By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
Short-handed Wildcats rally past Yorkville behind Griffin
With Plainfield Central’s leading scorer Kachae Donald and other starting guard Katie Keating down with ankle injuries, things were not promising for head coach Armond Frazier’s Wildcats on Wednesday at Oswego East.
Never fear Annaliese Griffin, who moved from her wing spot to point guard and dropped 27 points on Yorkville to rally Plainfield Central to the thrilling 56-54 victory. Jasmine Bonso picked up a huge double-double, scoring 10 points and hauling down 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass.
Trailing 40-37, after three quarters, Griffin took over the game for Plainfield Central, Griffin poured in 13 of her game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the ‘Cats to victory.
Plainfield Central (10-4), jumped out to a 19-9 first quarter lead. Yorkville (5-10), outscored the Wildcats 19-11 in the second quarter and cut the Plainfield Central lead to 30-28 at halftime. Bonso, scored all 10 of her points in the game, in the first half. Griffin also had 10 points in the first half.
Yorkville was led by senior, Claudia Grunwald, who scored 10 of her 17 points in the first half to lead the Foxes. Junior, Olivia Ross, had an even dozen points for the Foxes.
Plainfield Central will meet Lockport in a championship game quarterfinal, at Oswego East at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Yorkville will play Downers Grove South in a consolation round game at Oswego at 10 a.m., on Thursday as well.
Porters destroy Mustangs
After losing at home on Friday, against long-time rival, Joliet West (5-10), the Porters of Lockport went home for the holidays and regrouped.
In the opening-round game at Oswego East, Lockport (6-10) demolished the West Suburban Gold tri-leaders from Downers Grove South, 60-32. Porter 6-foot-3 Jenna Cotter, led the Porters with 18 points. Senior Jacqueline Macha, added 10 points, while senior Elena Knebel, chipped in with seven points.
The area scoring leader Downers Grove South (8-4), senior Holly Leuken, led the Mustangs with 17 points.
The Porters led 14-13 after one quarter and extended their lead to 34-22, at the half. Cotter led the Porters with nine points at the break.
Lockport outscored DGS 17-7 in the third quarter and extend their lead to 51-29. The romp continued in the fourth quarter, as the Mustangs could only score three points in the final stanza.
Lockport will play in a championship quarterfinal, at 10 a.m. against Plainfield Central (10-4) at Oswego East. Downers Grove South will play Yorkville at 10 at Oswego.
Steelwomen take care of business against Metea Valley
After trailing 10-9 after one quarter, in their opening-round game at Oswego East, the Steelwomen of Joliet Central (9-4), opened up a 20-15 halftime lead over Metea Valley. Senior Shawton Brown, scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.
Led by senior Armani Strickland, Joliet Central, opened up a 34-24 lead after three quarters.
Metea Valley’s Thompson, scored seven of her game-high 13 points in the third quarter to keep Metea Valley close.
In the fourth quarter, sophomore Jalysa Stokes (five points) burried a big three-pointer, to hold off the Mustangs (4-7).
Joliet Central will meet Sycamore in a championship quarterfinal at 1 p.m., on Thursday afternoon at Oswego East.
Metea Valley will face Lemont in a consolation-round game, Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m., at Oswego.
Hosts Oswego East, Oswego win tournament openers
Oswego East 48 Aurora East 43
The host Wolves trailed the Tomcats of East Aurora 18-13 in the first quarter of their tournament opener on Wednesday. Tomcat junior, Tatiana Ocasio scored six of her 14 points to lead East Aurora. The Tomcats took a 24-19 lead at halftime.
The second-half of the contest, belonged to Wolves junior, Christine Corpuz. Corpus burried a pair of long-range three pointers and scored eight, third quarter points, to give Oswego East a 35-34 lead after three quarters.
Corpuz scored six, fourth quarter points, for a game-high 22 points, as the Wolves rallied past the Tomcats, for the 48-43 win.
The Wolves (5-8) will take on Lincoln-Way West (10-3) in an 11:30 a.m. championship quarterfinal, at Oswego East on Thursday morning.
East Aurora (5-9) will face West Chicago, at Oswego at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, in a consolation-round game.
