Girls Basketball: Loyd wins last home game as Wolves roll to regional title
BY MIKE CAMERON Contributor February 17, 2012 10:56PM
2/17/12. Skokie. Niles West's Jewell Loyd catches the inbounds pass in the air and shoots for an easy basket. Niles West defeated Lincoln Park 67-37 to win the Class 4A Niles West Regional. | Tracy Allen~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 22, 2012 12:13PM
In the final home game of her storied four-year career, Jewell Loyd poured in all 23 of her points in the first half and took only a two-minute curtain call after the break as Niles West demolished Lincoln Park 67-37 Friday to win its third straight regional title.
While Loyd rested in the third quarter, sophomore Dashae Shumate scored eight of her 20 points as the Wolves extended a 40-15 halftime lead to 61-19.
“It hasn’t hit me yet that that was my last home game,” said Loyd. “We’re just focusing on each game. We got a three-peat (consecutive regionals), and I think we’re starting to get our groove on as a team.”
The No. 2 seed in the Class 4A New Trier Sectional, Niles West (21-8) will play No. 3 Glenbrook South (22-7) in a sectional semifinal at 8:10 p.m on Tuesday. The Wolves’ 52-48 overtime win on the Titans’ court last Friday was their sixth straight over GBS. Loyd scored 42 points, including No. 3,000 in her career.
No. 10 Lincoln Park (14-12), back-to-back champion of the Windy City Red North, had lost to Niles West by just 47-45 last season and 52-50 two years ago. But the Wolves’ defense, led by junior co-captain Molly Kleppin, swarmed the Lions this time around. The hosts held star senior guard Jasmine Williams to just eight points and fellow backcourt speedster Diamond Houston to 11.
“We wanted to shut off their dribble penetration. Molly makes our defense go,” said Niles West head coach Tony Konsewicz. “We played very well. Now we’ll just concentrate on Glenbrook South, which is always a tough game.”
Loyd was named one of five finalists for the Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year award on Monday. Bolingbrook senior Morgan Tuck and Whitney Young junior Linnae Harper also were nominees. This is the second year in which three girls from Illinois were chosen for the national honor.
“It may sound weird when you look at the score, but that was all Jewell Loyd,” said Lincoln Park mentor Larry Washington. “You game-plan totally for one player, and then that goes out the window when she comes out hot and they take the big lead. It all starts with a player of that caliber.”
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