Fenwick 77
OPRF     67

“I don’t call it a one-two punch, I call it a one-one punch,” Dave Power said about Fenwick sophomores Tricia Liston and Katlyn Payne.

Power, head coach of the Fenwick girls basketball team, watched Liston and Payne combine for 43 points in a decisive 77-67 victory over rival Oak Park Thursday night.

Things didn’t start off so smoothly for the heavily favored Friars. Oak Park’s tough defense held Fenwick (12-2) in check in the first half, and allowed the Huskies (7-7) to gain a brief second quarter lead after a pair of Caley Hague 3-pointers and two Brittany Smith (14 points) free throws. However, the Friars compensated for their low shooting percentage with aggressive offensive rebounding to take a 40-31 halftime lead. The Friars did not trail the entire second half.

The difference in the game was the potent offensive duo of Liston and Payne, who prevented Oak Park from gaining any much-needed momentum.

Leading the way for the Huskies was senior small forward Miki Carter, who scored 20 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Carter’s explosive second-half performance brought the Huskies within seven points in the third quarter.

“They’re my old school, so it felt good [to play them]. But I wish we could’ve beaten them,” said Carter, who transferred from Fenwick following her sophomore year.

Despite Carter’s efforts, Fenwick dictated the pace of the game and managed to hold a double-digit lead until late in the fourth quarter.

The versatile Liston helped maintain Fenwick’s lead-14 points in the second half-by utilizing her 3-point shooting ability to compliment her low-post game.

In the words of Power, “She does it all.”

“I like to switch it up,” Liston said. “If a guard is guarding me I like to go to the post and if a post is guarding me I like to drive or shoot. I like to have diversity in my game.”

OPRF also displayed an impressive inside game as senior center Kendal Dirkin registered 14 points of her own.

Although a non-conference game, both teams acknowledged the game’s importance to their schools and the area.

“We’re very happy to play Fenwick,” Oak Park head coach Bob Biggins said before the game. “We just think it’s natural for us to play them … It’s good for our program and we hope it’s good for the area.”

Power expressed similar sentiments. “It’s a fun game. It means a lot to us because of the good, healthy competition between the schools. It’s a great environment and I was very pleased that we could come in here and come out with a win.”

The night before, Fenwick downed 11th-ranked Hinsdale Central 52-35. Liston led the Friars with 22 points, while Payne finished with 14.