This time, the game didn’t go down to the last second, the ending wasn’t controversial–but the result was the same.
No. 1 Naperville Central, meeting rival Neuqua Valley for the first time since their thrilling sectional final last February, pulled away for a 64-52 victory Monday at the McDonald’s Chicagoland Girls Prep Classic at Willowbrook.
Candace Parker did not have her best shooting game. She was 11-of-28 before a crowd of 2,459 that included her future coach, Tennessee’s Pat Summitt. But she finished with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds to lift the Redhawks (16-2) to their 42nd victory in a row with Parker in the lineup.
“It’s another win, we’re excited about it,” said Parker, who found herself in a duel with Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton. “We had some people step up big.”
Parker meant Tiffany Hudson, Rachel Crissy and Erica Carter, who held the team together for Central’s first 11 games until Parker returned from her torn ACL on Dec. 29.
Hudson finished with 15 points, including five in a row during a span of 47 seconds in the fourth quarter that extended the Redhawks’ lead from 50-41 to 55-41 with 5:38 left. With 1:50 left, Carter (12 points) hit a three-pointer that ended any hopes for No. 16 Neuqua Valley (15-5). Last season’s sectional final ended in controversy when what appeared to be the winning basket by Brittanie Taylor-James was waved off by officials.
“I think we played really good, but they got a run and we couldn’t get one,” said the Purdue-bound Wisdom-Hylton, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
