Highland loses to Pekin in overtime

RIVERSIDE ? The Highland girls basketball team took Pekin into overtime Tuesday but could not come away with the victory as the Huskies fell 56-53 at home. The loss drops the Huskies to 4-4 in the conference and 4-4 overall. Pekin improves to 6-2 in the conference and 7-2 overall.

Highland jumped out to an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Pekin answered with a big second quarter and by halftime trailed by just one, 30-29. Highland led 43-40 going into the fourth quarter. Highland?s offense stalled in the fourth quarter, scoring just five points and sending the game into overtime tied at 48. In overtime, Pekin edged Highland 8-5.

Breanna Hall led the Huskies in scoring with 18 points to go with three 3-pointers. Hall was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end as she stole the ball five times and blocked five shots, leading her team in both categories.

Kelsey Doreo amassed 14 points on 6-11 shooting and picked up eight defensive and three offensive rebounds. Emily Wieland scored 10 points and gathered three boards, an assist and a block. Alison Sojka scored seven points, led her team in assists with five and had three steals. Kassie Vazquez finished with two points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Chelsey Lampe garnered two points on two free throws and five boards.

As a team, Highland shot 15-38 (39 percent) from inside the arc and 3-8 (38 percent) from beyond the arc. Pekin was 18-38 (47 percent) from two-point range and 1-7 (14 percent) from beyond the arc. Highland shot 14-23 (61 percent) from the charity stripe while Pekin shot 17-31 (55 percent). The Huskies out-rebounded Pekin 32-28.

Highland head coach Jody Fink said his team had the game in its grasp but let it get away.

?We didn?t execute down the stretch,? he said. ?We had an opportunity to win it in regulation and didn?t get a shot off. We had good balance but missed many bunny shots by not being aggressive and attacking the rim.?

Fink said his team will get a break now that Christmas is coming. He said his team will be rejuvenated for the second half of the season.

?We have grown and now we need to show it,? he said.

The Huskies? next game is Jan. 3 against IMS at home.