Girls Basketball: Mackenzie Duffy, Maine South topple Jewell Loyd, Niles West
Niles West's Dashae Shumate drives the lane during their game against Maine South Dec. 9. | Curtis Lehmkuhl~Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 9, 2011 11:44PM
Guards Mackenzie Duffy and Kaitlyn Mullarkey are the least heralded of No. 11 Maine South’s five returning starters, but they sparkled on both ends of the court in the Hawks’ 65-55 victory over No. 15 NIles West Friday.
Duffy, a 5-foot-9 junior, scored a career-high 16 points, and 5-8 senior Mullarkey notched a season-best 13 for the defending CSL South champs. The host Hawks (10-1, 2-1) ) hit 10 three-pointers, including three by Duffy and a pair from Mullarkey.
“Jewell (Loyd) was guarding the post, and that allowed a little more freedom for our guards,” said Maine South coach Mark Smith.
The pair tightly flanked Loyd in the Hawks’ triangle-and-two defense. The Wolves superstar wound up with 29 points, only two under her average, but she labored with 6-for-18 shooting from the field.
The Notre Dame-bound senior personally mounted a spirited comeback, scoring 22 of her points in the final 10 minutes and bringing the Wolves to within 59-53 with 1:54 remaining. Her team was down 46-31 in the middle of the third quarter.
Niles West (10-1, 2-1) lost its fourth straight game to Maine South. In the Hawks’ three victories last season, Loyd averaged 22.3 points, which was 7.9 under her average.
The Wolves missed defensive stalwart Molly Kleppin on Friday. The junior co-captain is out indefinitely after taking a shoulder to the side of her head in Tuesday’s game. Forward Dashae Shumate encountered early foul trouble and left with five personals with 3:31 remaining.
Maine South’s all-conference guard, Michelle Mayer (12 points), nailed four three-pointers in the first 2 1/2 quarters. All-CSL forwards Jacqui Grant and Nina Duric contributed eight and seven points, respectively.
CSL South heavyweights Maine South, Niles West, New Trier and Glenbrook South entered this weekend with a combined 24-1 record in nonconference games.
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