It’s time for two teams to return to DVC play after the holiday break, with 8-11 Naperville Central girls basketball hosting 4-11 Metea Valley. Each team enters today’s contest trying to snap a three-game losing streak. The Redhawks won both matchups last year by a combined margin of 50 points. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Metea Valley jumps out to a 17-13 lead at the half
Scoring comes at a premium early with both teams struggling to connect from the field, but a
Tessa Williams’s pass that only Annabelle Kritzer could reach gets Central out to an early four-point lead.
Kritzer immediately makes an impact on the other end with this block of Kelly Clish.
Later in the first, Metea’s Sydney Quival jabs then pulls it from beyond the arc for the Mustangs’ first points.
Then, Jailyn Cutts weasels through some defenders for a scoop and score.
The next time down the court, Sreehi Duggirala pumps, the defender bites, and she cuts back into the paint for a jumper. After the first, it’s 11-6 Mustangs.
Quival starts the second with this floater over Kritzer for another two points.
Central starts to answer back with good defense before Erin Hackett wakes up the basket with a corner three.
A few possessions later, Emily Moran steals the ball away before going coast to coast with a layup to make it 15-12. The Mustangs would lead 17-13 at the half.
Duggirala and Hackett help their teams in a tight third-quarter
In the third, Duggirala nails a hook shot with her right over her defender for her third basket of the evening, she’d end with a team-high 8 points.
On the other side, Abby Gadomski finds Ashleigh Hunt who knocks down the jumper with a friendly roll.
Arainna Hammons cuts left and pulls up from the paint for an easy basket to keep a small Mustang lead.
Hackett stays hot from three off of the inbound, draining another corner shot. She and Kritzer would lead all scorers with nine apiece.
With a minute left in the quarter, Central’s Rosie Whitaker is fouled while shooting. She goes on to convert the and-one attempt, giving the Redhawks a one-possession lead.
On the other end, Cutts spins through some defenders inside to tie it at 23.
Just before the fourth, Hammons notches another steal before she nets another jumper, her team is now up by 1.
Naperville Central girls basketball squeaks past Metea Valley
The Redhawks turn it up another level in the final quarter, with missed shots and fouls by the Mustangs along with Central breaking the press, like this Williams layup.
Metea responds with a good three from the near wing by Annie Burk to make it 36-28 Central.
In the end, it wasn’t enough from the Mustangs. The Redhawks prevail on their home court, 36-30. Metea is back in action hosting against Glenbard South on Saturday, with Central welcoming Minooka into town on the same day.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
