RBHS girls basketball finds scoring groove in finale 

Senior guard Addie Vaia and her Riverside Brookfield High School girls basketball teammates put their previous rough and slow starts aside Friday. The Bulldogs rolled past Bartlett 49-30 in their final round-robin game of their debut at the Schaumburg Tournament. 

“We had a lot of energy,” Vaia said. “We didn’t really start the tournament out too hot but each game we improved a little bit more as a team. We really used what we learned from our first couple of games and put it all out there.” 

Sophomore guard Claire Evans was named to the all-tournament team after collecting a team-best 45 points over the five games. 

Senior Arianna Hudson (19 points) and Evans (10) both scored in double figures for the Bulldogs (1-4) against Bartlett (0-5).

The Bulldogs gradually gathered offense through the tournament. They lost to Lake Park 54-16, Nov. 18; first-place Downers Grove North 56-16, Nov. 20; Schaumburg 40-38, Nov. 22; and Wheaton Warrenville South 58-26; Nov. 25. 

“We did really well against Schaumburg, even though we lost, [and against Bartlett]. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Vaia said. “Each game we played, we got a little more endurance, so we went out hard the entire game [Friday], didn’t get tired and just played through.”

Evans (17 points, 5 rebounds) and Vaia (13 points, 6 rebounds) had big games against Schaumburg (3-3). Evans (7 points), Vaia and Kate Hamilton (5 points each) and Maggie Porter (4 points, 3 rebounds) were top scorers against WW South. Hudson had six points and nine rebounds against Downers North. Vaia had eight points against Lake Park. 

Against Schaumburg, the Bulldogs rallied from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter and had chances to win.

“We made a couple of errors,” Vaia said. “At the beginning of the game, we didn’t go out so strong. The second half we really picked it up. If we went out harder [early], we would have won by a lot.”

LTHS girls basketball

Lyons Township senior Gwen Smith isn’t afraid to take more three-pointers this season. The Lions need and want them.

“I’ve definitely gotten a lot more consistent in my shot compared to last year,” Smith said. “I’m taking on a new role. When I have an open shot and it’s a smart shot, I do because I know my team needs me to take that shot and we have good rebounders.” 

Smith had another three as well as a team-high 21 points as the Lions defeated Lincoln-Way East 55-42, Saturday, to win their expanded Lyons Township Thanksgiving Tournament and improve to 5-0 overall.

“We’ve been doing a really good job on defense. I feel like our transition game has improved,” Smith said. “We’re getting the looks we’ve wanted [on offense]. We weren’t hitting shots but [LTHS coach Meghan Hutchens] said we were getting the looks we wanted. We were all missing layups but we pulled it together at the end.” 

The Lions also defeated St. Ignatius 62-52, Nov. 24; Wheaton North 61-32, Nov. 25; and Montini 55-31, Friday. They opened the season with a come-from-behind 54-53 victory at Benet Academy, Nov. 18. While Smith and fellow senior veterans Emma O’Brien and Avery Mezan are leading the way, the Lions also are getting big contributions from new senior starter Anna Bigenwald and freshmen Kennedy Moore now in the starting lineup and Evie Riopell.

For the tournament, Smith was named the Lions’ Player of the Game against Lincoln-Way East and St. Ignatius, Mezan against Montini and Moore against Wheaton North. Lincoln-Way East, Montini and St. Ignatius were new to the tournament. 

“We have advanced the competition greatly and are proud to be tournament champions,” Hutchens said. “We had a solid performance from our three core players – Avery, Emma and Gwen. We were able to lean on them for consistency while allowing our other players to shine at different moments. Kennedy Moore is coming into her own.” 

Smith has cumulative team highs of 79 points and 36 rebounds. That includes 6 threes after 22 all of last season. Other top contributions include O’Brien (74 points, team-high 7 threes, 23 rebounds, team-high 18 assists), Mezan (25 points, 15 assists, team-high 14 steals), Moore (42 points, 24 rebounds, 11 steals and)  and Bigenwald (25 points, 23 rebounds). 

O’Brien and Moore (13 points each) also scored in double figures against Lincoln-Way East and Bigenwald added six. LTHS led 37-32 entering the fourth quarter and held on behind a 12-0 run and Smith (8) and Bigenwald (6) scoring all but four of the fourth-quarter points. The Lions were 10 for 10 from the free-throw line.

Other double-digit games included O’Brien (13) and Smith and Mezan (12 each) against Montini, Smith (16), Moore (14) and O’Brien (13) against Wheaton North and Smith (20 with 3 threes), O’Brien (14) and Bigenwald (13) against St. Ignatius. 

“We’re going to keep on improving,” Smith said. “I feel like we have a good team fight in us, rallying at the end and persevering through all of the tough calls and maybe not playing the way we want.” 

O’Brien (21 points) and Smith (11 points) were the leading scorers against Benet, where the Lions finished with an 11-3 run to win. 

After the Redwings went ahead 53-52 with eight seconds left, Mezan passed to O’Brien, who was fouled driving and hit both free throws with four seconds left. Benet’s last half-court shot fell short. 

“I would say that’s the most rewarding win – so far,” Smith said. “It was a really good way to start out the season and a little more confidence for us.”