Ms. Big Shot: Cesarek’s 3 sends Comets past Dixon in opener
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| Newman’s Brianna Richardson (34) fights for a rebound with Dixon’s Catie Cox (13) and Susie Hicks during their season-opening Sauk Valley Shootout game Monday night at Newman Central Catholic High School. Newman won 54-52. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@svnmail.com) |
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STERLING – Sarah Cesarek didn’t think the biggest shot of the night had enough on it.
Luckily for the Newman junior guard, she was wrong.
Cesarek’s 3-point basket with 19 seconds remaining lifted the Comets to a 54-52 victory over Dixon in a Sauk Valley Shootout contest Monday night in the Newman gym. It was the season opener for both teams.
Newman, down by as many 12 points (40-28) with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, waged a furious fourth-quarter comeback that was capped by Cesarek’s 3-pointer. With 28.4 seconds remaining, the Comets had the ball and called a timeout.
Assistant coach Jay Howell drew up a play that had Kayla Moore drive the lane and shoot a layup if it was there. If not, Moore was to kick it out to Cesarek. Moore chose option No. 2, and Cesarek converted Newman’s only 3-pointer of the night.
“I was pretty confident,” Cesarek said, “but when I let it go I thought it was going to be short. But it went in.”
“The play actually worked just like we drew it up,” Newman coach Ryan Oetting said, before quickly giving credit to Howell.
A last-second 3-point attempt by Dixon’s Holly Nicklaus was short, securing the win for the Comets.
Newman controlled the early portion of the game, and was up 23-17 two minutes before halftime before Dixon went on a 6-0 run to knot the score at 23-23.
The Duchesses continued their surge in the third quarter, and a pair of 5-0 scoring runs by Susie Hicks and Elizabeth Greenwalt put them up 40-28 before the Comets started fighting back.
Dixon was still ahead 52-47 on a basket by Hicks with 2:55 remaining, but didn’t score the rest of the way.
“Newman did a great job coming back,” Dixon coach Jamie Brigl said, “but we’ve got to learn how to buckle down and finish off the game.”
Fatigue was a factor for Dixon, which used just six players. Reserves Lauren Smith and Brooke Payne are injured and not due back for a week or two, and two sophomores, Allison DeArvil and Breanna Tourtillot, played in the preliminary game and were to be used in an emergency only.
“We got pretty tired, but that’s no excuse,” Nicklaus said. “When we got under pressure, we’re just not used to that, especially with a 12-point lead. We let them right back in. We just lost it.”
Nicklaus had a big game with 14 points, seven blocks, six assists and five rebounds. Hicks (13) and Greenwalt (12) also reached double figures, and Catie Cox was a force inside with 13 rebounds and nine points.
The guard tandem of Moore (17 points) and Cesarek (13) led the way for Newman and Brianna Richardson just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
While pleased with the win, Moore noted the game was a bit of an eye-opener for the Comets, most of whom were seeing their first extensive varsity action while waiting for last year’s great senior class to graduate.
“It made us realize we aren’t the best 30-0 sophomore team anymore,” Moore said. “We’re going to have to work hard this season. It showed us we’re not just going to get everything handed to us.”
Star of the game: Kayla Moore, Newman, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Key performers: Sarah Cesarek, Newman, 13 points, winning 3-pointer; Holly Nicklaus, Dixon, 14 points, 7 blocks, 6 assists, 5 rebounds; Catie Cox, Dixon, 13 rebounds, 9 points, 5 blocks, 3 steals
Up next: Sauk Valley Shootout, Stillman Valley at Dixon & Newman at Rock Falls, 7:30 p.m. today
