Girls Basketball: Amena Brent, H-F topple Sandburg

Updated: January 3, 2012 8:34PM

Homewood-Flossmoor had just come off of two losses at the Hillcrest Holiday Classic.

It was an important SouthWest Suburban Blue game.

Vikings senior Amena Brent provided a couple of reasons why H-F looked like a team on a mission in Tuesday’s 49-35 victory over visiting Sandburg.

“We wanted to make a point tonight,” she said.

For her part Brent scored a season-high 18 points. The Stetson-bound center added 11 rebounds as the No. 20 Vikings improved to 12-5 overall, 3-1 in conference.

Kristen Bailey (six rebounds) and Rachel Ruzevich paced Sandburg (9-7, 2-2) with nine points each.

Brent was dominant underneath as H-F raced to an 18-6 lead after one quarter. She was 6 of 9 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.

And there weren’t very many loose balls underneath she didn’t get to.

“I was searching for rebounds,” Brent said. “I knew where the rebound was coming off and I got it and put it back up every time.”

Eight of Brent’s points were the result of her own offensive rebound. Another key for H-F was Charnelle Reed, whose six second-quarter points allowed the Vikings to build a 28-10 halftime advantage.

Sandburg, meanwhile, struggled with its outside shooting. The Eagles were 3-for-27 from the field in the first half.

They bounced back in the third and fourth quarters behind the three-point shooting of Ruzevich, Carly Katalinic and Kelly Pocza to get as close as 12.

For H-F, the next stop is No. 2 Bolingbrook.

“It was very important that we came out and had a good game tonight,” Vikings coach Dana Noble said. “I wish we had more practice to prepare for Bolingbrook, but I think we played the type of defense tonight that we need to go out and play against them.”

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