Illinois high school girls basketball: Geneva wins Benet-Naperville North tournament

December 24, 2009

The Geneva High School girls basketball team defeated Glenbard West High School 68–41 last Tuesday, winning the championship title in the tournament hosted by Benet Academy and Naperville North High School. It was the Geneva Vikings' 41st consecutive regular season victory since the 2007–2008 season, bringing their undefeated record up to 14–0.

After the first half of the game, in which both teams had trouble with the other's zone defense and had little offensive flow, the Glenbard West Hilltoppers brought their score to within 22–28 in the third quarter, forcing the Vikings to call a timeout. After eight straight possessions in which they scored at least two points each, the Vikings had a 19–7 run that brought their score up to 47–29 before the end of the third quarter.

"We seem to be more of a second half team — that's when we come out and put pressure on people," said Viking Kat Yelle. Senior center Lauren Wicinski scored 17 out of her 21 points in the second half after spending a lot of time on the bench in the first half due to foul trouble. The second half also saw an emphasis on unselfish passing; of the Vikings' 17 field goals in the second half, ten came on assists.

Geneva will play it's next game against arch-rival and host Batavia High School on January 2 at 6 pm.