Girls basketball: Cold fourth quarter dooms Minooka in loss to Hinsdale South

MINOOKA — For most of the game Saturday afternoon, the Minooka girls basketball team’s defense was stifling. The Indians used a lot of pressure in the first three and a half quarters, building a 33-25 lead with 4:35 to play.

After that, though, Hinsdale South - coached by former Minooka boys coach Scott Tanaka - figured out how to handle Minooka’s defense and went on a 13-0 run to close the game and come away with a 38-33 win.

“We had way too many turnovers at the end,” Minooka coach Jeff Easthon said. “Our defense was OK for the most part, but we are struggling to score right now across the board.”

The Indians (5-5) controlled the first half, taking an 8-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and holding Hinsdale South without a field goal in the period. All three of the Hornets’ points came from free throws. Kinzie Caves, who led Minooka with 11 points, scored the first two baskets for the Indians, while Andie Burch and Ashley Currier (5 points, 10 rebounds) each had a bucket.

Minooka then scored the first six points of the second quarter on baskets by Alyson Riley and Makenzie Brass and a pair of free throws by Kennedi Brass, to take a 14-3 lead at the mask break. Hinsdale South got a pair of free throws and a basket by Mimi Flowers (13 points, 7 rebounds) to offset a basket by Minooka’s Bri Simmons to close to within 16-8 at halftime.

The Indians did not make a three-pointer in the first half, but came out in the second half and made three straight. After Caves opened the half with a pair of free throws, she drained a three-pointer, which was followed by threes from Makenzie Brass and Currier to put Minooka ahead, 27-8.

Hinsdale South began to chip away at the lead, getting a basket from Madeline Gamboa and a three-point play by Flowers. A basket by Burch put Minooka ahead, 29-13, before the Hornets got a steal and a layup from Mia Lovato, a basket by Gabriela Baranauskas and a free throw by Flowers to close the gap to 29-18. Riley scored on a putback for Minooka before Lovato banked in a shot from half-court at the buzzer to make it 31-21 Minooka heading into the fourth.

“I put the brakes on our pressure when I shouldn’t have,” Easthon said. “We had a big lead and we took the press off, and it got us out of the flow we wanted. We were getting turnovers that helped us get baskets.”

Hinsdale South scored the first four points of the fourth to make it 31-25 before Caves made a pair of free throws with 4:35 left to put Minooka ahead, 33-25. Those turned out to be Minooka’s last points.

Meanwhile, Hinsdale South got a pair of free throws by Gamboa and a steal and layup by Lovato to pull to within 33-31 with 1:26 to play. After a missed Minooka shot, Hinsdale South got the rebound and Gamboa hit a three-pointer with :40 left to put the Hornets up for good. Minooka turned the ball over on their final three possessions, and Hinsdale South sealed the win with a pair of free throws by Lovato and a basket by Flowers.

“We start two sophomores and one of them is our point guard and the other is our go-to scorer,” Easthon said. “They are very talented, but they are still learning how to play on the varsity level. The fact is that we were doing fine when we had the press on, but I took it off and that’s why we lost.”