Against a taller, more physical New Trier team, Bogan wanted to play fast, pressure the guards and take its chances with 6-3 junior Jeannie Boehm.
The Bengals’ strategy worked, for about 10 minutes.
Nursing a six-point lead, the Trevians closed the first half on an 18-9 run, then outscored the Bengals 30-12 to start the second half on their way to a 79-55 victory Saturday in the championship game of the New Trier Thanksgiving Tournament in Winnetka.
Boehm led No. 7 New Trier (4-0) with 25 points, 5-10 junior forward Kathryn Pedi added 14 points and newcomer Haley Greer added nine.
The message from New Trier? Be careful what you ask for.
“We’re just as athletic, just as fast and we’ve got some great basketball players out there,” coach Teri Rodgers said. “That’s the kind of game we like to play, too. We were pretty excited to play them because we could get out and run as well.”
Pedi’s short jumper from the baseline gave New Trier a 14-5 lead with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter, but Bogan (3-1) fought its way to within 23-17 on a long 3-pointer by 5-7 guard Brittany Byrd before the rout ensued.
“The key to our game was Pedi,” Rodgers said. “She played great. She hit some 3’s and just controlled the game for us. She’s so smart on the boards. You probably didn’t notice her because she didn’t make very many mistakes. The people who played the best game out there were her and Jeannie.”
Boehm, limited by foul trouble to just seven first-half points, scored 18 of her 25 in the third quarter as New Trier extended to a 71-38 lead.
“It’s a nice feeling as a post player, especially when you get in foul trouble like I did, knowing that your guards can take care of things,” said Boehm, who did a lot of her damage from the blocks on the right side of the lane.
“It hasn’t usually been my favorite place, but it was pretty comfortable there during that game, so it worked.”
Greer got the start at guard alongside junior Autumn Kalis, but junior Alison Borsotti and senior Jackie Welch also logged some heavy minutes in the backcourt for New Trier.
“Haley and the kids who played for us on the sophomore level played great,” Rodgers said. “Kathryn and Jackie, they played against people like Alexa Czyzynski and our other guards who graduated every day in practice last year, so that made them a lot better, too. It really builds on each other.”
Byrd led Bogan with 24 points. Jamee Denham added 12 and Deja Dickens had 11.
“We did not do a great job today with our game plan,” Bogan coach Gary Bell said. “We had to pick our poison. We wanted to take away the guards and let the big girl do what she wanted. It didn’t work out at all today.
“But the girls fought and kept playing down the stretch. We just didn’t do a good job executing with our game plan.”
