It was a senior night to remember for the Kits, as they blew out the Brooks Eagles with a resounding 53-22 victory. The Kits dominated every aspect of the game, leaving no doubt about who the better team was in a contest that was never close.
Unusual circumstances made it a miracle that this game even happened. Evanston’s original senior night matchup against Mather was canceled at the last minute, forcing the Wildkits to scramble for an opponent. Fortunately, the Brooks Eagles were available, allowing Evanston to proceed with their senior night.
The game began with the Kits winning the tip-off, leading to the first of many baskets by senior Jayla Warner. Evanston followed up with a couple of steals that led to layups, kicking off the game with a 10-0 run. The Kits consistently tipped passes throughout the quarter, forcing turnovers and limiting Brooks’ scoring opportunities. Evanston turned their strong defense into offense, with points off turnovers being a significant factor in their commanding 20-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“Our goal is to really try to score 15 to 20 points off a turnover. So when we can do that, we put ourselves in a good position to win,” mentioned Johnson.
The second quarter was more of the same for the Kits. Tipped passes and steals kept coming, and Evanston excelled at finding either Warner or Charity Bryant under the basket. Warner had an especially strong first-half performance, leading all scorers with 16 points by halftime. Evanston’s stifling defense left Brooks completely at a loss; the Eagles couldn’t score a single point in the quarter, and the Kits extended their lead to 34-5 by the break.
Evanston went all out to honor their seniors, with balloons at the bench, posters around the arena, and a special halftime ceremony. During the ceremony, the entire team and players’ families gathered on the court to celebrate seniors Jayla Williams and Maya Forman for their contributions to the program. It was a heartfelt moment.
“I always want our seniors to be able to have senior night moments where we can celebrate them, especially when they’ve been in the program for four years,” stated Johnson.
The Kits continued their dominance in the third quarter. Jayla Williams controlled the inside game, and late in the quarter, she hit a three-pointer that sent the Kits’ bench into a frenzy. By the end of the third, Evanston led 48-17, prompting both teams to agree to run an accelerated clock in the fourth. In this quick final quarter, Coach Johnson subbed in Maya Forman for a late free throw, giving her one last point on her senior night and sealing the 53-22 win for the Wildkits.
It was an especially memorable night for Jayla Williams. Not only was it her senior night, but she also controlled the game inside, completely dominating the Eagles on the boards and scoring 30 points on the night.
“She’s had a great season and career for us,” said Johnson. “To be able to score 30 on senior night, I thought that was very special”
