The opening game of the season for Naperville Central played out like you might expect a first game to — a little sloppy and with too many turnovers — but in the end the Redhawks came through with a win against a strong Metea Valley team.
On Friday night the Redhawks opened the Tip-Off Tournament, which it hosts with Benet Academy, with the 50-45 victory over the Mustangs, the winners of last year’s tournament. Naperville Central had built an early lead, but Metea Valley fought back in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 45 with 1:14 left in the game, thanks to a three pointer by junior Cheyenne Krehl. But Naperville Central was able to come back thanks to clutch free-throw shooting and good defense.
Naperville senior guard Emily Kraft was fouled with 42.4 seconds remaining, and she made both ends of the one-and-one to give the Redhawks a 47-45 lead. On the ensuing play, Metea Valley sophomore Brianna Hall, who scored 8 points despite early foul trouble, drove the baseline toward the basket. But Central senior center Haley Minick held her defensive position and Hall lost the ball out of bounds.
On the next Naperville Central possession, senior guard Cierra Stanciel was fouled, and she made one of two from the line to up the lead to three with 29.6 seconds left. Once again the Redhawks defense came through with a stop, and two more free throws by Kraft iced the game.
It was an exciting finish to a game that got off to a slow start. Both teams were cold at the beginning, and Naperville Central held a 2-1 lead when Metea Valley took a time out with 5:23 left in the first quarter. At that point the two teams committed five turnovers between them. The play remained sloppy, and Metea Valley took the lead with a three-point play, but Naperville Central tied it at 4 on a breakaway layup by Stanciel. But with 3:15 left in the quarter, Kraft hit her first of what would be three three-pointers in the game, and that seemed to end the drought. Naperville Central took a 7-4 lead and both teams started to make baskets, with the Redhawks ending the quarter up 17-11.
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Metea Valley had success with Hall and sophomore Skye Lane down low, but both got into early foul trouble and had to spend most of the second quarter on the bench. Naperville Central opened up a 10-point lead at 23-13 on a shot by senior guard Taylor Stenmark after a nice assist from Kraft. The Redhawks ended the half with a 30-22 lead.
But Naperville Central started out the third quarter slow. They were stuck on 30 as Metea Valley clawed back to within two. After a timeout with 5:02 left in the quarter, Kraft once again came through with a three-pointer to get the team going. Another three-pointer from Stanciel upped the lead to 36-28, and the Redhawks ended the third up 39-32.
But Metea Valley wasn’t done. They went to a full-court press for much of the fourth quarter, which proved to be effective. The Mustangs pulled to within one at 41-40, but Naperville Central responded with buckets by senior forward Casey Smith and Stanciel to up the lead to five. Metea Valley scored the next five to tie the game at 45-45, leading to the late-game excitement.
Stanciel finished with 15 points to lead the Redhawks, followed by 13 from Kraft and 7 from Smith. Metea Valley was led with 15 from senior Taseandra Parker.
The tournament continues on Friday at Benet and Saturday at Naperville Central, with the tournament championship game at 6 p.m.