Girls Basketball: Sue Sternard’s heroics power Westmont past Lisle

Updated: February 12, 2012 12:02AM

Four quarters was not enough for Lisle and Westmont to settle the Class 2A regional championship match at Lisle Saturday night.

At the end of regulation the teams were tied at 27-27 and headed for overtime.

In the extra period, Sue Sternard came through for Westmont, hitting the game-winning shot with 15 seconds to play to lift the Sentinels to a 31-30 victory.

“At first I was nervous,” Sternard said, “but then I remembered this was a play we had practiced many times and just put it in. I just had to focus on the basket.”

The game was expected to be close since the three previous games between the two teams this year had been decided by one and two points.

The overtime turned out to be a see-saw battle between Lisle’s Shelby Kretman (14 points) and Sternard (16 points). The period began as a defensive battle with neither team scoring until Kretman hit two clutch free throws with less than two minutes left in the game, putting Lisle ahead 29-27.

Sternard then made a tip-in for Westmont (19-11) to tie the score at 29-29 with less than a minute left. When Kretman ended up wide open under the basket 30 seconds later, Sternard fouled her. Kretman hit one of her two free throws to put Lisle (20-10) ahead 30-29.

“We knew they weren’t going to let Jackie [Elzakhem] get the ball,” Westmont coach Michael McCord said, “so we set up a triangle with two other options.”

The option that opened was Sternard, who hit a shot to remember.

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