Vikings hit high gear in second half
27-4 run pushes Geneva past Oswego in title game
GENEVA -- About three minutes into the second half of its Geneva Tournament championship game Saturday against Oswego, Geneva's girls basketball team finally saw the type of basketball it expects to see this season.
The Vikings went down four points to the Panthers after a Samiya Wright 3-pointer, but then suddenly Geneva kicked it into gear. The Vikings went on a crippling 27-4 run which led to a 58-43 win to keep the Vikings unbeaten at 4-0 on the season.
Fueling the run was tournament MVP Kat Yelle. Geneva scored the final 10 points of the third quarter, eight coming from Yelle, with her assist leading to a Sam Dudman layup.
"In the locker room (at the half), we were really mad," Yelle said of the 25-22 halftime deficit. "We got really pumped up. We came back out on fire and ready to go."
Oswego (5-1) erased a 21-14 Geneva lead in the second quarter by finishing the half on a 9-1 run to take a 25-22 lead. Six straight points from Alexis McClain and a 3-pointer from Paige Harmon, who scored 14 of her team-high 16 points in the first half, keyed the rally.
But in the second half, Geneva coach Gina Nolan switched exclusively to a man-to-man defense, and Kelsey Augustine put the clamps on Harmon, which helped lead to the offensive explosion. It was the Vikings team fans became accustomed to during last year's run to the state tournament. Stifling defense, running up and down the court and great ball movement were the keys to the decisive run.
"I thought our defense made the difference and that spurred on our offense," Nolan said. "We finally played 'our' basketball in the second half offensively."
Yelle was the catalyst, as she has been through the first four games of the season, for the Vikings. She scored 12 points to go with seven assists and four steals Saturday and earned the tournament MVP honors for her efforts. She led all scorers with 20 points in Friday's win over St. Charles North.
"It starts with their point guard. Kat is as good as they come," Oswego coach Chad Pohlmann said. "Kat just runs the show for them. She's like a coach on the floor."
Pohlmann is hoping that his team learns from this loss. The Panthers have aspirations of winning a sectional title and beyond this year, which is what Geneva accomplished last year.
"They've been in big games, and it showed," Pohlmann said. "We've been in big games, but not quite to the extent that they have. We're trying to get where they were last year. It was a good learning experience. I have faith in my girls, and I know they've got faith in each other."
In the third-place game, Rosary suffered its second straight tough defeat, 50-48 to St. Charles North. But more importantly, four-year starter Jordan Rettig left the game with 5:44 left in the third quarter after getting poked in the eye. She did not return, but still managed to lead the Royals with 16 points to go with 11 rebounds.
Shortly after Rettig departed, Stephanie Haugen drilled a 3-pointer to give Rosary (4-2) a 39-29 lead. But St. Charles North (3-1) slowly crept back into the game, finally taking the lead at 47-46 on Tess Fischer's 3-pointer with 3:10 left in the fourth. Rosary's Katie Eckberg hit a pair of free throws with 1:07 left to tie the game at 48-48. But with two seconds left, North center Dana Sibley drove the baseline and scored the game-winner.
