Andrew’s Melissa Malinowski did much more than help win a basketball Thursday night to keep her team undefeated.
She made Dawn Vander Meer feel better.
In fact, she made the whole gathering of Andrew fans feel a lot better after the Thunderbolts scored the last seven points of the game to come up with a 49-42 victory over 10th-ranked Sandburg and run their record to 22-0.
The 6-foot-2-inch Vander Meer, who is averaging 12 points and a team-leading eight rebounds a game, was not available for this one. She twisted her right ankle against Reavis on Tuesday and was on crutches before Thursday’s game.
All that meant was more work for the 5-8 Malinowski. And she responded with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 3 Andrew clinch at least a tie for the SICA West title. The T-bolts are 7-0 with three conference games remaining.
“I always focus on rebounding,” Malinowski said, “but tonight it was a bigger deal with our top rebounder out.”
The senior not only rebounded; she also scored five of her team’s last nine points–including the two that put Andrew ahead to stay. The game was tied 42-42 when she stole the ball at midcourt and was fouled by Sandburg’s Sarah Kustok while driving for the go-ahead basket.
Instead, with 1:41 left, she connected on both free throws for a 44-42 Andrew lead.
“The last couple of games, she’s been terrific,” said Andrew coach Doug Erickson, whose T-Bolts won their first conference title last season. “She’s hard to guard because of her strength and quickness.”
“I wanted to play, I really wanted to play against Sandburg,” said Vander Meer, who could return before the regular season ends. “But Melissa had an awesome game. She really muscled up.”
Kustok, who suffered ligament damage and a contusion to her left elbow in a pileup against Stagg last week, was able to get on the floor. The DePaul-bound senior, her left arm heavily taped, admitted she was in pain. Still, she scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Eagles (18-6, 4-3).
“I wasn’t going to miss this game,” Kustok said.
