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With a firecracker like Lexi Lamanna on the floor, Aurora Christian coach Burney Wilkie should never be in search of a battery charger.
The sophomore guard provided an early spark Friday night, draining back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 14th annual Hoops Happening Tournament game against Rosary.
Lamanna finished with three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in a 62-29 rout, but she also showed she’s more than a long-range shooter.
“I would like to think so,” Lamanna said. “I love shooting, but passing, if I make a good pass, that’s the best feeling. Or making a steal. Making a 3-pointer is just like a bonus.”
Lamanna finished with five assists, three steals and four rebounds for Aurora Christian (3-0).
“Lexi is special,” Aurora Christian coach Burney Wilkie said of Lamanna, who made 50 3-pointers last season.. “I can’t believe she’s only a sophomore some times, she’s so smart. She broke our single-season record for assists last year as a freshman.
“She’s the best shooter on the team, but she does so much more than shoot threes.”
It was the third straight lopsided win for the Eagles, who advanced to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game at IMSA against Ottawa (3-0), winner of the tourney’s other pool.
The addition of 6-foot-1 Anna Griffin, a transfer from Plainfield Central and a Division I prospect who can do it all, has boosted Aurora Christian’s profile statewide in Class 1A.
Three fouls in the first half, however, sent Griffin to the bench for a good portion of the second quarter Friday night. She ended up with a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds.
“Megan (Cibulskis) played really good on (Griffin),” Rosary coach John Rutter said. “I was proud of her. We knew Griffin was going to score some, but I thought we played her fairly well.
“I thought (Lamanna) hurt us. Every time we see them, she’s a shooter and showed why (Friday). She made those first two threes and one of them was from the volleyball serve line. It was a bomb.”
The Eagles led 27-12 at halftime, but Wilkie wasn’t thrilled.
“When we have to run offense in the halfcourt, we’re just a good team,” Wilkie said. “When we’re able to run, we’re really tough to play with. I think in the third quarter it showed.”
Aurora Christian matched its output of the first half with a 27-10 burst in the third quarter.
“It was because we rebounded and ran,” Wilkie said. “When we’re able to push the ball, we’re really tough.”
The Eagles finished with four players in double figures as freshman Aspen Weeks scored 14 points and sophomore Thaya Luse added 10.
“Anna is so special, the defense has to spend a little more attention on her,” Wilkie said.
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Cibulskis led Rosary (2-1) with eight points and Annie Molenhouse added six.
“We’re all learning a new system,” Rutter said. “I’m proud of the effort. We’ve got a long way to go, but we know we’re young and inexperienced in some areas and it’s going to take some time.”
Griffin said Aurora Christian’s chemistry has been “really tight” and it was demonstrated during that run in the third quaarter.
“It was pretty crazy,” said Griffin, then giving a nod to Lamanna. “She’s definitely the comedian on this team. She makes everybody smile, and she’s a good shooter, too.”