When talking about this year’s girls basketball team, all head coach Teri Rodgers had to say was, “They just play hard, it’s so fun to coach kids that play hard.”
In front of a large home crowd, the girls basketball team did not disappoint against rival Evanston.
The Trevians dominated every facet of the game from start to finish, using a punishing press defense, a strong post presence, and great perimeter shooting to stifle the Wildkits.
The game was back and forth early on due to sloppy ball control from both teams, and with 3:16 left in the first quarter, Evanston found itself up 12-6.
“I think we were being careless with our passes,” said senior Jackie Welch. “Both teams were very fast and very athletic. So we just needed to be a lot more calm and we figured that out, it just took a little bit”.
The game began to settle down for New Trier when Welch drove to the rim and drew the foul, signaling a momentum shift that would last for the for the rest of the game.
After that play, the Trevians went on a 12-2 run and took a 16-14 lead with 1:03 left in the first quarter. They wouldn’t look back.
Rodgers utilized a press defense late in the first quarter which worked spectacularly, causing consecutive 5-second violations on the Wildkits and three steals.
“I wanted to pick up the energy, I felt we were just a little flat and a little nervous,” she added.
In the second quarter New Trier continued to distance themselves from the Wildkits, outscoring Evanston 20-8.
“Our wings were all over, we had great traps,” said Rodgers.
Evanston was unable to drive into the lane due to the intimidating post presence of junior Jeannie Boehm, who ended up with eight blocks on the night.
Boehm complimented of her teams outside shooting ability, and how it makes it easier when the game gets physical in the post.
“When it gets that physical, shots don’t fall my way so it’s nice to have teammates I can rely on,” said Boehm. “You could kick it out to them and we win by twenty.”
The third quarter was even more physical, culminating with Boehm’s elbow accidentally colliding with the face of Evanston’s Leighah-Amori Wool.
However, the Trevians continued to pull away, and by the end of the third quarter, the depth of the Trevians’ bench became apparent, especially in juniors Haley Greer and Autumn Kalis, who both finished the night with double digit points.
“The depth of our bench really helped,” said Welch. “I know that when I go out there I can play hundred and ten percent, and know that if I get tired someone else will replace me easily, and just knowing that helps so much.”
In the fourth quarter, New Trier’s lead never dipped below seventeen points as the Trevians continued to smother the sputtering Wildkits. With 1:31 left in the game, Rodgers pulled the starters and put in the reserves who picked up right where the starters left off, rounding out the game with a score of 62-43.
With such a dominating win, the Trevian faithful will have a lot to cheer for later in the season. The Trevians proved that this team has the capability of repeating the success of
last year.
“They are really unselfish, they don’t care who scores, they just want to win.” concluded Rodgers.