Girls basketball: Rock Falls rolls over Rockford Lutheran for sixth win in a row on Senior Night

Lego, Bickett double-doubles lead Rockets in 20-point BNC win

Rock Falls’ Emily Lego looks to put up a shot Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 against Rockford Lutheran.

ROCK FALLS – The Rock Falls Rockets remembered the feeling of losing to Rockford Lutheran at the State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington on Dec. 29th.

With a 57-37 victory over the Crusaders at Tabor Gym on Friday night, they redeemed that loss from nearly a month ago and secured their sixth win in a row on Senior Night.

“I think since we lost to them in State Farm, it was just kind of a motivation to come back and shut the lights out,” Rock Falls senior center Emily Lego said.

The Rockets (15-11, 5-2 BNC) and Crusaders (19-8, 4-3 BNC) traded baskets up to a 6-6 tie, then Rock Falls scored eight straight points to finish the first quarter.

With 3:44 to go, Rylee Johnson knocked down two free throws to spark the 8-0 run. Lego finished a layup with an assist from Taylor Reyna a minute later, then Lego scored again on a back-door cut with an assist from Johnson a minute after that. Johnson put back a miss with five seconds to go, and the Rockets led 14-6 after the first quarter.

“I think just the emotions. Our seniors knowing it’s one of their last games at home,” Rock Falls junior forward Claire Bickett said about what fueled her team’s fast start. “They came out really wanting to win on their home court for their night. And I think that pushed us to come out with that great start.”

Rock Falls’ Claire Bickett looks to pass while being guarded by Rockford Lutheran’s Sydney Carlson Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.

In the second quarter, Rock Falls expanded its lead. Katie Thatcher buried a deep 2 just inside the right wing 47 seconds into the period for a 16-6 lead, but Rockford Lutheran’s Soraya Parker and Sydney Carlson hit two 3-pointers 40 seconds apart to draw within 18-14. But the Rockets came right back with a 9-4 run to finish the first half.

With 1:42 to go, Bickett posted up, then laid the ball in over a smaller defender for a 22-16 lead. Bickett kicked out to Lego for a deep right-corner 2 about 30 seconds later, then Johnson dumped a short pass to Bickett in the lane and she converted a three-point play to extend the lead to 27-18 at the half.

Rock Falls outrebounded Rockford Lutheran 22-7 in the first half, and finished the game with a 43-15 advantage on the boards. Lego led the way with 12 total rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

“We’re pretty big and we’re aggressive, so getting those boards underneath are huge for us, offensive and especially defensive,” Bickett said. “Getting rebounds all around.”

“We’re always told we need to be all over the boards, especially when we all get yelled at a lot of times for not doing that,” Lego said. “And I just wanted to come out and show I can do it all.”

Rock Falls’ Taylor Reyna makes a pass down low Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 against Rockford Lutheran.

In the second half, the Rockets moved the ball extremely well, and took advantage of the Crusaders’ repeated attempts to trap the ball-handler. By the end of the third quarter, they led 43-31.

“Usually when they double, it leaves somebody open,” Lego said. “So we’re always looking to make sure we get past that person, or get it right down to the block for a big score.”

“I think we passed the ball extremely well tonight. Better than we usually do,” Bickett said. “And I think passing was the key to our offense. We got a lot of open looks, getting the ball inside, then out.”

Rock Falls scored four points in the first 14 seconds of the third quarter, as Thatcher snuck a pass between two defenders to Lego for a layup, then Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound off Lego’s missed free throw, drew a foul, and converted both foul shots for a 31-18 lead. Lego put back a miss with a short-range jumper for a 33-18 lead, then put back another miss for a 35-20 lead less than a minute later.

Rock Falls’ Katie Thatcher works below the basket Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 against Rockford Lutheran.

Bickett split a pair of defenders and laid the ball in to make it 43-26 Rockets with 1:42 left, before Kaylee Bankes scored on the fast break to pull Rockford Lutheran within 43-31 in the final minute.

“We knew they were going to give us a good punch after halftime, so we knew we had to punch harder getting out of halftime,” Bickett said. “So I think we just came out ready to go and kept the lead up.”

The Rockets widened their lead to 18 points and sealed the win with a 6-0 run in the first 4:30 of the fourth quarter. Bickett banked in an elbow jumper in the first 17 seconds, Brooke Howard stole an errant pass and scored on the break with 4:40 to play, and Lego snagged an offensive rebound over a defender’s back and put it in for 49-31 lead with 3:30 left.

Lego had a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, along with three blocks and one steal. Bickett also recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and snagging 10 rebounds. Johnson totaled six points and five rebounds, Howard had five points and four steals, and Thatcher added four points, 11 rebounds, one block and one steal. Reyna chipped in four points and two steals for the Rockets.

Parker led Rockford Lutheran with 12 points and three rebounds, Bankes chipped in 10 points and three rebounds, and Hannah Morgan added nine points and three rebounds.

Rock Falls’ Rylee Johnson handles the ball Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 against Rockford Lutheran.
Dan Wussow

Dan Wussow

Dan is the sports editor for Sauk Valley Media. Previously, he wrote for The Post-Crescent in his hometown of Appleton, WI.