Prep Girls Hoops 10 Best: Fremd vs. Morton

Two perennial powers each got a half to showcase why they're among the best of the best before the theatrics took over late in a double-overtime game for the ages. Fremd's defense in the second half and overtime netted it a 65-59 double-overtime win over Morton at Illinois Central College on Saturday. Fremd, ranked fourth in Class 4A by the Associated Press, made three straight state finals appearances from 2015-17. In that same stretch the third-ranked in Class 3A Potters won three straight state championships. Morton led by as many as 15 in the first half. Fremd trimmed the deficit to seven with 5:30 to play in regulation. The Potters had scoring droughts over the final 5:49 of regulation, and all four minutes in the second overtime. Saturday's showdown was a state championship-caliber game. Here are the 10 best things from the game. <h2><strong>Game Thread</strong></h2> https://x.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1091832032710283264 <h2><strong>1. MVP</strong></h2> <strong>Emily Klaczek (Fremd 2020, G, 5-10)</strong> - 14 points (4-7/2-2/4-4); 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks Klaczek elevated her game in the second half on both ends of the court. She was 3-for-5 in the second half and overtime, which is when her perimeter and free throw shots came. Her defense was just as big as her offense, though, as she helped pack the paint to keep Morton's longer, taller guards away from the rim. She came away with a couple of key steals and blocks that helped turn the tide. <h2><strong>2. Play of the game</strong></h2> This game was so good, I made note of five different plays but as the overtime buzzer sounded, it was decided. As world-renowned sports writer Dave Kindred gives you <a href="https://www.mortonladypotters.com/author/dkindred/">the backstory of "ka-ching,"</a> here is what happened. Morton's <strong>Katie Krupa (2022)</strong> inbounded the ball from the baseline with a one-handed pass to <strong>Courtney Jones (2020)</strong>, who leaked from the center-court circle to the frontcourt, bobbled the pass, re-gained possession and hoisted a prayer that banked off the glass as the buzzer sounded to send the game to double overtime. See for yourself: https://x.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1091856660602208256 <h2><strong>3. Best offensive performance</strong></h2> <strong>Lindsey Dullard (Morton 2020, G, 6-1)</strong> - 21 points (6-11/5-9/4-6); 3 assists Between Tenley Dowell (2019) and Dullard, this is a tough call. Both had similar lines with three assists but Dullard opened up the floor for her teammates inside. She scored 11 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, when she was 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Her playmaking abilities are unquestionable as she cuts hard through the paint and sees her teammates at a different level. She is physical on her drives to the basket and can finish through contact. <h2><strong>4. Best defensive performance</strong></h2> <strong>Emily Klaczek (Fremd)</strong> - 2 steals, 2 blocks Morton rarely turns the ball over, but it did nine times combined in the third and fourth quarters. Fremd stole the ball six times in that span with Klaczek swiping it twice. She also had a key block as a help-side defender in the lane in the fourth quarter that created a transition basket at the other end. <h2><strong>5. Best girl off the bench</strong></h2> <strong>Caroline Cochran (Fremd 2020, G, 5-11)</strong> - 3 points (1-1/1-1/0-0); 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound Fremd received great contributions off the bench but Cochran's play in the second half was huge and netted her a spot on the floor late in the game. She provided good off-the-ball defense. Her key basket came after she leaked out to the left corner when Klaczek rebounded a <strong>Brianna Wooldridge (2022)</strong> missed free throw. Her passing was key in freeing up her teammates. <h2><strong>6. Best intangibles</strong></h2> <strong>Ruthie Montella (Fremd 2021, G, 6-0)</strong> It was surprising that Montella is only a sophomore because she plays like she's older. She flows well within the offense and glides like a gazelle on defense. She was 3-for-5 from the floor and became more aggressive in the second half by using her frame to get to the free throw line, where she knocked down 11-of-14. <h2><strong>7. Best under-the-radar performance</strong></h2> <strong>Grace LaBarge (Fremd 2021, G, 6-3)</strong> - 7 points (2-2/2-2/1-2); 1 steal, 1 rebound LaBarge moved well on the court and her length provided fits for Morton's offense along the perimeter. As her team was 3-for-8 in the second quarter, she knocked down a pair of triples to help keep the Vikings within single digits. <h2><strong>8. Best underclassman</strong></h2> <strong>Brianna Wooldridge (Fremd 2022, F, 6-2)</strong> - 7 points (2-3/0-0/3-6); 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist Wooldridge has good mobility and could play on the perimeter defensively, if needed, but she was inside for most of the game. She was efficient with her post moves and was strong on the glass. Her length bothered shots inside but she needs to work on defensive positioning so she can stay in the game longer, as she fouled out in overtime. <h2><strong>9. Best duo</strong></h2> <strong>Lindsey Dullard and Tenley Dowell</strong> - 38 points (11-21/8-13/8-13); 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block Morton's two committed division-I prospects were impressive. As the cliche goes, these big time players stepped up in a big game. The Potters pair accounted for 64 percent of the team's scoring, one-third of its rebounds, more-than-half of its assists, all steals and the lone block. Dowell, a 6-foot Butler recruit, had one of her more efficient shooting performances from the perimeter. Her length and quickness is often good enough to get in the paint and get easy looks inside but when those opportunities weren't there, she was aggressive enough to drive and draw contact to get to the foul line. Similarly, Dullard's length and quickness is a mismatch for most teams. She took advantage of her size differential due to Montella matching up on Dowell. Dullard had one of her more efficient shooting performances of the season as a result. <h2><strong>10. Best off-the-court performance</strong></h2> [caption id="attachment_26255" align="alignright" width="300"] Morton's Bridget Wood sings the "Star Spangled Banner" before a showdown of state powers.[/caption] <strong>Bridget Wood (Morton 2019)</strong> Having covered Morton for three years I witnessed something for the first time; Bridget Wood's rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" was terrific. I've seen football players in marching band and players sing the national anthem before but this was in front of a near-capacity crowd is beyond impressive. https://www.facebook.com/1169002278/posts/10214946034942225/ <h2><strong>Lines of the night</strong></h2> <em>Fremd</em> <strong>Emily Klaczek (2020)</strong> -14 points (4-7/2-2/4-4); 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks <strong>Ruthie Montella (2021)</strong> - 17 points (3-5/0-0/11-14); 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block <strong>Caroline Cochran (2020)</strong> - 3 points (1-1/1-1/0-0); 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound <em>Morton</em> <strong>Lindsey Dullard (2020)</strong> - 21 points (6-11/5-9/4-6); 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block <strong>Tenley Dowell (2019)</strong> - 17 points (5-10/3-4/4-7); 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal <strong>Courtney Jones (2020)</strong> - 10 points (4-7/2-5/0-0); 3 rebounds, 1 assist