Girls basketball’s season ended on Feb. 27 when the team lost to New Trier 53-43.
The Kits started strong as they led 27-24 at half. This turned into a six-point lead when freshman Krystal Forrester sunk a jumper to go up 38-32 with 53 seconds left in the third quarter. Ultimately, the Kits ran out of gas.
“We just ran out of steam,” said senior Sierra Clayborn. “We really did play an all around great game that day.”
Coach Elliot Whitefield agrees.
“I think we were tired,” Whitefield said. “We played six kids, two were hurt, and we ran out of steam. They hit a couple shots and the momentum turned, and it was hard to come back after that.”
New Trier’s Alexa Czyzynski took over in the fourth. She went on a personal 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter including back to back threes to start the quarter. The Trevians didn’t turn back. Czyzynski finished the game with a game-high 16 points.
Sierra Clayborn and her twin sister, Seara, led the Kits combining for 21 points and five steals in the twins’ final game of their four-year varsity career.
Regardless, the players feel that the season was a success finishing at 22-8 and second in the CSL South behind New Trier.
“This season went well, because we played really good defense. More importantly though, we stayed as a unit no matter if we played good or bad or won or lost,” said Claybourn.
Moving forward, the team expects great development out of its two freshmen, Forrester and Leighah Wool. In the sectional final, Forrester added six points, four rebounds and three steals, and Wool finished with 7 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
New Trier advanced to the supersectional game with a chance to move downstate,. Their season came to a halt when they fell to Rolling Meadows, the team that beat Evanston in the supersectional in 2013, 60-43.