Sophomore guard Desiree Merritt immediately shifted her focus for Oswego East with 4:20 left in the first quarter Tuesday night when Maggie Lewandowski was whistled for her second foul.
With the Wolves’ leading scorer on the bench, Merritt realized it was her turn to take the wheel.
“I knew once Maggie got that second charge that I had to step up and I had to be a leader of the team in that moment,” Merritt said afterward. “That’s really where my mindset was.
More Top Picks Best Outdoor Sectionals
“I just really wasn’t thinking about anything else but the game. I was just thinking about the next play — what can I do at this moment?”
Merritt kept Oswego East afloat, building a brief lead on a 3-pointer late in regulation. Lewandowski then returned and led the charge to a 57-52 win in overtime over Yorkville.
In all, Merritt ended up with 12 points as the Wolves (15-13, 13-2) won the Southwest Prairie West title. Lewandowski led all scorers with 23 points, including 21 in the second half and OT.
Brooke Spychalski paced Yorkville (20-9, 12-3) with 20 points. Macie Jones added 11.
Oswego East coach Abe Carretto, meanwhile, was impressed with Merritt’s poise. The Wolves were down 10-0 with two starters on the bench with two fouls, including Lewandowski.
All that Merritt did was keep the Wolves alive with a 27-26 deficit at halftime.
“She was huge to basically become the point guard,” Carretto said. “She slowed some things down there. She ran some offenses and called them out. I thought she was getting good looks.
“We kept getting down and kept fighting.”
As far as her demeanor in such a big game, Merritt credited an improved mentality as her second varsity season has progressed.
“At the beginning of the season, it wasn’t so great, but it’s getting better,” Merritt said. “I’m going to continue to get better as long as I work on it.”
Lewandowski was stuck to the bench with her two fouls, so she had a front-row seat in watching what Merritt did to keep the Wolves going.
“I feel like she’s been working a lot this year,” Lewandowski said. “Last year as a freshman, she was kind of nervous. She’s got a lot of confidence, and she’s able to run things when I can’t.”
Yorkville couldn’t capitalize on a 10-0 run to start the first quarter. The Foxes dropped both games this season to Oswego East.
“We got out of our rhythm,” Yorkville coach Kim Wensits said. “I guess you have to credit them. They’re the ones who beat us. We have to credit them for responding, not being afraid to be down.”
Lewandowski scored eight straight points down the stretch as Oswego East tied the game 47-47. Merritt then gave the Wolves a 50-47 lead with 47 seconds left on a 3-pointer.
“Somebody put up a shot, and I boxed out hard and got the rebound,” Merritt said. “I dribbled out to the 3-point line. I saw an opening, so I let it fly and it went in.
“I couldn’t even tell you how I felt at that moment. I had a lot of adrenaline.”
Lewandowski scored the first six points of OT and the Wolves were never threatened from there, winning their first conference title since 2017.
“This means a lot because I’ve never really experienced anything like this,” Lewandowski said. “We’ve been working so hard, starting in the summer. It all came together. This is a good feeling.”
More Top Picks Best Electric Coffee Pots
Lewandowski may have taken another star turn Tuesday, but Carretto knows he can trust Merritt in a tough spot.
“She’s worked on her game a ton,” Carretto said. “She puts a lot on herself. She doesn’t have to do that because, when she’s under control and calm, she can make some plays.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.