New Trier's win over Niles West goes according to plan

But Wolves' Loyd provides scare with 40-point game

New Trier girls basketball coach Teri Rodgers figured shutting down four girls opposed to one would be the key to her team’s success against Niles West Friday night in Winnetka.

After the Trevians earned a 63-57 victory in a Central Suburban League South game, Rodgers’ theory was affirmed - barely.

Niles West sophomore sensation Jewell Loyd scored 23 of her game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter, with 33 in the second half. But it wasn’t enough to overcome New Trier’s 30-12 halftime lead fueled by the 1-2 punch of seniors Abbey Schmitt (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Amy Hart (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals).

"I thought we had much better defense on their other kids than the last time we played them," said Rodgers, whose team lost to Niles West 62-41 in Dec. 8. "So many people focus on Jewell, and rightfully so, so some of the other kids get easy baskets. We wanted to not let their other kids get easy baskets. We let Molly (Quirke) have Jewell on her own in the first half, and we were very successful in that."

With the win, New Trier (19-3, 5-2 in CSL South) moved into a tie for second place with Niles West (19-5, 5-2) behind Glenbrook South (15-5, 6-1), which visits Niles West next Friday.

After Quirke’s basket with 7 minutes, 13 seconds left in the game gave New Trier its largest lead at 49-30, she picked up her fourth foul shortly after. Loyd relished the opportunity for a last-ditch effort to give her team a chance. 

Loyd, who also grabbed 15 rebounds for the game, buried a three-pointer with 1:02 left to cut New Trier’s lead to 58-54. But that’s as close as the Wolves would get. New Trier’s Layne Teska buried two free throws with 39.4 seconds remaining to put the game away.

"I had to takeover," Loyd said. "No one else was scoring, so I knew I had to score. They weren’t calling many fouls, but I just kept attacking. I could probably jump over most of these girls, so it’s just easy to get to the basket. And when they gave me my jump shot ,I just took it."

Following a back-and-forth first quarter that concluded with the Trevians ahead 12-9, New Trier took two minutes in the second quarter before they put a point on the board. It was the calm before the storm.

Sparked by Schmitt and Hart, the Trevians blitzed the Wolves with an 18-0 run. Schmitt and Hart each scored eight points during the run that basically lasted the entire second quarter. Hart notched two of the team’s five steals during the surge that sparked some transition points.

"It was a big game so obviously I was nervous," Hart said. "I just tried to focus, and we pride ourselves on defense, so I just focused on defense and what I knew I could do. I played my best, and that normally works out."

Also during the pivotal second quarter, Quirke limited Loyd to just three of her seven first-half points. Her suffocating one-on-one defense helped New Trier achieve Rodgers’ goal of limiting Loyd’s teammates.

"I just tried to come out with a lot of energy," Quirke said of her difficult task of containing Loyd. "I wanted to deny her the ball from the full court and pressure her on her shot because she’s a great shooter. The help side defense was great, too."

New Trier sophomore Maggie Lyon scored nine of her 15 points in the second half to go with her six rebounds and six assists. Junior Hayley Campbell added nine points, and Quirke finished with six points.

 "We came out with a lot of intensity," Rodgers said. "We played with great emotion and that was really the key to the first half. We played hard the whole game. The difference was in the first half we played smart; in the second, we didn’t. We did not force them to play defense at all in the second half."

Senior Allie Guiang was the Wolves’ second-leading scorer with seven points. Niles West senior Michelle Poskrobko was limited to four points after being in foul trouble much of the game. Seniors Jaclyn Gremely and Kelly Kleppin were each held to three points.

Despite Loyd’s valiant second-half effort, what transpired in the second quarter proved to be the difference.

"We just got in a funk," Niles West coach Tony Konsewicz said. "Every time we tried going to the basket we got bumped, and the ref said he wasn’t going to call that. I’m proud of the girls though. They battled back and fought all the way down to the end. We knew it was going to be difficult coming in because they’re an outstanding team. It was a good game, and we might see them again."

Photos:

Top: New Trier's Abbey Schmitt (left) looks to lob a pass to teammate Molly Quirke as Niles West's Jaclyn Gremley defends Friday in Winnetka.

Bottom: New Trier's Abbey Schmitt shoots over Niles West's Jenny Dijohn during Friday's games. (Photos by Mark Shurson/www.markshursonphotography.com)

Chicago Sun-Times article​