Early in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, Highland Park’s Sydney Ignoffo waved both of her arms trying to get the attention of her teammates.
Although those pleas went unanswered, Ignoffo received her chance later in the quarter. The sophomore point guard buried a 3-pointer with just over a minute left to lift the Giants to a 48-46 victory over Grant in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament.
Highland Park coach Julie Bechtel praised Ignoffo for sparking the Giants (1-1) with her shooting and tough defense. Ignoffo finished with five steals, including four in the second half.
“She played both ends of the court in the second half and really made a difference,” Bechtel said. “She had good energy and hit that big shot for us. When she plays both ends of the court, we will really benefit as a team.”
Grant coach Kathie Swanson credited Ignoffo for shifting the momentum of the game after the Bulldogs (0-2) held a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter.
“She sets the tone for them and how she pushes the ball up on the court,” Swanson said. “They did a great job of pushing the ball up the court and they created things and we weren’t communicating.”
With the Bulldogs leading 34-27, the 5-foot-5 Ignoffo scored nine straight points in three possessions on 3-pointer, a layup and free throw and another three to give the Giants a 36-34 lead.
“We talked about coming together as a team on defense and we played good defense in the third quarter and that’s where we won the game,” Ignoffo said.
Ignoffo, who was called up to the varsity in the middle of last season, was held to three points in the first half. She failed to score in the second quarter before unleashing a 16-point scoring outburst in the second half.
“I was struggling (shooting) in the first half and my teammates kept telling me they needed me and were on my back to keep shooting,” Ignoffo said.
Ignoffo is not afraid of hoisting long 3-pointers, as evidenced by a 24-footer she missed in the fourth quarter.
Bechtel said Ignoffo’s shooting range is “pretty far.”
“She has the green light most of the time,” Bechtel said. “She’s very confident.”
Highland Park Addie Budnik also created a stir. The freshman forward contributed 18 points to give the Giants a solid underclassmen duo. The 6-foot Budnik hit two free throws with just under three minutes left to force a 43-43 tie.
“Me and Addie have known each other a long time and gotten really close in the last month and we’re trying to help the team win,” Ignoffo said.
Grant junior forward Mallory Harrity finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. But she did not play in the fourth quarter.
Bob Narang is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.
