildkits regrouped and pulled away for a 48-38 triumph over the Trevians and remained a game behind pacesetting Maine South in the Central Suburban League South division championship chase.
Coach Brittanny Johnson’s squad ended a two-game skid and will take some momentum into next week’s Morton Holiday Tournament at Morton College. Now 8-3 overall, the Kits will open tourney play next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. versus Lincoln-Way Central.
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It was the defense that delivered that momentum. The Wildkits forced New Trier’s skittish ballhandlers into 20 turnovers and limited them to 2-of-12 shooting from the field in the third quarter when the hosts took control.
That was a little late, if you ask Johnson.
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“We did what we needed to do on defense. But it wasn’t perfect,” said the Evanston coach. “We didn’t follow the game plan in the first half. We didn’t pressure the ball very well and we didn’t take away their best player (guard Sela Klein), either. But we did a better job in the second half, and I thought that was the best we’ve boxed out and rebounded all season.
“We have a goal this season to keep all of the teams we play under 40 points. I wasn’t really happy with our defense. I was happier about our resolve.”
Seniors Kailey Starks (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Zuri Ransom (13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals) helped the hosts overcome a 20-17 halftime deficit by capitalizing on almost every New Trier mistake. Klein’s basket with 5:05 left in the third period was the last field goal the Trevians mustered and Evanston answered with a 12-0 run to close out the period, with Ransom scoring 6 of those points.
Closest New Trier could get was a 38-33 deficit midway through the fourth quarter, but the Kits converted 9-of-12 free throw attempts down the stretch to clinch the victory. New Trier fell to 7-6 overall, 2-3 in league action, despite 17 points from Klein.
Freshman Payton King contributed 4 points and 6 rebound for Evanston in her first exposure to the rivalry. New Trier still leads the all-time series with 64 wins to 43 for ETHS.
“We’re in the rough part of our schedule right now,” Johnson pointed out. “This is a big win for us. Beating New Trier never gets old.
“I’ve always felt that players win games and coaches lose them. So that loss to Stevenson (on Monday) is on me, because we weren’t prepared for the defense they played. New Trier played the same defense, and we handled it better tonight.”