Oswego 41 Machesney Park Harlem 28
In a defensive struggle against Harlem, in the Panthers opening-round game, on Wednesda, Oswego led only 8-6. Panther junior Julia Henrikson, scored seven second-quarter points to put Oswego up, 23-14 at the half.
The Panthers (11-3), behind junior Jenelle Rogers (six points), blew open the contest, after three quarters with a 34-19 Oswego lead.
Henrikson, finished with game-high, 12 points for the Panthers.
Brielle Shaw and Briyanna Jackson, each had six points for Harlem (3-11).
Oswego will take on Naperville North in a championship quarterfinal at Oswego East at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
Harlem will meet ACC at Oswego at 2:30 p.n., on Thursday afternoon.
Lincoln-Way West 81, West Chicago 23
The Warriors put this one away early with a 30-3 first quarter advantage. The halftime score was 60-10. 71-19 after three quarters and the 81-23 in the first-round win for Lincoln-Way West (10-3). Junior Sydney Swanberg, led the Warriors with 19 points. Senior Kalie Korpitz added 17 points, while Tara Hastings scored 13 points. Taylor Gugliuzza chipped in with a dozen points for West.
West Chicago (0-14) was led by sophomore Shailee Patel who led the Wildcats with 12 points.
Naperville North 50 Aurora Central Catholic 22
The Huskies (7-6) jumped out to a 19-5, first quarter lead over the Chargers and extended the lead to 30-15, at halftime. Naperville North held ACC to just seven second half points and rolled to the 28-point victory.
Kampshroder, led the Huskies with 18 points.
ACC (5-10) was led by senior Tressa Swinisky, who led the Chargers with six points.
Sycamore 54 Lemont 25
The Spartans (10-4), opened up a 19-5 first quarter lead and never looked back, rolling to a 54-25 opening-round win over Aurora Central Catholic
6-foot Sycamore, junior Kylie Fuerbach and her 6-foot freshman sister, Faith, led the Spartans with 12 and 11 points respectively. Senior Joslynn Michels chipped in with 10 points for the Spartans.
Lemont fell to 0-9 on the season with the defeat.
Hawks Scales hold off Prospect at Charger Classic
In Maine South’s, opening-round game at the Dundee-Crown Charger Holiday Classic, the Hawks hung on to beat Prospect, 47-43 on Wednesday. Area free-throw percentage leader Nicole Scales, led Maine South (10-5) with 19 points.
The Hawks led 32-26 over the Knights at halftime. Led by Scales, 5-foot-11 sophomore Niamh Gardiner and 5-foot-11 junior, Gretta Miller, the Hawks ousted Prospect and set up a championship quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, with the Indians of Rockton Hononegah (15-1).
Gardiner and Miller both hauled down eight rebounds to take advantage on the glass and contribute to the Hawks victory.
Redwings hammer Oak Park, Unbeaten Fremd next at Montini
Brooke Schramek and Kendall Holmes both scored 17 points to lead Benet (16-2), to a 76-53 Montini Holiday Classic win over Oak Park (8-8) At 8:15 on Thursday Night the Redwings will take on the undefeated Vikings of Fremd (15-0) in a championship quarterfinal in Lombard.
Trojans crush Palatine in Wheaton North opener
In Downers Grove North’s 2018 Wheaton North Falcon Holiday Tournament opener on Wednesday, the Trojans needed a half and a few minutes of the third quarter to finish off 1-10 Palatine.
Leading 16-10 after the first quarter and 30-18 at the half, the Trojans crushed the Pirates with a 19- 2 third quarter advantage. The Trojan reserves, in the fourth quarter, almost shut the Pirates out, outscoring Palatine 6-1 in the fourth quarter for the 55-21 win.
On Thursday, the Trojans (10-4) will meet the hosts from Wheaton North (10-4), in a championship quarterfinal game.
Cougars open Peotone Holiday Tournament. with blow-out of Serena
In Plainfield South’s (7-6) Blue Devil Holiday Tournament opener, the Cougars destroyed Serena 73-28.
North Tigers take out Wheeling at St. Viator Tournament
After being totally wiped out by the dreaded injury-bug, before Christmas, the Tigers of Plainfield North (3-9) dispatched the Wildcats of Wheeling, 36-27, in an opening-round game of the St. Viator Holiday Tournament, on Wednesday .