Sports
Analysis: Downers South Girls Return to Fundamentals
An emphasis on rebounding and tough defense helps the Mustangs topple Morton 61-33 and halt their losing streak.
After an uneven first quarter, Downers Grove South put a focus on rebounding and defense and pulled away from Morton in a 61-33 victory on Saturday night.
Though they led 16-12 after the first quarter, it was clear the Mustangs needed to control the boards, step up their pressure on defense and work inside more on offense.
The strategy paid off. Forward Sarrah Ludwig led the charge on offense by attacking Caitlin Garant, Morton’s center. Ludwig connected on a pair of quick layups in the opening minute of the second quarter. Forward Allison Dec and guard Tori Franklin followed suit with a pair of layups, and Ludwig capped off the 10-0 run with another short jumper.
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On defense, Downers South stopped Morton dead in its tracks with seven second-quarter steals and nine rebounds. Ludwig and Dec kept Garant stifled, and Ludwig picked up a pair of steals in the quarter.
After a Morton timeout, Downers South point guard Carly Saraceno went to work, scoring seven straight points in the final 90 seconds. Her rainbow three-pointer with 11 seconds left gave the Mustangs a 35-20 lead going into halftime and complete control of the game.
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Stats Pack: Ludwig, Saraceno and Dec scored most of their points in the first half. Guards Brandi Bradley and Tori Franklin picked up the slack in the second half. Bradley led Downers South with eight second-half points and Franklin had five.
Play of the Night: Guard Tori Franklin, down on the baseline early in the fourth quarter, made a nifty crossover move and drew a foul while going for a layup. She made the basket and the free throw to complete the three-point play to push Downers South's lead to 50-27.
Quotable: Downers South coach Ellen O’Brien on game MVP Sarrah Ludwig: “She’s really come along since the start of the year. She’s worked very hard for us all year long.”
Sophomore Score: Downers South 32, Morton 12. DGS guard Megan Brashaw led all scorers with 9 points.
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