ALBANY - It's only fitting that Albany sophomore Hayli Peach put the icing on the cake in the Comets' 56-49 upset win over Pecatonica Tuesday night.
Peach scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers, to help propel the Comets to a stirring girls basketball victory.
Albany (6-5, 3-2 Six Rivers East) survived after nearly blowing a 17-point lead with Peach making 5 of 6 free throws in the fourth quarter.
"I felt on fire," Peach said. "I just kept driving and doing what coach said. I just got it done."
The Vikings (6-4, 2-2) stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the second half, but the Comets made plays down the stretch.
"It's such a great win for our program," Albany coach Mike Brunhoefer said. "They believe we are not as good as Pecatonica, Black Hawk and Barneveld. Baloney! Are we that caliber yet? No, but we can play with them."
For Pecatonica, the season is unfolding differently.
"Contrary to popular belief, we are not the same team as last year or the year before," head coach Mike Armitage said. "If we don't control tempo, this will happen."
The Vikings didn't start three usual starters, including seniors Brittany Kent, Elise Sigg and Morgan Pien. Instead, sophomore Ellie Gifford, and juniors Megan Rindy and Kaitlyn Linder started.
Armitage said Kent, Sigg and Pien were not hurt or sick.
"This is a decision made democratically," Armitage said. "These are the kids the girls thought should start, period."
Pecatonica junior Kimee Chandler drove into the lane and banked in a shot off the glass with 4 minutes, 43 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to cut the Comets' lead to 44-43. That's as close as the Vikings would get.
Albany senior Tiffany Thompson answered with a couple of clutch jumpers to extend the Comets' lead to 49-45.
Chandler scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the second half.
"In the second half, we did everything to stop her," Brunhoefer said. "Every team would like to have a kid like her."
Early on, the Vikings didn't miss a beat, jumping out to an 8-4 lead after a 3-pointer by Chandler. The Comets came out on fire in the first quarter, hitting five 3-pointers. Peach scored 10 first-quarter points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
The Comets blitzed the Vikings in the second quarter with a 13-1 run. A 3-pointer by Peach midway through the second quarter gave the Comets a 26-14 lead. Sophomore Sydney Bump followed that with a steal and layup on the break. Peach added a steal and layup and Bump scored down low for a 32-14 lead. Bump scored 15 points in the game and Nicolette Blumer added 10 for the Comets.
The Comets' 33-15 halftime lead was wiped away in the third quarter when the Vikings went on a 20-4 run. The spurt was fueled by a stifling halfcourt trap. The Vikings lived on transition in the third quarter.
Chandler had three third-quarter steals and the Comets had 10 of their 15 turnovers in the period as they struggled to solve the halfcourt trap. It didn't help when Peach picked up her fourth foul and was saddled to the bench for most of the period.
"You saw with her on the bench what that did to us," Brunhoefer said. "I wanted to survive the third quarter. I didn't dare put Hayli back in. We have played without our point guard in so many games. I was just lucky we had a big lead to protect."
Staying out of foul trouble is a tough lesson for Peach.
"We have to have her on the floor," Brunhoefer said. "She has to learn to stay out on the floor because we need her. She's a sophomore. She will only get better."
The Vikings also were aggressive attacking the basket and drawing fouls. They shot 8-for-14 from the free throw line in the third quarter.
Kent scored 13 points and Alisha Esselstein added eight.
The Comets brought several graduates back to practice and worked on playing aggressive defense on the Vikings' big three - Chandler, Kent and Sigg - and sagged off other shooters.
"That worked the whole game and we didn't have to change it," Peach said.
Peach scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers, to help propel the Comets to a stirring girls basketball victory.
Albany (6-5, 3-2 Six Rivers East) survived after nearly blowing a 17-point lead with Peach making 5 of 6 free throws in the fourth quarter.
"I felt on fire," Peach said. "I just kept driving and doing what coach said. I just got it done."
The Vikings (6-4, 2-2) stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the second half, but the Comets made plays down the stretch.
"It's such a great win for our program," Albany coach Mike Brunhoefer said. "They believe we are not as good as Pecatonica, Black Hawk and Barneveld. Baloney! Are we that caliber yet? No, but we can play with them."
For Pecatonica, the season is unfolding differently.
"Contrary to popular belief, we are not the same team as last year or the year before," head coach Mike Armitage said. "If we don't control tempo, this will happen."
The Vikings didn't start three usual starters, including seniors Brittany Kent, Elise Sigg and Morgan Pien. Instead, sophomore Ellie Gifford, and juniors Megan Rindy and Kaitlyn Linder started.
Armitage said Kent, Sigg and Pien were not hurt or sick.
"This is a decision made democratically," Armitage said. "These are the kids the girls thought should start, period."
Pecatonica junior Kimee Chandler drove into the lane and banked in a shot off the glass with 4 minutes, 43 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to cut the Comets' lead to 44-43. That's as close as the Vikings would get.
Albany senior Tiffany Thompson answered with a couple of clutch jumpers to extend the Comets' lead to 49-45.
Chandler scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the second half.
"In the second half, we did everything to stop her," Brunhoefer said. "Every team would like to have a kid like her."
Early on, the Vikings didn't miss a beat, jumping out to an 8-4 lead after a 3-pointer by Chandler. The Comets came out on fire in the first quarter, hitting five 3-pointers. Peach scored 10 first-quarter points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
The Comets blitzed the Vikings in the second quarter with a 13-1 run. A 3-pointer by Peach midway through the second quarter gave the Comets a 26-14 lead. Sophomore Sydney Bump followed that with a steal and layup on the break. Peach added a steal and layup and Bump scored down low for a 32-14 lead. Bump scored 15 points in the game and Nicolette Blumer added 10 for the Comets.
The Comets' 33-15 halftime lead was wiped away in the third quarter when the Vikings went on a 20-4 run. The spurt was fueled by a stifling halfcourt trap. The Vikings lived on transition in the third quarter.
Chandler had three third-quarter steals and the Comets had 10 of their 15 turnovers in the period as they struggled to solve the halfcourt trap. It didn't help when Peach picked up her fourth foul and was saddled to the bench for most of the period.
"You saw with her on the bench what that did to us," Brunhoefer said. "I wanted to survive the third quarter. I didn't dare put Hayli back in. We have played without our point guard in so many games. I was just lucky we had a big lead to protect."
Staying out of foul trouble is a tough lesson for Peach.
"We have to have her on the floor," Brunhoefer said. "She has to learn to stay out on the floor because we need her. She's a sophomore. She will only get better."
The Vikings also were aggressive attacking the basket and drawing fouls. They shot 8-for-14 from the free throw line in the third quarter.
Kent scored 13 points and Alisha Esselstein added eight.
The Comets brought several graduates back to practice and worked on playing aggressive defense on the Vikings' big three - Chandler, Kent and Sigg - and sagged off other shooters.
"That worked the whole game and we didn't have to change it," Peach said.
