Illinois high school girls basketball: Immaculate Conception defeats Wheaton Academy, wins Lisle tournament

January 2, 2010

Immaculate Conception High School defeated Wheaton Academy 52–41 last Wednesday, earning the championship title in the Lisle Holiday Cage Classic, a basketball tournament in Lisle, Illinois, United States.

It was the first championship game, and obviously the first championship win, for the Immaculate Conception Knights, which headed into this weekend with a 16–1 record, having won 16 games at the Lisle tournament.

With 3:10 left in the second quarter, both teams were tied 16–16. The Knights stepped up their offense with a 9–0 burst, bringing their score to 25–16 at halftime.

Wheaton Academy didn't apply its usual full-court pressure, perhaps out of respect for Kasey Reaber's ball handling skills. They instead hoped to use a different defensive strategy. Of her game-high 18 points, Kasey Reaber scored ten in the third quarter, helping to give her team a 40–26 lead at the end. The Knights' lead grew to 50–30 in the fourth quarter.

"[Kasey Reaber] is just a phenomenal player. Her first step and that dribble penetration is hard to defend," said Wheaton Academy coach Beth Mitchell. Her tournament-MVP sister, Taylor Reaber, scored ten points during the game. Both Reabers are former students of Driscoll Catholic High School.

Alexa Sharkey scored ten points for Wheaton Academy, and Meghan Grant nine. With a record of 12–2, the team was kept well below its average of 53 points per game in a contest.