Layla Henderson is Naperville North’s defensive stopper.
The junior guard does a number of things well, but taking the ball away from opponents is her best skill.
“I feel like my teammates trust me a lot on defense,” Henderson said. “I feel like that’s something that helps carry our team a little bit, making steals and getting our transition game going.
“That’s a huge part of the way we play. I contributed to that a little bit.”
That might be an understatement. Henderson scored only six points but led all players with seven steals and three assists Friday night as the host Huskies routed crosstown rival Naperville Central 64-27.
It was the 37th consecutive DuPage Valley Conference victory for the Huskies (26-2, 9-0), who wrapped up the DVC title for the fourth consecutive season. It’s the first time in program history the Huskies have won four straight DVC titles.
Senior point guard Kenzie Hare, a transfer from Bartlett, wasn’t with the Huskies for the previous three championships. The Saint Louis recruit tallied a game-high 18 points to go with five rebounds and four steals.
“It’s awesome,” Hare said. “The culture here is amazing and the fan section was great. They were loud. It’s an honor to be a part of this team.”
It’s a team that is good even when it struggles, as the Huskies did in the first half, and almost unstoppable when they’ve got everything going.
That was the case in the second half, when the Huskies allowed only three baskets, one of which came in the game’s final second.
The result left Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum stunned.
“I’m really pleased with the way we played in the first half,” Nussbaum said. “I don’t know what the difference was in the second half.
“They’re obviously a great team, and it’s hard to stay with them when they are as good as they are.”
Naperville Central (13-11, 6-3) played without starting guards Megan Norkett and Ella Burke, who were competing in a club soccer tournament.
Still, the Redhawks were competitive early. Senior forward Haley Hayes scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the first half.
Junior guard Peyton Fenner broke a 17-17 tie with a layup at the 6:02 mark of the second quarter, beginning a 47-8 burst for Naperville North.
“We were all really amped up for the game,” Fenner said. “I think once that faded, we were able to get out of our heads and work together to make that extra pass.
“We were getting tunnel vision and missing our teammates, and then we really got that together in the second half.”
Indeed, after shooting 33% (11 of 33) before intermission, the Huskies shot 57.7% (15 of 26) in the second half. They scored 18 points in a row and outscored the Redhawks 21-2 in the third quarter.
Fenner was a force at both ends with 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Junior guard Abby Drendel scored 10 of her 14 points after the break, while senior center Sarah Crossett contributed five points, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.
The Huskies forced 33 turnovers, which included 27 steals. The entire lineup had sticky fingers as six players had at least two steals.
“We always say our defense feeds our offense, so once we got a lot of stops, it created our offense,” Henderson said. “Then we started playing how we should be playing in the second half.”
Henderson was one of the catalysts.
“Layla was awesome,” Naperville North coach Erin Colletti said. “With her long arms and fingers, she gets after it and we have a lot of confidence in her.
“She’s been playing really great defensively.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.