Their Yorkville teammates call them the “Bash Brothers.”
An homage to characters from the movie the “Mighty Ducks,” it seems oddly appropriate for Foxes centers Katie Nolan and Lindsay Harrison. They aren’t related, but there is a slight resemblance.
“I love her,” said Nolan, a 6-foot senior. “It’s been amazing to share this experience with her.”
They sure were mighty Friday.
Harrison did her damage early and Nolan cleaned up late, leading Yorkville past Ottawa 42-37 in the championship game of the Ottawa Pirate Classic.
Lauren Daffenberg scored 12 points, Nolan had nine points and nine rebounds and Harrison had eight points — all in the first half — and five rebounds for the Foxes (13-1).
Yorkville only trailed twice, both times in the first two minutes, a stark contrast from its 65-51 semifinal win over Lincoln-Way West earlier Friday. The Foxes trailed by 17 in that game, but rallied behind Nolan and Harrison’s combined 42 points.
“That game took a lot out of us. The nice thing is we had a long break,” Yorkville coach Kim Wensits said. “Winning this is huge. This is the seventh year that I’ve been here and we’ve never won it.”
Harrison, a 6-foot junior, has taken her game to a new level in her second varsity season.
She showcased her expanded repertoire Friday.
Harrison worked the high-low post to perfection twice with Nolan, both times with assists. Harrison dropped in a nifty baseline runner and rebounded a miss to get Yorkville out to a 9-4 lead, then scored inside on a lob from Daffenberg.
Harrison did it at both ends, blocking two early Ottawa shots.
In the second quarter, Harrison knocked in a midrange jumper off the dribble and dropped off a pass to Natalie Malinowski for a score to get the Foxes ahead 28-21 at the half.
“She’s stepped up her game,” said Nolan, a Seton Hill recruit who was named the tournament MVP. “Going from sophomore year to junior year, I can speak from experience, it’s about getting more confidence in yourself.”
It’s no secret why Harrison is expanding her game.
Daffenberg, who’s headed to Hillsdale, and Nolan both have their college plans sewn up. Harrison is still looking for her first offer. She considers herself a post, but that could change.
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“She’s kind of trying to convert to a (small forward) for college,” Wensits said. “She’s looking to extend and her shot is getting so much better. She’s very difficult to guard. She can post you up or she can extend you out and drive.”
Daffenberg took her turn carrying Yorkville in the second half, scoring nine of her 12 points. When Ottawa closed a 10-point margin to 36-30 in the fourth quarter, Nolan shut the door with consecutive putbacks.
“This is what we’ve been working for,” Harrison said. “That semifinal was nerve-wracking, but at the end I came out with a smile on my face because I knew we were going to win.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News.