Coaxing Lisle out of its deliberate offense was all Westmont guard Jackie Elzakhem thought about at halftime.
In a 36-30 win over Lisle at the Class 2A Lisle Regional final, Elzakhem forced turnovers on the Lions’ first two offensive possessions of the second half and set the tone for the Sentinels’ second-half comeback victory.
The Sentinels play Bishop McNamara on Monday at the Seneca sectional. Bishop McNamara beat Peotone 58-35 Thursday in its regional final.
“We weren’t playing our game in the first half; we were playing theirs,” Elzakhem said. “Coach wanted us to come out with energy because when we come out with energy no one can stop us. I knew I had to jump start us somehow.”
Westmont (27-3) held Lisle (16-11) scoreless in the third quarter and turned a 14-11 halftime deficit into a 25-14 lead on a third-quarter buzzer-beating jumper by Susan Sternard.
Sara Sternard led Westmont with 14 points, while younger sister Susan Sternard added six points. Tara Sarb led Lisle with 10 points and three steals.
“We ran the floor a lot better in the second half,” Sara Sternard said. “We got a couple fast breaks, and that is the basketball we like to play.”
Determined to play a deliberate, half-court game, Lisle compensated for a size disadvantage by swarming the passing lanes and beating the Sentinels to loose balls in the first half.
But in the third quarter Westmont’s defense and ability to force an up-tempo game were the difference. The Sentinels beat the Lions three times this season and also eliminated them from the playoffs last year.
“We were playing too slow,” Westmont coach Mike McCord said. “It wasn’t a matter of changing anything other than we just had to go out and play harder.”
Player of the game:
Jackie Elzakhem, Westmont, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals.
Key performers:
Westmont — Sara Sternard, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals; Susan Sternard, 6 points. Lisle — Tara Sarb, 10 points, 3 steals.
