Girls Basketball: Rachel Hinchman leads Geneva past York

Updated: December 15, 2011 8:45PM

Offensively, it wasn’t pretty, with countless possessions ending with a jumpball, missed layups, errant passes and one of the state’s best players having an off-game.

But like Geneva guard Ashley Santos said, a win is a win.

Rachel Hinchman scored 15 points, Sami Pawlak added 12 points and seven rebounds and Stevie Fanale had 10 points as No. 8 Geneva (10-0) defeated York 48-32 in Thursday’s first round of the Benet/Naperville North Holiday Tournament in Lisle.

Santos (eight rebounds) had just eight points and Geneva went nearly four minutes before scoring its first basket, but the Vikings heated up in the second quarter and took a 26-15 lead at the break on a three-pointer by Fanale.

“We started off rocky,” Santos said. “But as the game went on we kind of had to wake up more. We became more conscientious on defense, especially with their drive and dish and their dribble weave. I think as the game went on we got a little better at it.

“A win’s a win,” she added. “I’ll take it.”

York was still within 11 points at 33-22 on a basket by Molly Schlecht with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter, but a jumper from the wing by Kelly Gordon (seven points) capped a 9-1 run that gave Geneva its biggest lead at 42-23 just 17 seconds into the final period.

“They were having a lot of easy goes at the basket early in the game,” Santos said. “We doubled on the pick out front and made it a little harder for them in the second half.

“Coach (Sarah Meadows) always encourages us to hustle on defense, scrap for boards and get loose balls,” she added. “Stuff like that. We know that if we’re off on offense that our defense can really get that going.”

Junior guard AnnaBell Lansdowne led York (7-5) with 11 points and 5-foot-11 forward Megan Holmes added four points and nine rebounds.

“We thought we were getting good looks, good shots, they just weren’t falling,” said York coach Jason Reinecke. “The frustrating part is we’re coming off a game against Proviso West that was almost exactly the same identical thing.

“We’re getting good looks, good shots, people who are good shooters, and they just have to keep shooting, keep battling,” he added. “Sooner or later, they’re going to fall. I can’t fault their effort, that’s for sure.”

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