DVC-leading Waubonsie basketball host Naperville Central on a snowy Friday night. The Warriors won the last matchup convincingly but the Redhawks look to get back on track on the road. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Waubonsie Valley hoops takes an early advantage
Starting off, Naperville Central looks to get in the post but Hannah Laub gets a block that turns into a fast break for Danyella Mporokoso. She takes it coast to coast for the early lead.
Trailing early, Central passes it along until sophomore Erin Hackett steps into a mid-range jumper to get the visitors going.
Still, in the first quarter, Mporokoso stops on a dime at the top of the key before driving hard and finishing with her left hand.
Erin Hackett helps keep the Redhawks alive
The offense keeps rolling for both teams as Hackett dribbles to the right corner, and there’s no hand up as she nails the corner three. Hackett scores 13 points in the first half.
Off the Central miss, the Warriors elect to keep the ball in play and go into transition, this time Garcia finds Nicole Douglas for an easy layup to take a 24-16 lead.
Mporokoso finds herself in the passing lane and gets down the floor for the Warriors. She slows the game down and takes the isolation. One quick crossover and she’s free down the baseline for her 17th point of the first half. Waubonsie leads 36-24 at the break.
Naperville Central girls basketball responds with a run
The Warriors take the initiative in the second half leading 40-24 as their full-court press forces a turnover. The ball is corralled by Mporokoso who finds Maya Pereda in the paint, the extra pass goes out to Garcia who nails the three. The Warriors would go up by as big as 48-27 in the third quarter.
Things wouldn’t be so easy though as Hackett scores in transition with a quick layup. On the next possession, she gets behind the Warrior’s defense and finishes through a foul for an and-one.
The Redhawks zone defense forced some problems for Waubonsie in the second half, this steal from Annabelle Kritzer leads to another 3 point opportunity for Hackett, and she drains another three to make it 57-48.
It takes more than one player to mount a comeback though as Tessa Williams draws 3 defenders, kicking it out to Moran who drains a three to keep the deficit in single digits.
Trying to hold off the Redhawks, Lily Newton’s shot is off but she hustles to get her own rebound and immediately finds Mporokoso under the basket for an easy two.
Moran looks to respond though as her floater keeps the Red Hawks within 8.
Warriors basketball pull away to remain unbeaten in the DVC
Trailing by 7, Williams finds Hackett who comes wide open for another three, as part of her 34 points. The Redhawks now trail by four after being down by as much as 21.
After a pair of free throws, the Warriors look to find a way to escape and it’s Mporokoso who answers the call with a straightaway three. Her 28 points paces the home team, as Waubonsie girls basketball take down Naperville Central, 79-71.
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