Girls Basketball: Romeoville ousts Lemont
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media February 13, 2013 10:54PM
Romeoville's Abigail Smith (14) puts a shot up against Lemont's Courtney Toth (21) during their regional basketball game in Lemont Wednesday, February 13, 2013. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 15, 2013 1:07PM
Romeoville’s Abby Smith doesn’t shy away from knowing she can be a tad streaky with her jump shot.
“It comes and goes,” Smith said with a smile. “There are good nights, and nights where I think ‘OK, no shooting, Abby.’ ” (Wednesday), I just felt good.”
With the Spartans struggling from the floor as a team Wednesday, Smith picked a perfect time to get on a hot streak, finishing with 12 points in Romeoville’s 52-35 win over host Lemont in a 4A regional semifinal.
Kiera Currie (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Brianna Harris (13 points, 9 rebounds) contributed for Romeoville (26-3), which will meet Plainfield East, a 68-34 winner over West Aurora, at 7:30 p.m. Friday for the regional title. It will be the fourth meeting between the schools this season, with Romeoville winning the last two.
The Spartans shot just 10-of-35 from the field in the first half with Smith (5 rebounds, 4 steals) picking up the slack, hitting one three-pointer in the first quarter and two more in the second.
“Lemont was keying in on Kiera so we were focusing on hitting from outside,” Smith said. “That first one goes in, and your confidence goes up a little bit. That ‘swish’ sound makes every shooter happy.”
Smith’s final three-pointer put Romeoville up 24-9 early in the second period as the Spartans took a 29-14 lead into halftime.
Romeoville finished 18-of-56 from the field with 11 turnovers.
“We advanced, and that’s what we wanted, but it wasn’t pretty,” Smith said. “We had a lot of turnovers, so hopefully, we got them all out of our system now.”
Courtney Toth (12 points, 9 rebounds) and Kelsey Motto (6 points, 4 rebounds) led Lemont (14-14). Motto was playing in just her third game since dislocating her right knee in early December.
“I wanted to come back, but I didn’t want to rush it, either,” Motto said. “I planned on coming back for Senior Night, and I did, but I wish the outcome was better (Wednesday).”
